2021 Kia Sorento – A Closer Look
The 2021 Sorento from Kia Motors is an affordable SUV that’s dripping with swagger and top safety gear. Kia Motors has been on a tear lately; the South Korean automaker is having a great year. March 2021 was the best month ever for Kia Motors and they posted their best first quarter sales this year.
Kia Motors doesn’t have a dud on the lot, and the Kia Sorento stands out as top pick for families. The 2021 model has a boxier front end, sporty profile lines and an updated interior. The upgrades aren’t all cosmetic. The Sorento has a hybrid engine and more standard safety features than ever before.
In a company press release, Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia Motors North America raced a victory lap stating, “After outpacing the industry last year, Kia is on the move again in 2021 and setting sales records as more new customers discover the world-class design and quality built into every one of our sporty sedans and capable SUVs.”
The all new Sorento SUV surely contributed to Kia’s success. Sean Yoon mentioned that “The successful launches of the all-new Sorento and Carnival have added to the momentum established by the Telluride and helped push the Kia brand to new heights with even greater potential for future growth.”
There are 5 different model trims available. The base model LX comes with three rows of seating, 6 USB chargers and automatic emergency braking. The S model gets 18-inch wheels and sporty black trim.
The EX model upgrades the Sorento with a turbo engine, wireless phone charging and enhanced safety features. The SX and SX Prestige models are the top of the line. They come with the best safety features, captain’s chairs for the middle row and a panoramic sunroof.
New Style of the 2021 Kia Sorento
The 2021 Kia Sorento comes in two different body styles. The base model has a rugged exterior, but all other models have a sporty body styling. The base model has matte black skid plates and a black front grille. Other models of the Sorento come with silver skid plates, gloss black or hyper silver front grilles.
There’s black chrome around the windows and gloss black roof rails to match. The rear of the 2021 Kia Sorento has a smart power liftgate and gloss black rear spoiler. Full LED lights can be found on the top models. The 20-inch gloss black wheels make the SX and SX Prestige models the most attractive Sorentos to own.
Performance Specs for the 2021 Kia Sorento
There are three different powertrain options for the 2021 Kia Sorento. The all new Sorento has an available turbo hybrid powertrain that gets a combined 37 miles per gallon. This powertrain produces 227 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque. The standard 2.5 Liter engine produces 191 HP with 26 miles per gallon. The 2.5 Liter turbo engine gets 25 MPG. It produces 281 horsepower and 311 pound feet of torque.
The available all-wheel drive package adds an inch of ground clearance and improved traction control. The all-wheel drive has a lock mode, and it constantly monitors road conditions to adjust power and torque distribution. The Sorento has torque vectoring so that the SUV powers through corners with confidence.
There are four different all-wheel drive modes. Snow mode reduces wheel spin when road conditions are exceptionally slippery. Hill start assist control helps to maintain grip at steep inclines by automatically holding the brakes until the powertrain can dig in and start climbing.
Related: 5 Smart Plug-In Hybrid Cars to Get Your Drive On
Interior Features
The 2021 Kia Sorento has seating for seven passengers. The base model comes with black cloth upholstery. Otherwise, there’s synthetic leather on all other models except for the SX Prestige. It comes with genuine leather in rust brown, grey or black.
The third row in the Sorento isn’t going to be anybody’s favorite seat with just 29.6 inches of legroom and 42.5 inches of hip room. It’s better suited for four-legged pets or single occupants. It’s better to drop the seats down and use that space for toting luggage and groceries.
Related: Top 5 SUVS and Crossovers of 2021
Top Level Safety Gear from Kia Motors
The 2021 Kia Sorento received a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2021 Kia Sorento also won PARENTS magazine’s Best Family Car award. The new Sorento beat out over 50 other vehicles with top safety ratings and features.
There are plenty of standard safety features that come equipped with every Sorento model. Forward collision avoidance, lane departure warnings, driver attention warnings, and a rearview monitor are all included. Auto emergency braking comes standard on all Sorento models, too.
A blind view monitor, surround view camera, parking distance warnings and other enhanced safety features are only available on the top level Sorento SUV. The 2021 Sorento offers every safety feature on the market but doesn’t have any autonomous driving features. So, if you’re okay with keeping your hands on the steering wheel and doing the driving yourself, then the 2021 Sorento will keep you and all occupants safe.
At the Finish Line
The 2021 Kia Sorento is surprisingly affordable when compared to other SUVs in its class. The 2021 Kia Sorento has an MSRP of $29,320. The top vehicle in the range is the SX Prestige model and it costs $40,590. For all the style upgrades and luxury amenities that you get for that price, it doesn’t seem like a stretch of the imagination to picture yourself in the best Sorento SUV.
Kia also offers a fantastic 100,000 mile/10-year limited warranty. It’s the best warranty that you can find in this automotive class. That gives the 2021 Kia Sorento plenty of time to get comfortable in your garage. You won’t need to trade out for the next hit vehicle in a couple of years because the 2021 Sorento is a solid choice.
