Kia’s small three-row has a character all its own
NEWSI OPINIONI GOSSIPI STUFFS
egment-straddling versa-
tility isn’t new territory
for the Sorento; the 2021
model simply presents a more
effective case for itself.
That’s because there’s more
of almost everything (except
length). Kia stuffs the slightly
wider three-row Sorento with
more standard safety tech,
more power from the base
engine, more efficiency in every
configuration, more engine
options, more interior space,
and—as a result of all this
more-ness—more money for a
base model.
The previous-gen Sorento’s
L trim is gone, leaving the 2021
Sorento LX as the entry-level
offering. Coming in at $30,560,
the new Sorento LX is about$1,300 more than before. That
once again makes it one of the
most affordable three-rows in
the industry. The SUV comes
in $2,600 less than a 2021
Telluride LX, and compared
to the Sedona minivan ... we’re
just kidding; we know youaren’t interested in spacious
and practical minivans.
A hybrid and plug-in hybrid
will follow the 2021 Sorento’s
launch engines, which include
a 191-hp 2.5-liter I-4 and a
281-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged
I-4 with a whopping 311 lb-ftof torque—49 lb-ft more than
in the Telluride’s naturally
aspirated V-6. Go for the EX
2.5T or SX 2.5T trims with that
engine, and you will absolutely
feel that extra oomph. Whether
they like it or not, the tires will,
too. The 281 horses and 311
lb-ft are too much for the SUV
to handle in FWD form. If you
planned on using this impres-
sive power to make entering
traffic or passing easier, know
you’ll need some finesse to
avoid spinning the front tires.
Or pay $1,800–$2,000 for
all-wheel drive.
With AWD, the Sorento
2.5T’s engine makes more
sense. In that configuration,
it might surprise more than a10 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 2021FIRST DRIVE
2021 Kia Sorento