Owners Manual

2016 Kia Sorento Redesign

Don’t confuse the redesigned 2016 Kia Sorento with the outgoing 2015 model. Even as the new version trickles in, Kia dealers are offering screaming deals on leftover 2015s. (Tempting as they may be, do note that 2015 lost its CR recommended status due to poor performance in one of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's crash tests.) We just took delivery of a 2016 and as before, it straddles the small and midsized SUV categories, occupying a sweet spot in size and price. We opted for an EX V6 with all-wheel-drive with a third-row seat; it stickered at $37,915. The 2016 Sorento shares a platform with its good-scoring corporate cousin the Hyundai Santa Fe, and like the SF, it’s built in Georgia. With a 109-inch wheelbase, the Sorento slots in between the Santa Fe Sport and three-row Santa Fe. The old Sorento’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder and 3.3-liter V6 engines carry over; a new 2.0-liter turbo has been added. Front- and all-wheel-drive versions are offered. The price starts at $24,900 and rises to over $40,000, allowing the Sorento to compete with both compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 and with three-row, mid-sized SUVs such as the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.

2016 kia sorento price - These changes for 2016 go beyond greater interior and cargo room. In fact, those increases are rather negligible compared to the increases in interior and driving refinement.

Simply put, the 2016 Sorento is a higher-quality vehicle. Cabin materials give up little (if anything) to pricier competitors, feature content embodies the term "generous" and even the styling is more attractive inside and out. Mechanical improvements include a strengthened structure, upgraded suspension and improved steering, which together create a more substantial, comfortable and altogether more refined driving experience. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine also joins the lineup to be its own middle ground between the underpowered base four-cylinder and thirstier V6 engines.

Although we've only driven the 2016 Kia Sorento briefly, it doesn't take long to be impressed by it. This Kia is a strong, value-rich alternative to five-passenger crossovers like the Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as seven-passenger models like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Highlander. It may still be stuck in the middle, but that's quite alright.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2016 Kia Sorento is a midsize SUV available in five- and seven-passenger configurations as well as five trim levels: L, LX, EX, SX and SX Limited. Note that the L model and all Sorentos equipped with the midrange turbocharged engine are five-passenger only, while V6-powered Sorentos are seven-passenger only. The four-cylinder LX can be had with either seating configuration.

The base L comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED running lights, three-mode drive settings (altering steering and transmission shift points), air-conditioning, cruise control, stain-resistant fabric upholstery, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 40/20/40-split second-row seats (fold, slide and recline), Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a CD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and a USB/iPod interface.

The LX adds automatic headlights, a sound-reducing windshield, roof rails, a rearview camera, Uvo eServices, a 4.3-inch touchscreen interface and two rapid-charge USB ports. The Convenience package adds rear parking sensors, an eight-way power driver seat (plus two-way power lumbar), heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and an auto-dimming mirror. The third-row seat can be added to the Convenience package.

The EX includes the Convenience package items and adds 18-inch wheels, sound-reducing front side glass, dual-zone automatic climate control and leather upholstery. Its Premium package adds a hands-free power liftgate, keyless ignition and entry, power-folding mirrors, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems, second-row side sunshades and a display screen speedometer/trip computer. The Touring package can be added to the Premium package and includes a panoramic sunroof, an 8-inch touchscreen interface, a navigation system, traffic reporting, a larger rearview camera display and a 10-speaker Infinity sound system with Clari-Fi digital music improvement technology.

The SX includes the Premium and Touring package equipment and adds upgraded steering, 19-inch wheels, LED taillights, upgraded exterior trim, a 10-way power driver seat (plus four-way power lumbar), driver memory settings, a fabric headliner and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

The SX Limited adds chrome-clad 19-inch wheels, upgraded leather upholstery, ventilated front seats and heated second-row outboard seats. The available Technology package adds xenon headlights, a multi-angle parking camera, an electronic parking brake, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure and forward collision warning systems.

Powertrains and Performance

Standard on the 2016 Kia Sorento L and LX trim levels is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. As with every Kia Sorento, a six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is optional. Kia's own estimated fuel economy is 25 mpg combined (22 city/29 highway) with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is estimated to be 1-2 mpg lower. Towing capacity is 2,000 pounds.

The EX and SX Limited are available with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Its Kia-estimated fuel economy is 23 mpg combined (20/27). Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds. A 3.3-liter V6 engine is mandatory on the SX and available on the EX and SX Limited. It produces 290 hp and 252 lb-ft of torque. Kia estimates fuel economy at 21 mpg combined (18/26). Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds with front-wheel drive and 5,000 pounds with all-wheel drive.

2016 Kia Sorento Review - Kia invited us up to Lake Tahoe to sample its new Sorento in what they feel is the CUV’s ideal playground. The Korean automaker envisions the Silicon Valley brigade hopping in their Kias for a trip across the flatlands and up the hill. You know, because ruining San Francisco wasn’t enough for them. And climbing gyms can’t contain them forever. Oh, Fredo Corleone, be thankful for your little boat trip. This isn’t something you’d want to witness.

At the end of its life cycle, the current Sorento still ranks third in Kia’s sales mix. The previous ute saw the Sorento move from a decent if slightly unrefined body-on-frame trucklet to a five-to-seven passenger unibody crossover. The new machine, on sale in January, sees Korea’s style leader attempt to cover a broader spread. A base-on-base 2.4-liter four-banger FWD model—called Sorento L—will only require a $25,795 tip of the coffer. Venture all the way up to the SX Limited V-6 AWD model and you’re going to need a substantially larger till: $43,995. (All-wheel drive is available for $1800 on every trim level except for the L.)

2016 Kia Sorento review

Yet the sweetest piece of real estate in Sorentoville is the 2.0-liter turbo-four AWD model, which starts in EX trim at $31,995. Yes, the six offers up to 5000 pounds of towing capacity against the huffed four’s 3500, but most Sorentos aren’t likely to see much in the way of tugging duty and the turbo four offers a lot of useful midrange punch, plus a slight fuel-economy bonus. We previously knocked Hyundai for sticking this engine in a model badged as “Sport,” but it feels wholly appropriate in the Sorento. The six, ensconced in some sort of NVH-sapping igloo, exhibits a faraway thrashing sound as it piles on the revs on the way to making its maximum 290 horsepower. It’s definitely not the six-pot sweetheart that Toyota offers in the Highlander.

Kia increased the use of high-strength steel this time around, with the stated goal being a Teutonic grade of body stiffness. The brand came pretty close. On the road, the Sorento drives like a heavier—it is a larger vehicle, after all—more muted Volkswagen Tiguan. The Koreans have finally decided steering is worth their attention, and if the new ute’s tiller isn’t as feelsome as the best German jobs, it’s a definite improvement over the disconnected numbness historically associated with Hyundai-Kia products. The chassis is well damped and predictable, and it exhibited no evil traits on snowy mountain roads. The brakes were easily modulated, even on questionable surfaces, and the whole machine exuded fundamental competence.

Downsides? Heavy rain confused the blind-spot sensors to the point that they disabled themselves and threw up a warning that repeatedly obscured the in-dash multifunction display, no matter how many times we canceled it. The second-row folding mechanism doesn’t operate with any particular smoothness, the available panoramic sunroof can impinge on headroom for taller second-row occupants, and the third row is strictly a kid zone.

But this is a mission-perfect vehicle. Like much of SiliValley, it’s design-focused and not quite as impressive as the hype a problem endemic to the CUV class. Unlike San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, however, the Sorento offers real value for the money. If you’re looking to gentrify your driveway with a crossover, you’re not going to do much better than the Sorento in terms of financial outlay, style, quality, and capability.