Departure?
After a year in the marketplace, Kia has clung to the marketing tag line, “A departure from the expected” for its Sorento crossover.
Populating Kia’s 2010 Superbowl Sorento ads with characters from the “Yo Gabba Gabba” children’s TV show might have been unexpected but building a unibody crossover with limited off-roadability is not a departure.
Rather, it means Kia arrived at the same marketing conclusion as every other maker – build an SUV-esque crossover with polite road manners and interior appointments.
That, by and large, is what Kia has done, ditching the previous generation’s body-on-frame architecture for a new chassis shared with Hyundai’s Santa Fe. Like most of its counterparts, the Sorento combines front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive with four and six cylinder engine options. Insofar as the manufacturers generally target the same vehicle shapes and characteristics, that’s not surprising. But Kia hasn’t done enough to set the Sorento apart.
For example, another crossover in the same color sat next to the Sorento as I strode across a grocery store parking lot. For a moment it confused me. Particularly from the rear, the new Dodge Journey bears a strong resemblance to the Kia. The Sorento’s snout is aggressive with a gaping lower grille reminiscent of Mitsubishi’s Outlander. But from the A-pillar back it shares the same basic lines as at least four of its competitors.
The Kia is wider than the Journey and other crossovers like Toyota’s RAV4 and Chevy’s Equinox though Ford’s Edge, edges it. That generally translates to a bit more maximum cargo volume (73 cubic feet), and more hip and shoulder room than class competitors. With the third row seats up, cargo space is compromised however. Fortunately, the seats fold with ease. The second row could fold a bit flatter but there’s no real departure from other crossovers here.
The same holds true for seating comfort with the front buckets being the best place to be. The second row has good legroom and the seat cushions are high enough but are too short. The third row is, as usual, meant for children. Kia touts its twin panoramic sunroofs but the track for the rear sunroof on the 7000-plus mile Sorento I drove was starting to ripple, calling into question its reliability. Unless you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it’s a $1200 option that you won’t miss.
The instrument cluster and dash layout – Ho hum. There’s the expected expanse of black plastic accented by mid-dash plastic inserts carried around along the doors which look like … carbon fiber? Why? The HVAC controls are efficient though the buttons along the navigation screen are smallish. The center stack readout above it vanishes when you throw on a pair of polarized sunglass.
The Sorento is air bagged-up with dual front/seat-mounted units and big side curtain bags protecting the first and second rows from side impacts. They also deploy when a sensor detects a rollover – a side affect of the Kia’s ride height which, like others in this segment, puts drivers “up where they can see.” For safety’s sake, I’ll take a lower center of gravity thank you.
That said, the Sorento’s body motions are kept decently in check. The driving experience is decidedly mute with a general feeling of heaviness. The SX AWD version I wheeled sports Kia’s 3.5 liter V6 mated to a six-speed automatic and front-biased all wheel drive. The V6’s 276 horsepower/248 lb-ft. of torque move the SX AWD’s 3935 pounds adequately but not smartly. If AWD is on your must-have list, stick with the 3.5 liter. The four-cylinder’s horsepower/torque isn’t enough and the V6’s combined 21 mpg is competitive.
That six speed transmission is competitive too but as of mid-April is the target of a NHTSA investigation into a half dozen or so complaints of on-road failure.
With a sticker of $35,890, the fully optioned SX AWD I drove is too spendy. As with other cars, pay attention to the options list and don’t accept package “A” just because a dealer tells you they don’t have the package you prefer.
Kia’s Sorento is competently rendered but gets lost in the ranging field of crossovers in my opinion. Its chief asset and chief shortcoming in that sense is that it does not depart from the expected.
The Specs
Price As Tested: $35,890
Engine: 276 hp, 3.5 liter V6
Curb Weight: 3935 pounds
Fuel Economy: 19 city/25 highway
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