Over the last 8-10 years, the mid-sized SUV market has arguably been the most coveted space for auto manufacturers as consumers have transitioned from sedans and mini-vans to the utility of the modern-day mid-sized stagecoach. It’s a crowded market and after a week behind the wheel of the 2021 Kia Sorento X-Line AWD, the question begs: Is the Sorento a contender or a pretender?
Mildly understated front fascia houses one of the multiple cameras used for collision avoidance found throughout the exterior of the Sorento X-Line SW AWD.
At first glance, the Sorento X-Line SX (my test version was the all-wheel drive edition) with Aruba Green exterior and beautifully appointed brownish-orange leather seats looks the part of a vehicle that costs $10-15k more than the base price of $42,590. Once you hop inside and put it through its paces - I had the vehicle to test for one week - you begin to notice what’s to like and dislike about this iteration of Kia’s Sorento.
The Sorento X-Line SX comes standard with a 2.5L turbo 4-cylinder engine that produces an impressive 311 lb-ft. torque mated to an 8-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. The DCT shifts are super smooth and I’ve grown fond of this transmission; however, the 2.5L turbo has a significant amount of turbo lag I found to be a bit of an annoyance particularly when you need instant power for passing. I was also a bit surprised by the somewhat paltry 18.6mpg I averaged in mostly city driving considering the EPA estimates per Kia show an average of 21 city/28 highway/24 mixed. For reference, I did not drive this car hard except for a few instances when testing the turbo.
The Turbo 4-cylinder found in the Sorento X-Line SW AWD is comparable to that found in the Kia K5 GT though lag was more profound this time around, possibly due to the increased GVWR of the Sorento vs. the K5 GT.
In addition to the turbo lag and unimpressive fuel efficiency I experienced, there were a few other small annoyances I encountered during my week’s long test. The 10.25” touchscreen system is a bit frustrating to work, particularly when changing radio stations. Unless you’re in the radio setting of the screen, you have to exit the screen you’re in to change the station; otherwise, the tuner knob will change whatever screen you’re in rather than the station you want to change to. I also found the Bluetooth connectability to be a bit clunky and far from intuitive. Trying to establish a Bluetooth media connection was frustrating and my 12-year old daughter uttered this annoyance almost every instance we hopped into the vehicle. I found the system in Buick’s Enclave (comparably sized to the Sorento) and Buick’s Encore GX (comparably sized to the Seltos) to be far more intuitive and better executed.
Under the hood, I found the lack of a hood strut to be an overlooked safety concern. The current hood latch is a steel prop that gets extremely hot from conditions under the hood as well as your ambient surrounding. Texas is hot, particularly in the summer months, and if you have to manually prop your hood open, as is the case with the Sorento, you’ll burn your hand as I did when taking the above photo.
Last, back on the inside there is no USB-C input and the wireless charging pad isn’t shaped to accept all phones or phones with cases. I’ve experienced this with other new vehicles (not just Kias) and find it to be a minor nuisance.
The Sorento X-Line SX AWD’s interior, like the K5 GT, is super comfortable and highlighted by saddle stitching, a pleasant ambiance, and quality of materials you’d expect in higher priced vehicles.
All that said, the Kia Sorento X-Line SX AWD has a number of features I really like. For one, safety in Kia vehicles is impeccable. The Drivewise driver-assist technology, featuring cameras in the front/sides/rear, constantly provide collision avoidance, lane departure alerts, and parking assist. When at a stop light or stop sign with your turn signal engaged, the dash display shows the camera in the direction you’re turning to ensure you don’t scuff your wheel on curbs, or drive over something you can’t see. It’s an intelligent system and very well executed.
I also found the semi-autonomous driving assist is absolutely best in class. When I test drove the 2019 Kia Telluride in November 2019, I found the vehicle’s semi-autonomous functionality to be fantastic. The same can be said of the 2021 Kia Sorento X-Line SW AWD. The system is flawles.
Additionally, the interior suggests this Kia isn’t only versatile but also impresses. The beautifully-stitched leather seats are comfortable and the faux wood paneling along the door trim and dash looks clean and real. The moonroof works masterfully and provides plenty of top view space for the first and second row.
Ride quality in the Sorento X-Line SX AWD is comfortable with minimal understeer and car-like characteristics. It drives like a car in an SUV body, much like its Telluride cousin. Given most drivers will be driving the Sorento around town and on the highway, the front struts and independent rear suspension provide a very stable and comfortable ride that won’t leave you sore or tired upon arrival to your destination.
So what’s the verdict? I dig the Sorento and this iteration with its all-wheel drive capability and additional features found specifically in the X-Line SX version. At a starting price of $42,590 (tested at $44,285), a 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty, 5 year/60,000 mile basic warranty, and 5 year/60,000 mile roadside assistance, it’s hard to argue the Sorento as a leading candidate in the mid-sized realm. And once the annoyances I noted above are refreshed in future versions, it’ll be hard to not consider the Kia Sorento X-Line SW AWD as a leading contender for placement in your garage.
