Discontinued
Review 2020
KIA Sorento USA

KIA Sorento

  • Sold in USA = 2014-2020
  • Generation = 3rd (Discontinued)

KIA Sorento price in the USA in 2021 :

  • Base L Trim Starts: 27,990 dollars
  • LX trim Starts at 30,562 dollars
  • S trim starts at 33,065 dollars
  • EX trims starts at: 36,165 dollars
  • SX trims starts at: 39,165 dollars.

KIA has the most admirable range of SUV vehicles and is also expected to become the biggest seller of SUVs in the market for upcoming years after beating Toyota. Like many other well-designed and impressive vehicles of KIA Company, Sorento is also in the company’s product lineup for more than 15 years. KIA Sorento was displayed first in 2002 as a compact SUV that became a mid-sized crossover after 2009. Before 2020 three generations of Sorento had already passed, and the 4th Generation of KIA Sorento has recently unveiled in March, which is expected to start selling at the beginning of 2021. KIA Sorento has now become a vital play card in SUV’s lineup of KIA.

This particular vehicle may not have performed very well with its previous generations. Still, in the last couple of years, it has been progressing consistently, and other than becoming a solid performer, it has also become the major competitor in the SUV market.

3rd Generation Kia Sorento Title image
3rd Generation Kia Sorento Title image

Trims & Versions USA:

The KIA Sorento 3rd generation model is available in five different versions having different drive trains and features.

The version includes L, LX, S, SX, and EX.

L Version:

The base trim of KIA Sorento is equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a front-wheel-drive system paired with six speeds automatic transmission. It generates 181 horsepower and Gives a fuel economy of 22/29 miles per gallon in the city/ Highway. It has a long list of standard features, some important to mention here include; 17-inch alloy wheels, Android auto, ABS Brakes, Apple Car Play, Brake Assist, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, fabric seats, and vehicle stability control, a complete list of standard features available in features tab.

LX Trim:

Equipped with the same engine configuration as base L trim and includes the all-wheel-drive system as optional with extra spending. List of additional features other than standard features of Base trims includes;

Everything in the L trim, plus:

  • Blind Spot Collision Warning (BCW)
  • Front Seats Back Pockets
  • Power Windows with 1st and 2nd-Row One-Touch Auto-Up/Down
  • Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning (RCCW)
  • Sound-Absorbing Windshield Glass
  • USB 2.1 Charger Ports
Choosing the LX trim removes:
  • Power Windows with Driver One-Touch Auto-Up/Down

S Trim: 

KIA Sorento is equipped with a 3.3-liter v6 engine with a front-wheel-drive system paired with 8-speed automatic transmission. With a V6 engine, Sorento generates 290 horsepower and gives the fuel efficiency of 19/26 on city/highway. Other than having all features of LX trim, it includes;

Everything in the LX trim, plus:

  • 19-inch Alloy Wheels, Black Finish
  • 3rd Row Air Conditioning w/ Controls
  • Blind Spot Collision Avoidance-Assist (BCA)
  • Forward Collision-Avoidance (FCA)
  • Glossy Black & Heated Outside Mirrors w/ LED Turn Signal Indicators
  • Heated Front Seats
  • Leather Gearshift Knob
  • Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
  • Low Profile Roof Rails, Black Finish
  • Park Distance Warning – Reverse (PDW-R)
  • Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance (RCCA)
  • Smart Key w/ Push-Button Start and Immobilizer
  • Smart Welcome
Choosing the S V6 trim removes:
  • 17-inch Alloy Wheels

EX Trim: 

Sorento EX has the same power train as the previous S trim but increases the list of features even further with additional features including;

Everything in the S V6 trims plus:

  • 19-inch Alloy Wheels
  • Body-Color & Heated Outside Mirrors w/ LED Turn Signal Indicators
  • Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
  • Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) w/ Auto-Hold
  • Forward Collision-Avoidance (FCA), w/ Pedestrian Detection
  • Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
  • Front Grille, Gloss Black
  • Illuminated Door Handle Pockets
  • LED Map and Room Lights
  • Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
  • Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
  • Leather Seat Trim
  • Low Profile Roof Rails, Silver Finish
  • Lower Bumper Accents, Silver
  • Panoramic Sunroof w/ Power Sunshade
  • Programmable Liftgate Height Adjustment
  • Projector Beam Front Fog Lights
  • Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go (SCC)
  • Smart Power Liftgateâ„¢
  • Supervision Meter Cluster w/ 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) Color LCD Display
Choosing the EX trim removes:
  • 19-inch Alloy Wheels, Black Finish
  • Cloth Seats with YES Essentials® Fabric Treatment
  • Forward Collision-Avoidance (FCA)
  • Front Grille, Matte Black
  • Glossy Black & Heated Outside Mirrors w/ LED Turn Signal Indicators
  • Low Profile Roof Rails, Black Finish
  • Remote Keyless Entry

SX Trim:

It is the most expensive, and also, the fully equipped trim of KIA Sorento again has the same 3.3-liter v6 engine that generates 209 horsepower.

Additional features:
Everything in the EX trim, plus:
  • 14-Way Power-Adjustable Driver’s Seat, w/ 4-Way Power Lumbar Support
  • 19-inch Alloy Wheels
  • Driver’s Seat Integrated Memory System (IMS)
  • Front Grille, Dark Metallic
  • Harman/Kardon® 10-Speaker Surround Sound Audio w/ Clari-Fiâ„¢, External Amplifier & Subwoofer
  • LED Rear Combination Lamps
  • Lower Bumper Accents, Chrome, and Stainless-Steel
  • Lower Door Moulding, Body Color
  • Park Distance Warning – Forward (PDW-F)
  • Perforated Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
  • Power-Folding Outside Mirrors
  • Rear Bumper Protector, Stainless-Steel
  • Reverse Tilt-Down Outside Mirrors
  • Shark Fin Antenna
  • Stainless-Steel Door Sill Scuff Trim
  • Stainless-Steel Liftgate Trim
  • Surround View Monitor (SVM)
  • UVO link w/ 8-inch Touch-Screen Display, Voice-Command Navigation System, SiriusXM® Traffic, HD Radioâ„¢
  • Wheel Arch Moulding, Body Color
  • Wireless Phone Charger
Choosing the SX trim removes:
  • 10-Way Power Adjustable Driver’s Seat, w/ 2-Way Power Lumbar Support
  • 6 Speakers
  • 7.0-inch Touch-Screen Display
  • Front Grille, Gloss Black
  • Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
  • Low Profile Roof Rails, Silver Finish
  • Lower Bumper Accents, Silver
  • 19-inch Alloy Wheels, Black Finish

 

KIA Sorento Engine & Power:

3rd Generation Kia Sorento engine view
3rd Generation Kia Sorento engine view

Hybrid:

Besides having a gasoline engine, the upcoming 4th generation KIA Sorento will also have a hybrid powertrain that is expected to start selling at the start of 2021. The hybrid power train of Sorento is paired with a 1.6-liter turbo engine plus 44.2 KW electric motor; combined produces 227 horsepower with 350 nm of torque.

Diesel engine:

Existing 3rd generation is also available with a Diesel option, a 2.2-liter engine paired with 8-speed automatic transmission and generates 220 hp@440nm of torque, but this option may be removed with the next generation.

Performance & Driver:

KIA Sorento may not be fun to drive a car, but its 3.3-liter v6 engine falls in the highly competitive sport utility vehicles category. It also has good acceleration; with its 2.4-liter base engine, it takes 9 seconds to accelerate 0-60 miles per hour, while with v6, it takes 7.2 seconds to accelerate 0-60 mph.

Because of its body size, most often, it leans around the turns. The steering wheel does not give much pleasure, but the comfort of the vehicle overcomes its shortcomings. The comfortable, refined drive is the decisive factor of KIA vehicles so does the KIA Sorento. Despite having a v6 engine with different driving modes like (Normal, Eco, and Sport) that make Sorento more responsive to the acceleration and transmission shifts, the relaxing environment, and Character of Sorento, do not change.

While cruising, Road and engine noise are not felt inside, which makes the interior of Sorento even quieter. Finally, comfort and Ergonomics are KIA’s strong points, and you may seldom have a grievance against Sorento.

Exterior changes to Sorento facelifted:

 The exterior of 3rd generation KIA Sorento gets a fresh look in 2009 with essential up gradations to its front, headlamps with the addition of daytime running lights, and three luminous lamps inside instead of two. Fog lights size has decreased, with the addition of chrome surroundings that enhance its appearance better than before, the front grille is also wide than before. The overall stance of the vehicle has improved a lot compared to the previous designs, specifically to the 2nd generation that was last manufactured in 2015.

Interior Design & features:

The Interior of 3rd generation KIA Sorento has decent visibility because of its expansive windows covering a wider area. With the availability of a sunroof, fresh air becomes part of the vehicle. The high-quality interior is composed of high-quality materials, and everything inside has laid very logically, making it very friendly. A seven-inch infotainment screen with android auto and apple car play is standard in all trims, but the quality of the touch screen gets enhanced in higher trims. Head and legroom up to 2nd row are enough while the 3rd row is tight and more often could only be used for children only, other than that 3rd-row safety is not optimized as 1st and 2nd row. The base version of KIA Sorento has six speakers, while the higher trim SX has 10 Harman/Kardon speakers.

Verdict:

Facelifted 3rd generation KIA Sorento is an excellent choice and has tremendous value for the money. Sorento is well competitive both for two rows and three-rows category SUVs; moreover, the v6 engine accelerates 0-60 in 7.2 seconds that matching the sport model of CX-9.

Major Competitors:

Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Explorer, Mazda CX-9, Volkswagen Atlas, Dodge Durango, Subaru Ascent, Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave

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