SX Prestige X-Line 4dr All-Wheel Drive
2021 Kia Sorento

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While Kia may not have had the brand cachet of its competition in the past, the automaker has made big strides in the past decade through hard work, resulting in an improved overall image, especially to anyone who has driven its newer stock. Look at vehicles like the sporty Stinger and the formidable Telluride, for instance, both thoroughly enjoyable and more indicative of the brand’s ethos. For 2021, it’s the Sorento’s turn to get made over by a Kia Motors that now knows how to make excellent cars. Our pair of 2021 Kia Sorentos arrived at the beginning of a December snow shower that would last, on and off, over the course of our brief loan. Both vehicles came equipped in SX-Prestige trim with the 2.5-liter turbo engine, one in front-wheel drive, the other an all-wheel-drive example with the X-Line package, which adds an inch of ground clearance and some rugged styling touches. After a night of snow and ice, the sun (presumably) rose over a cloud-covered sky. We scraped the Sorentos off and got to know all three rows of them. Seeing the Sorentos in the flesh in our driveway, it was a promising start. Not because they look like a slightly smaller version of the Telluride, but because they don’t. It would have been easy for Kia to lean on the success of the Telluride and essentially copy it. Instead, Kia gave this car its own distinct personality, one that is considerably less frumpy than Sorentos past. Instead of the Telluride’s rugged handsomeness, the Sorento looks sharp and sporty. It’s a look that’s not only much fresher than the previous generation, but it also ought to help keep this three-row crossover from stepping on Kia’s other three-row crossover’s toes. While the last generation improved things inside the Sorento, the fit and finish in the top trim of this new vehicle take it further, doing a fair impression of luxury. Materials come in soft and glossy plastics and leather, with never too much of any one surface left unbroken by a tactful stitch or texture or accent. The center stack replaces an old-looking infotainment unit with something entirely fresh. The doors all bow outward to maximize elbow room and help provide a sense of spaciousness in the cabin. The one thing that looks a little odd are the vents up front, particularly the tiny, almost vestigial-looking vents below the larger ones on the dash. The digital instrument and touchscreen look and feel high-end. A lively and funky design scheme animates the interface – its use of pink and blue hues are reminiscent of a karaoke bar's neon lights. And it feels like Kia put some effort into the design rather than plastering menus with clip-art icons. The infotainment screen is short in stature but wide, which allows for the display of a lot of useful information, but puts some of the controls at a long stretch of the right arm. We’d have liked some sort …
Hide Full Review