Kia has totally remodeled its popular Sorento for 2021 by giving the vehicle a more rugged midsize SUV look, a departure from its previous styling. The new Sorento also boasts a larger wheelbase and a redesigned interior reminiscent of its top-ranked cousin, the Telluride. If you are interested in a new midsize SUV, here is what you need to know about the 2021 Sorento.
Exterior
If you are familiar with previous models of the Sorento, you may remember its curvy, minivan-style exterior. For the new 2021 model, Kia has abandoned that look in favor of a boxier silhouette, giving it a sharper, more modern image. An expanded grille now integrates the front LED headlights, and a lower, wider bumper adds to the prominence of the vehicle’s front end. There are five trims available: the LX, S, EX, SX, and SX-Prestige, the last of which features 20-inch wheels, giving you an extra 8.3 inches of ride height.
Despite the more muscular look, the new Sorento is actually lighter than the previous model by about 3.1%. That works out to a loss of 119 pounds. However, the car’s average tensile strength is up 4%. This is thanks to the use of the N5 architecture, the same design underpinning the Kia K5. Not only does this give the Sorento added strength and less weight, but it also improves the driving dynamics.
Engine
The 2021 Kia Sorento comes with a 2.5 liter, four-cylinder, 191 horsepower engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. You can upgrade this to a 281 horsepower, 2.5-liter turbocharged engine. Front-wheel drive is standard, but an all-wheel-drive option is also available.
You can also choose from two hybrid powertrain engine options. The first combines a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 1.6-liter engine with a 44-kW electric motor, producing a combined 227 horsepower. This comes with a six-speed transmission and is front-wheel drive only. The second will be a plug-in hybrid, available in 2021, that will combine the standard gas engine with a 66.9 kW electric motor, producing a combined 261 horsepower. With a capacity of 13.8 KWh, you will be able to travel up to 30 miles on a full charge.
Fuel Economy
Official EPA ratings are not yet available for the gas engine models in order to accurately gauge the latest Kia Sorento mpg, but according to Kia, the 2.5-liter engine will get about 27 mpg, and the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine is expected to get about 25 mpg. These figures combine both city and highway ratings. For the Kia Sorento hybrid, the EPA has posted fuel economy ratings of 39 mpg in the city, and 35 mpg on the highway. This makes a combined rating of 37 mpg. As stated above, the plug-in can travel, on electricity alone, 30 miles with a full charge.
Interior
The expanded wheelbase of the new Sorento adds another 1.4 inches to the length over the previous model. One benefit of this is the greater amount of interior space. This allows for larger seats — padded leather, if you so choose — and optional captain’s chairs in the middle row to replace the standard bench seating. You should note, however, that if you go with the captain’s chairs, the total seating capacity drops from seven to six.
The dashboard is nicely sculpted in two-tone with display screens. You will find a rotary shift knob in the center console as well as cup holders and other storage spaces. Integrated ambient lighting adds to the Sorento’s luxurious feel.
Storage
While Kia has provided no official figures for cargo capacity, they say the new Sorento’s volume is the best in its class. With the Sorento’s three rows of seats, you might not think this allows for much room in the back. However, the middle seats fold down, increasing the available space if needed. Based on the European specifications, this could be as much as 74.2 cubic feet maximum, which reduces to 24.7 cubic feet with the back seats up.
Technology
The 2021 Kia Sorento comes with its fair share of tech, from an optional 12.3-inch high-resolution digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel to a 12-speaker Bose sound system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration are standard, as is the case with most new vehicles. The infotainment system features a standard 8-inch touch display that you can upgrade to a 10.25-inch screen. Through this infotainment system, you can pair two phones via Bluetooth simultaneously. It is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Also available with the new Sorento is Kia’s UVO system, which is accessible either through the touch screen or your smartphone. This enables you to see live traffic information and get weather updates, parking information, and navigational assistance, complete with a surround-view of your car.
The Sorento gives you up to eight USB ports, two of which are in the back of the front seats. This makes it easy for everyone in the car to charge their devices. If you have young children, you will find the “Quiet Mode” particularly useful. This lets you listen to music at the front of the vehicle without disturbing the kids sleeping in the back. If you need to communicate with your rear passengers, you can use the sound system to channel your voice through the speakers, as opposed to shouting.
Safety
Safety test information is not yet available for the 2021 Sorento. However, there are some useful safety features built in. These include an intelligent speed limit assistance, forward collision warning and avoidance assistance, driver attention warning, pedestrian and cyclist collision avoidance assistance, and automatic emergency braking as standard. Also standard is a lane departure warning as well as assistance with staying in your lane. Other available options include blind-spot monitoring to help you avoid collisions when backing out of a parking space, a rear cross-traffic collision alert, and a parking distance warning when reversing.
This is just a brief 2021 Kia Sorento review, of course. If you would like to know more about the Sorento or any number of the new Kias in stock, contact or visit Tom Kadlec Kia at your earliest convenience.
Images via Kia Dot Com.
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