Susan Frissell
The 2013 Kia Sorento is the last of this generation, soon to give way to the restyled 2014 Sorento, introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show this year. Although not a standout vehicle, the Kia Sorento SUV is a pleasant-enough SUV. With a quiet, comfortable ride, this is a large vehicle which we found to operate well during Chicago’s snowy days and slippery streets.
Completely redesigned in 2011, the Kia Sorento cruised into the 2012 model year, the second generation, offering a new engine with improved power and fuel economy. The 2012 Kia Sorento model also offered a new voice-activated infotainment system called UVO, based on the Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive platform, and designed to help the driver stay connected with the digital universe without distracting from the road ahead. The available cloth upholstery was also upgraded, and weight reduced by 600 pounds.
The 2013 Sorento comes well-equipped, and is available in some 10 variations (LX, EX, SX) and trim levels, available in both AWD and FWD. Our test vehicle, the SX version, priced upwards of $36,000 sports a 3.5-liter CVVTV V-6 engine, matched with Kia’s 6-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic. Our SX came equipped with Premium Package 3 (First aid kit, navigation w/SIRIUS Traffic, Air-cooled driver’s seat, memory driver’s seat and mirror positions, heated steering wheel, illuminated sill trim, upgraded cloth pillar trim, auto-dimming mirror tint Homelink, Panoramic sunroof, power folding outside mirrors and rear bumper stainless trim, $3,200), Cargo net, $50 and Cargo cover, $125.
Safety features abound including dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags, front active headrests, anti-lock brake system, traction control system, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring system and downhill brake/hill start assist control.
The Sorento is a comfortable road vehicle and performs well on highway driving, particularly when in need of a boost to pass traffic. The V-6 effortlessly kicks in and takes off. We found the Sorento to have a few blindspots, though. The B Pillar is one, and the rear seats. The backup camera was often fogged up, due, no doubt to the snowy conditions. Because of this though, it wasn’t particularly helpful when navigating back- up moves.
The SX features front fog lights, front and rear stainless steel trim, heated outside mirrors with turn signal indicators and rear spoiler. Rear-seating is generous and seats three comfortably. While there is no third seat, there is a fair amount of cargo space for toting things around.
While not intended as an off-road vehicle, a four-wheel-drive Sorento with its 7.5-inch ground clearance could head out over open desert with little difficulty. Navigating hills is also easier with Kia’s hill start-assist control and downhill brake control, standard across the Sorento line.
Sorento’s grille is flanked on both sides by sly-looking upper complexes for headlights and turn signals. Lower complexes contain foglights and are finished in matte-black to match the grille mesh. A dark plastic faux skidplate wraps up from below the vehicle to about halfway up the foglight nacelles on LS and EX models.
We found the driver’s seat, with eight-way power adjustment and lumbar support, to be firm and supportive. Legroom is plentiful, making the Sorento a good choice for exceptionally tall drivers. The front passenger seat on the top models is powered, but adjusts only four ways .
The 2013 Kia Sorento is a pleasant enough SUV. This writer favors the Sportage, although Sorento has a better, softer ride. Â Competition faced by the Kia Sorento includes Ford Edge, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Pilot and GMC Acadia.
SPECS
MSRP: $31,700; Total price $35,875; freight $800
Engine: 3.5-liter DOHC CVVT V6, 248 torque
Pricing: $23,150-$33,400
Transmission: 6-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic
Height: 67.3 in.
Weight: 4,828-5,049 lbs.
Length: 183.9 in.
Wheelbase: 106.3 in.
Width: 74.2 in.
Wheels: 10-spoke mirror-finish alloy
Tires: 235/60HR 18.0 front; 235/65R 17 rear
EPA Fuel Economy: 22 mpg.
Fuel tank: 18.0 gal.
Warranty: 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain, 5-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty, 5-year
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