This week we are taking a look at the refreshed 2024 Kia Sorento SUV, a very popular 3-row that slots just under the Telluride, but larger than the Sportage or Niro. Essentially the Sorento is for those who love the Telluride, but want to save some money and don’t need as much 3rd row seat or cargo room. Sorento offers many of the same popular features of Telluride for about 5,000 dollars less.
Exterior
The exterior looks of the Sorento are beautiful all the way around. I love the updated tiger grill that has become a mainstay on newer Kias, the 20” gloss-black alloy wheels are fantastic, it has bold lines, a sculpted hood, and a spoiler that covers the rear wiper, a feature usually found on way more expensive SUVs and a feature I like a lot, especially when going to a car wash.
New LED headlights greet you, and you find some flat black along the bottom of the SUV between the front and rear wheels. This is a new color I have not seen before, and I really love it. It is called Road Rider Brown and it comes at no-charge.
My review vehicle is the SX-Prestige, which is the pinnacle of the Sorento lineup. The X-Pro designation is new for 2024 and a step up from the previous X-Line. It means it is all-wheel drive, has a more rugged appearance, bigger tires, and it has better ground clearance than the others, so it sits up higher, which is great for visibility. Arguably, this is the top off-roader of the Sorento line, but it still feels more like a luxury SUV to me.
Powertrain
Looking under the hood, you find a 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engine that is turbocharged. It puts out a strong 281-horses and an even stronger 311-pound feet of torque. It will get you moving fast from a dead start, especially in Sport mode. It is mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic with shift paddles.
Interior
You really feel like you are seeing a luxury SUV when you open the door to enter the cabin. I was impressed with the first impressions of the interior. The genuine leather (not SynTex) seats are slightly bolstered, stitching is everywhere, and very nice soft-touch materials in contrast colors adorn the door panels and continue through the dash.
Hit the pushbutton start and the amazing 12.3” digital driver gauge cluster comes to life, welcoming you with a colorful and configurable info center in the middle. You can change it drastically from the settings on the heated, leather-wrapped, tilt steering wheel.
The center console is terrific with 3 USB ports and a wireless phone charger. There are two cupholders there and an extra cubby for your toll tag or phone if needed. This is also where you activate the Auto Hold, you can thankfully deactivate the start/stop, and turn on the heated steering wheel. There are switches to turn on the heated and air-conditioned seats, and you can activate hill descent control, parking assist, and turn on the cameras. I love that there are dedicated knobs to set the automatic temperature-controlled air conditioning.
You can also activate the drive modes, and of course, sport mode is my favorite, but you can also choose Eco, Normal, Smart, or Snow, and if you get into tough terrain, you can lock-in the differential.
High on the dash is another 12.3” screen that is new for 2024, and it operates the 12-speaker Bose Premium sound system, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, the terrific front and rear cameras, SiriusXM, HD radio, Wi-Fi Hotspot, and Bluetooth.
Moving to the second-row captain chairs, room is good and the seats slide, recline, and they are heated. There are rear A/C vents, and Kia cleverly put USB ports in the back of the front seats. In this trim package, back passengers can raise shades on the side windows to keep the sun out. A button on top of the captain chairs easily tilts the chairs and slides them forward for easy access to the 3rd row.
Bear in mind the third row seat room is fairly limited, best suited for kids, but likely not comfortable for adults. If you need more room, especially legroom, step up to the Telluride.
Utility
Going to the cargo area, it’s also limited, but there is some underneath storage. The third-row seats manually drop easily for a flat cargo area, and they are easy to put back up.
There are also buttons in rear to lower the 2nd row captain chairs. If you do that, you’ll be very pleased at how flat the floor becomes, and you get a generous 75-cubic feet of storage.
Standard Features
The Sorento SX-Prestige comes loaded with everything you see here, including a massive panoramic moonroof with sliding cover, keyless remote and remote start, front 14-way power seat with thigh extender, 10-way power passenger seat, power liftgate, park assist, a rearview camera mirror, power mirrors, driver’s memory seat, and a lot more.
Safety
Safety-wise, it has blind spot monitoring, forward collision assist, cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, and rear seat alert if anything or anyone is left in the back.
The blind spot system not only shows in your mirrors, but you get a full side view of the road behind you when you use the blinkers. Both side views show up on the gauge cluster, directly in front of you, depending on which direction you are switching to. Very impressive and helpful.
Options
Options are the Olive Brown leather package for $295, carpeted floor mats for $225, and a carpeted cargo area mat for $115.
MPG and What You'll Pay
Fuel economy is 20 city and 27 highway, and 23 combined. Total MSRP as you see it here is $49,400 and frankly, it’s amazing you can get this much SUV at that price.
Ride and Drive
I have to note the quietness inside the Sorento, it is clear this is something Kia has really worked on, and it is noticeable. If you want to venture off the pavement, the X-Pro will certainly do the job, but it is very pleasurable in town, it is easy to park, and the visibility all-around is great. X-Pro is also the only Sorento model rated to tow 4500-pounds.
Verdict
Kia killed it with this Sorento, it has been a runaway hit since it came out, just like the Telluride has been. It is an outstanding value and of course you get the 10-year/100,000 mile warranty with it.
If you want a Telluride, but you really don’t need all that 3rd row seat room, look at Sorento instead and pocket about $5,000.
- What I liked most: The interior, standard features, exterior looks and color, and interior quietness.
- What I would change: Actually nothing, it’s a super nice SUV.
- MSRP: Base price $47,390, as equipped $49,400 with transportation.
- Fuel Economy: Rated at 20 city/27 highway/23 combined.
- Official Color: Road Rider Brown.
- Odometer reading when tested: 10,800 miles.
- Weight: 4,213 pounds/5,401 pound GVWR.
- Spare Tire: Compact spare.
- Length-Width-Height: 189” long/75” wide/70” high.
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 17.7 gallons with the filler on the driver’s side.
- Towing Capacity: 4,500 pounds.
- 2024 Sorento in a few words: Another outstanding SUV from Kia with a great warranty and luxurious interior.
- Warranty: 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper with roadside assistance, 10-year/100,000 mile power train warranty
- Final Assembly Location: West Point, CA.
- Manufacturer’s website: www.KIA.com
To view larger photos see a slideshow on CarPro.com.
