Kia's New Sorento Driven: Just How Good Is It?

• Redesigned for 2021
• Four powertrain choices including a hybrid and plug-in hybrid
• More interior space
• Kicks off the fourth Sorento generation

What is the Sorento?

Small SUVs have been mainly that: small. Most offer small engines with seating for five and seek to provide both efficiency and practicality. Kia's Sorento always tried to go above and beyond as one of the few small crossover SUVs with a third row of seats — even if the back row was pretty cramped. An available V6 made good power but proved inefficient against rivals. As a result, the Sorento has long led a fairly compromised life straddling the two- and three-row SUV segments.

But Kia is determined to make the small three-row SUV formula work. The redesigned 2021 Kia Sorento has more interior room and all-new powertrain choices, including a traditional hybrid and a plug-in. Kia has been on an aesthetic roll with the debuts of the Telluride and the K5, and the 2021 Sorento is the latest beneficiary of the brand's latest styling trends.

How does the Sorento drive?

The updated Sorento offers four engines to choose from. There's a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, a new turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder and two new available hybrid powertrains.

Of these, we've mostly spent our time with the turbocharged 2.5-liter, which makes 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. And not for one second did we wish for the outgoing model's 3.5-liter V6. The new engine is responsive and makes the Sorento downright fast. This, plus the new quick-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, transforms the Sorento from a somewhat lumbering and trucky SUV to a much more athletic and modern vehicle.

The new Sorento Hybrid pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a 44-kilowatt electric motor to produce a combined 227 horsepower. This powertrain is available with a six-speed automatic transmission and is limited to front-wheel drive only. The plug-in hybrid uses the same gasoline engine but adds a 66.9-kW electric motor to churn out 261 horsepower. With the plug-in's 13.8 kWh of capacity, Kia estimates it can travel up to 30 miles on a full charge. Available in all-wheel-drive configuration only, the Sorento plug-in will be on arrive later in the 2021 calendar year.

How comfortable is the Sorento?

Over a variety of road surfaces and at various speeds, the Sorento is stable and controlled. Only at low speeds do you feel sharp impacts from obstacles such as train tracks and potholes. Those impacts don't really shake the cabin, but you certainly do hear them and feel them through the steering wheel. It is possible that our test car's 20-inch wheels were to blame for some of that impact harshness.

Road and wind noise levels are both lower than, say, you'd experience in a Honda CR-V or a Subaru Forester. Engine noise is also nicely subdued and never sounds coarse or unrefined, even under heavy throttle. And thanks to the 2.5-liter turbo engine's prodigious low-rpm torque, you'll rarely have to work the Sorento that hard.

Our test Sorento was a top-of-the-line SX Prestige and as such came with leather upholstery and heating and ventilation for the front passengers. The leather is firm but comfortable, and the seats offer plenty of adjustment for the front passengers. The second row consists of two captain's chairs (a bench seat is standard on the LX and S trim levels) that slide and recline. There's plenty of room for taller passengers, even behind a taller driver.

How's the Sorento's interior?

If you like what the Kia Telluride has to offer, you're in luck. The new Sorento has a strong familial resemblance inside to Kia's bigger, class-leading SUV. With six trim levels offered, interior materials do vary, but our top-of-the-line Sorento SX Prestige test vehicle was decked out in embossed leather and textured metal inlays.

Surprisingly, the third row is a hospitable place for adults to sit. The seat cushions are mounted low to the floor, which isn't ideal, but it's not claustrophobic back there. While most people will likely use these third-row seats only occasionally, they are a big improvement over the previous Sorento's tight quarters.

In an attempt to mimic the successful infotainment systems offered by Mercedes-Benz, Kia has integrated a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen (an 8-inch touchscreen is standard) with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. It's largely successful and gives the Sorento a very tech-forward look, setting it apart from every one of its competitors.

How's the Sorento's tech?

Those dual digital screens are more than just eye candy. The instrument panel offers clear and readable gauges that change according to your drive mode. The animation may look a little gimmicky, but it does help remind you what mode you're in with just a glance. Following the gloss black instrument panel surround to the middle of the Sorento, you'll find the easy-to-read and attractive 10.25-inch touchscreen. Our test vehicle's optional Bose audio system was a little finicky, but it did handle a decent amount of volume without distortion.

You'll find six charging ports even on the entry-level LX. The SX Prestige offers eight as well as a wireless charging pad. And none of these charge ports feel like afterthoughts. They're all within easy reach.

How's the Sorento's storage?

A bonus of the previous-generation Sorento was its ability to tow 5,000 pounds, which is above average for a small SUV. The new model loses quite a bit of that capability but is still rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds when equipped with the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine and the Sorento's towing package. That's still enough to comfortably pull a small cargo trailer or a couple of motorcycles, for example. All other powertrains in the Sorento lineup are rated to tow 2,000 pounds.

As you'd expect, a compact SUV doesn't have a lot of cargo capacity behind the third row of seats. But there is room for about five grocery bags across that space, as well as a bit more room to be found in underfloor storage. With the third row dropped (it's an easy pull of a strap), the Sorento offers between 38.5 and 45.0 cubic feet depending on how you have the second-row seats adjusted. That offers more room than the Honda Passport (41.2 cubic feet) and the Volkswagen Tiguan (37.6 cubic feet). With all three rows dropped, the Sorento offers an impressive 75.5 cubic feet.

On the practical side, the Sorento offers an array of well-thought-out interior storage options. Front passengers have ample storage, even with the optional wireless charging pad, while second-row passengers enjoy two different cupholders in their respective doors. This might seem like a silly thing to get excited about, but the upper cupholder (it's at the same height as the door pull) is just the right size for a can, and the lower pocket has the perfect spot for a drink bottle. That's thoughtful. They also have netted pockets on the sides of their seats that can easily hold a phone. Even third-row passengers have places to store loose items and drinks.

How economical is the Sorento?

In terms of fuel economy, the Sorento is about average for SUVs of its size. The EPA rates the SX Prestige's turbocharged 2.5-liter engine at 25 mpg in combined city/highway driving with front-wheel drive, or 24 mpg with all-wheel drive. Those numbers put it about right in the middle of possible rivals, such as the V6-powered Honda Passport (21 mpg combined with AWD) or the slightly smaller Toyota RAV4 (28 mpg combined with AWD).

What are the Sorento's trim levels?

The 2021 Sorento is available in five trim levels: LX, S, EX, SX, SX Prestige and SX Prestige X-Line. Most of them come with either front- or all-wheel drive. The Sorento is also available as a hybrid in two trims: S and EX. The Sorento Hybrid is only available in front-wheel drive. A plug-in version of the hybrid will debut later in the model year. Highlight features for the Sorento's trims include:

LX

Starts you off with:

• 2.5-liter four-cylinder (191 hp, 182 lb-ft)
• Eight-speed automatic transmission
• Selectable drive modes
• 17-inch wheels
• LED headlights
• Heated outside mirrors
• Second-row 60/40-split folding bench seat (seven-passenger seating)
• Third-row 50/50-split folding seats
• 8-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility

The Sorento also comes with:

• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Driver attention warning (issues an alert if sensors determine you are becoming fatigued)
• Lane departure mitigation (warns you of a lane departure when a turn signal isn't used and can automatically steer to maintain lane position)
• Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)

S

Adds a little more style and convenience with:

• 18-inch wheels
• Gloss black exterior trim
• Simulated leather seat trim
• Power-adjustable driver's seat
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Keyless entry and push-button start
• Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing)
• Rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind the vehicle when parking)

EX

Includes a more powerful engine and other features, such as:

• 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (281 hp, 311 lb-ft)
• Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission
• LED foglights
• Wireless phone charger
• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Sorento and the car in front)

SX

Adds the following:

• 20-inch wheels
• Panoramic sunroof
• LED taillights
• Power-adjustable passenger seat
• 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Second-row captain's chairs (six-passenger seating)

SX Prestige

Dresses up the Sorento with:

• Digital gauge cluster
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Leather seating surfaces
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Upgraded 12-speaker Bose audio system
• Rear automatic braking (brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle)
• 360-degree camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Sorento and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
• Blind-spot camera (displays live camera footage to the instrument panel of your blind spots when changing lanes)

SX Prestige X-Line

Adds off-road capability with:

• Standard all-wheel drive
• Unique dark silver exterior trim
• 8.2 inches of ground clearance (up from 6.9 inches)
• Increased approach and departure angles
• Snow mode for the all-wheel-drive system

Hybrid S and EX

Similar to the standard S and EX trims but they come with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a hybrid system to produce a total of 227 hp. Both hybrid trims use a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.

Edmunds says

The Kia Sorento has long been a competent and niche-oriented SUV. The fully redesigned 2021 Sorento succeeds in besting its predecessor in every way and is so radically improved that it genuinely feels like it was built by a different car company. With its mix of luxury, practicality and available performance, the Sorento is an enticing option for those wanting a small SUV with above-average versatility.