Kia refreshed its best-selling model on the U.S. market, the Sorento, in 2018, four years after introducing the third generation.

The Korean carmaker noticed the Americans’ appetite for SUVs and burned the midnight oil to make an excellent one: the Sorento. Please make no mistake; it wasn’t the best in its class nor the most beautiful or more powerful. It wasn’t best on anything, actually, but it had that mix of “little bit of everything” that transformed it into the best-selling Kia on the North American market.

On the outside, the designers worked hard to create a car that looked the same, but it was different in its details. The front bumper got a crispier look, and, depending on the trim level, it received LED fog lamps. A chromed trim adorned the side scoops, and most importantly, the headlights received LEDs for the upper trim levels (SX and SXL).

Inside, the carmaker kept what the customers liked at most and changed what they wanted the least. As a result, there was a new gear-knob. The design team removed the sliding cover for the cup-holders on the center console. It looked like Sorento’s customers moved that away when they bought the car and never pulled it back. Like its predecessor, the 2018 Sorento featured heated and ventilated front seats and heated middle ones. No one cared too much for the last row since they were seldom used and only for short distances.

Under the hood, the Sorento received important updates. Kia dropped the 2.0-liter turbocharged unit. That left the seven-seat SUV with only two engine options. On the plus side, Kia got rid of the six-speed automatic gearbox and introduced a newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission.

Most probably, 10 years ago, we would’ve never though that KIA would evolve the way they did over the past years.
And since their cars became better and better, their cost increased as well.

The KIA Sorento’s price launched in 2020 was the highest compared to the previous models and had a lot to offer.
The most notable aspect is that the new Sorento offered 7 seats and that made it an ideal car for large families.

The Sorento came with only one engine version, a 2.2-liter diesel developing 198 hp. It was available with a 4-wheel drive and the standard included a 6-speed manual transmission. Buyers also had the option to choose an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The interior offered comfort due to the available adjustments for the seats (8-way electric adjustments or a 10-way electric adjustments available for the KX-3 and the GT Line S trim levels). The controls were intuitively placed, in a way that allows the driver to use them in a safely manner. For a non-premium SUV, the materials used did not look cheap, moreover, the dashboard looked as if it was all wrapped up in leather.

The road visibility offered by the Sorento was beyond reproach, due to its large windscreen and the “throne-like” seating position, plus thins pillars. The overall feeling was of safety and control.
The infotainment system offered both Apple Car Play and Android Auto, with a 7.0 inch or a 8.0 inch touchscreen depending on the trim level. The more expensive trim levels offered improved audio with the aid of 10 Harman Kardon speakers.

While most of the midsize crossover SUVs looked pretty much the same, the 2017 Kia Sorento had a distinctive exterior design, as well as a good price.
The harmoniously styled SUV kept the buyers’ eyes entertained and it was offered with 5 different trim levels, as well as 3 powertrain options.

Jumping in the top-of-the-range SX Limited and ignoring the KIA badges, the stylish crossover made their occupants feel like they were siting in a premium vehicle. The cabin was fitted with premium Nappa leather - although only two color choices were available, upscale polished metallics and gloss finish trims.

The control layout was simple, with intuitive and easy to use buttons. The Kia’s infotainment system was intuitive too, with everything logically arranged.

Providing a nice combination of manoeuvrability and versatility, the Kia Sorento was available in two configurations: a 2-row setup (the L, the SX Limited and the EX trim levels ) or a three-row layout (EX V6 and the SX trim levels), offering seating for five, respectively 7 passengers.

The least expensive Kia Sorento in the base L trim level was equipped with standard 17-inch alloys, fabric upholstery, Bluetooth connectivity and split-second-row seats.

The upper trim levels added available optional packages such as the Convenience, the Advanced Technology, Premium and the Touring package.

Receiving a 5-star rating at the government crash tests, the Sorento was one of the safest crossovers available on the market at the time, available with many active and passive safety features.

A new Euro-spec Kia Sorento made its entry at the Paris Motor Show in 2014, increasing the model’s design and quality compared to the previous generation.
Styling wise, the front end now looks meaner than ever, thanks to a bigger upright tiger-nose grille, larger headlights and wide-opening vents. On the sides there are some slightly reshaped surfaces while at the back you get a new hatch, slimmer wrap-around LED taillights, and a new bumper fitted with a skid plate.

The new Sorento is longer now than the previous generation, reaching a 4.78m (189 in) length, but it is lower by 0.6 inch (15 mm) and just slightly wider by 0.2 inch (5 mm).

Inside, the seats have been slightly repositioned to make more room for up to seven passengers and luggage, materials got improved and a handful of tech features, like the Around-View Monitor and a Smart Power Tailgate, found a way in. As before, the infotainment system allows connectivity with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Technically, the 2015 Kia Sorento comes with a strengthened bodyshell structure, more soundproofing materials, improved ride comfort, high-speed stability, new electric steering system and improved passive and active safety.

There are five engines available, with power outputs ranging from 172 to 290 hp. For the U.S. market, there is a gasoline direct injected inline 4-cylinder unit with 185 hp and a 3.3-liter V6 with 290 hp.

The second generation of the Sorento SUV was first previewed at the New York Auto Show in March 2009.
This new generation uses a unistructure body and is Kia’s first model built in the United States. Aerodynamics were improved from a not so great 0.43 Cx to a more acceptable 0.38 and the SUV safety development earned the car a 5 star rating from Euro NCAP. Visual-like the SUV looks more appealing than its previous cousin, displaying a bit of that American styling. Inside the car feels more uptown, with a newly designed center console and dashboard. The SUV can be ordered with panoramic glass roof, keyless entry and rearview camera.

Kia unveiled the facelift for the Sorento’s first generation in 2006, four years after the model’s introduction.
The Korean carmaker already had some experience in building 4x4 vehicles, and it tried to get a more significant share of the market with the introduction of the Sorento lineup in 2002. It was built on a body-on-frame system, and it was Kia’s first attempt to enter the mid-size SUV market. The result was more than satisfactory since the carmaker offered the vehicle at a price well below its competitors.

At the front, the main difference between the facelift and the non-facelift version was on the headlights. The carmaker moved the turn-signals on their lower outer side in a colored horizontal strip. Kia modified the grille, introducing a three-slat one instead of the previous one that featured one horizontal bar in the middle. In the rear, the taillights received a new design with smaller reversing lights. Depending on the trim level, the 2006 Sorento featured body-colored bumpers.

Inside, the carmaker offered more airbags than before, and that brought the car into the five-star crash-test rating performed by the NHTSA in frontal and side-impact. A major improvement was the dashboard, which was available in gray or tan with wood-trims on the center stack and door panels.

The most significant upgrade was under the hood. For the U.S. market, the Sorento replaced the older 3.5-liter engine with two new ones of 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter displacement. For specific markets, the Korean carmaker installed a 2.5-liter turbo-diesel.

By the beginning of the 2000s, the SUV markets was gaining quite a considerable amount of attention both from producers and car buyers the world over.
In 2002 the first generation Sorento came out with two options transmissions, a 5 speed manual and a 4 speed automatic. This was later changed into a 5 speed sequential starting with 2005. The motor came from Hyundai and it was a 3.5 double overhead cam V6 with 192 hp. The car comes in two trim levels, a base package and the LX version which included alloy wheels, step bars, fog lams, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a roof rack.