The gearbox is an interesting choice for a mass market SUV … a dual-clutch. The engine is smooth thanks to a now ubiquitous technology known as twin-counterrotating balance shafts (invented by Mitsubishi in the 1970s and licensed to everybody including Porsche). The X-Line’s 2.5-liter four cylinder is turbocharged to 281 horsepower and a stout 311 lb.ft. It used to be that a vehicle this size needed a small V8 or a big V6. The 3rd row also effortlessly folded to expand the cargo volume from a few grocery bags to enough room for a garden center run.Īnd about that word “run,” this truck can. These seats easily slid forward for 3rd row access, and room back there was adequate for kids and smaller adults. As par for the course, our truck’s 2nd row featured comfortable captain’s chairs that offered plenty of room for any adult shy of a linebacker or basketball forward. All vehicles are more than commercially acceptable with only minor differences in feature operation. Passenger utility/usefulness is something no reviewer needs to focus on these days. (I’m a Boomer pay attention, use the mirrors, and get off my lawn.) Frankly, the incessance and urgency of all the beeping, steering wheel tingles and brake pedal vibrato annoy more than promulgate safety. The Sorento’s safety alerts are plentiful and easy to get used to. Frankly, I’ve never needed to “see” exactly where my wheels were as I was making a turn, but I did find the feature (and the view) strangely fascinating. Ditto for the right side, only it replaces the tachometer. Repurposing the side cameras, when the left turn signal is activated, the speedo gauge is replaced by a side view of the left curb. It’s a nice feature when you’re trying to slide the truck into or out of a tight spot. Like many vehicles today, the Sorento features a simulated 360° view around the vehicle to help with parking. The all-digital dash gave Kia designers the freedom to do some clever (if not necessary) things with the display. Proof of point, the Sorento’s dimensional grill is bold and stands out, in a good way. Thankfully, the front and rear ends are spaces where designers have latitude for some fun. These facts are why so many contemporary vehicles from different brands look so similar. Today, every vehicle’s profile is largely dictated by aerodynamics (well, not a Bollinger), dynamic safety targets, and dimensional hard points required by the interior package. While Frascella moved on and is now the Creative Director at Land Rover, the Kia North American Design Studios continue to crank out stunningly good mass market interior and exterior designs that follow the lead Frascella and others perused. The then young designer penned the 2007 Kue concept crossover, and it became a starting point for a design revolution at Kia. In the mid-2000s, Kia hugely upped their design game when they hired an Italian designer – Massimo Frascella. Kia’s been in the SUV game since the 1990s, and they know what they’re doing. At first glance there’s nothing exceptional about its generic SUV profile, but as you take more than a 5-second look at the design, there’s so much about the proportions and stance that’s spot on, if not quite as perfect as its Telluride garage mate. Kia loaned me their all-new 2021 Sorento X-Line AWD SUV for this evaluation. Kia – once a backmarker – is now a leader. The SUV you’re reading about today is an excellent example of a long-term company vision realized. They also fixed another major issue the brand’s styling. Their cars of the 1990s weren’t great or particularly well styled, but they got better and better because management practically supported the brand by packing every vehicle with more shiny-object-features-for-a-low-price-than-the-competition while backing their products with HUGE warranties (10-year powertrain). I’ve pondered the decisions of Mitsubishi to squander their engineering edge (think counter rotating balance shafts or any of the decades of EVOs) by purposefully driving into a box canyon of not-yet-ready-for-prime-time-tech, hoisting a green flag, and being surprised nobody cared. I’ve followed the struggles of the old Chrysler Corporation as it fought back from the (seemingly perpetual) brink of disaster with shockingly strong products (think the 1994 Dodge Ram) only to succumb to purposeful management decisions (DaimlerChrysler, Cerberus, FCA, etc.) that dug the company’s own trench toward oblivion.
#Kia sorento xline full
I’ve watched once-mighty companies become way less mighty (but no less full of hubris). Watching car companies develop over decades gives perspective about how said companies are run, and what’s important to them.
2021 Sorento X-Line AWD it's just what you’d expect from today's Kia.
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