The Kia Sorento has a special place in our RFD hearts. It was one of our first ever press loaners and here’s what I had to say about it back in 2016. TL;DR, I backed it into a wall.
That’s right, I damaged my first ever press car, and the second car ever entrusted to RFD by a manufacturer. So when I say that it has a special place in our hearts, there was also a bit of a feeling of dread when Kia dropped off this 2019 Sorento SXL AWD. That’s right, it’s the exact same car, three years later. Wish me luck…
Generations
As a reminder to where we stand in the Sorento story, this 2019 exists in what is likely towards the end of the SUV’s third generation. Called the Kia Sorento Prime in Russia, this iteration of the Sorento is easily the most refined of the Sorento generations, a far cry from the body-on-frame first generation. Originally the Kia SUV came with a 3.5L Hyundai V6 and you could even option it with a manual transmission, as was the way back in 2002. The second generation, 2010–2014, was built on a much more modern platform and featured a fairly radical design change. So much so that Kia considered giving it a different name so as not to confuse buyers. The second gen, still available with a now-6-speed manual transmission, now came with 4 or 6 cylinder power. But in August of 2014 Kia showed us the next generation Sorento and they were clearly gunning for the class leaders. Available in either a 5 or 7-seater, it was 95mm longer than the previous generation. That’s 3.74016 inches if you were wondering. My biggest question is, how much has the Sorento evolved since our last drive?
Updates
So what’s changed, glad you asked. The 2019 model years is actually the first year that Kia has updated the 3rd generation Sorento. The 2019 model gets a new front grill featuring updated headlights, new tail lamps that more closely match updates from the latest Kia Forte and Cadenza. SXL models like our tester get LEDs all around. AWD is an option on all models except the base L model. Since it’s trendy to show the then and now picture, here it is.
Standard Features
The great part about the SX Limited model is that it comes with everything! he great part about the SX Limited model is that it comes with everything! Here’s a sampling of what’s standard on the SXL Sorento.
- UVO eServices w/ Voice-Command Navigation System, 8″ Color Touch-Screen Display, SiriusXM® Traffic and HD Radio™
- Android Auto™
- Apple CarPlay™
- Harman/Kardon® 10-Speaker Surround Sound Audio w/ Clari-Fi™, External Amplifier & Subwoofer
- Rear-Camera Display
- Park Distance Warning – Reverse (PDW-R)
- Park Distance Warning – Forward (PDW-F)
- Surround View Monitor (SVM)
- Blind Spot Collision Warning (BCW)
- Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning (RCCW)
- Smart Cruise Control w/ Stop and Go (SCC)
- Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA), w/ Pedestrian Detection
- Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
- Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
- Bluetooth® Wireless Technology Hands-Free Connectivity
- Steering-Wheel-Mounted Audio, Hands-Free Phone, and Cruise Control Buttons
- USB/Auxiliary Input Jack
- Wireless Phone Charger
- USB 2.1 Charger Ports
- 12 V Power Outlets
- 110 V Power Inverter
- Supervision Meter Cluster w/ 7″ Thin Film Transistor (TFT) Color LCD Display
- Trip Computer
- EcoMinder® Fuel-Efficiency Indicator
- Tilt and Telescopic Steering Column
- Smart Shift & Drive
- Smart Key w/ Push-Button Start and Immobilizer
- Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) w/ Auto-Hold
- Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control w/ Auto De-Fog System
- 3rd Row Air Conditioning w/ Controls
- Center Console w/ Armrest
- Dual Front Cup Holders
- 2nd-Row Center Arm Rest w/ Cup Holders
- Front & Rear Door Bottle Holders
- Interior Accent Illumination
- Overhead Sunglasses Holder
- LED Map and Room Lights
- Dual Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirrors
- Integrated 2nd-Row Window Sunshades
And that’s just the interior options. One of the things that we loved about the 2016 SXL was the amount of stuff you got for the money. That money has increased a bit for 2019, all this is yours for $48,370. That’s about three grand more than the 2016 model, but Kia just keeps adding more. In fact, these were the only options on our test car:
- Cargo Cover – $150
- Cargo Net Envelope – $50
- Puddle Lights – $240
- Interior Light Kit – $450
Bad Luck Continues
Unfortunately our luck with Sorento’s continues. Our test car suffered a sunroof leak and had to get picked up. So we didn’t get any dynamic driving impressions or additional testing time. But it was enough to see just how much you get with the Kia Sorento. It’s a lot.
Bonus Pics
