2016 KIA SORENTO REVIEW, RATINGS, SPECS, PRICES, AND PHOTOS

Introduction

Despite evidence to the contrary, some consumers still equate Kia's cars & SUVs with cheap & affordable choices. To some degree, this can be seen in the demographics data associated with buyers of the Kia Sorenkhổng lồ, the company's midsize crossover SUV, according khổng lồ the J.D. Power nguồn năm ngoái U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution & Layout (APEAL) Study.SMA new Sorento lớn arrives for năm 2016 that possesses the power to change perceptions, if given the opportunity. Designed khổng lồ carry 5 passengers in comfort và up khổng lồ 7 on occasion, the Sorento represents another revolutionary redesign for Kia's family-sized SUV.

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What Owners Say

For this Đánh Giá, our expert evaluated a Sorento Limited with all-wheel drive sầu (AWD) và the optional Technology package. The price totaled $46,495, including the $895 destination charge.Before we discuss the results of our evaluation of the new 2016 Sorenlớn, it's helpful lớn understvà who bought the previous version of this SUV, & what they liked most and least about it.J.D. Power nguồn retìm kiếm shows that compared with the midform size SUV segment average, Sorento owners are more often women (54% vs. 43% segment average); more often members of the Boomer1 generation (52% vs. 45% segment average); & make about $30,000 less annually ($79,605 vs. $109,901 segment average). Compared with the segment average, they are half as likely khổng lồ identify themselves as Performance Buyers (8% vs. 16%), and are more likely khổng lồ choose a vehicle for fuel economy (20% vs. 11%). They are less likely to lớn pay extra for the latest safety features than segment average (24% vs. 29%) & less likely to be considered by friends & family as knowledgeable about autos (15% vs. 21%). Otherwise, Sorento lớn owners align with midkích thước SUV segment averages.According khổng lồ the results of the 2015 U.S. APEAL Study, the Sorento ranks 10th out of 18 midkích cỡ SUVs in terms of overall appeal. Owners say that their favorite things about the previous-generation Sorento lớn are (in descending order) exterior, interior, driving dynamics, visibility and safety, storage & space. Owners indicate their least favorite things are (in descending order) fuel economy, climate control system, seats, infotainment system, & engine/transmission.

What Our Expert Says

In the sections that follow, our expert provides his own perceptions about how the new năm nhâm thìn Sorenkhổng lồ measures up in each of the 10 categories that comprise the 2015 U.S. APEAL Study.

Exterior

Adopting softer & more organic forms than the mã sản phẩm it replaces, the redesigned năm 2016 Sorento lớn looks terrific from every angle & more upscale than the previous version. Overhangs are somewhat long, though, giving the SUV a slightly bloated look when viewed in protệp tin.InteriorWhen equipped with Limited trlặng, which includes premium Nappage authority diamond-pattern leather, fabric-wrapped roof pillars, LED cabin lighting, panoramic sunroof and more, the only suggestion that this is not a luxury SUV is the Kia emblem on the center of the steering wheel. From surface finish & patterns to lớn the textures and tones of the materials, the Sorenlớn Limited exhibits impressive attention khổng lồ detail.

Seats

xuất hiện any of the doors on the Sorenlớn Limited & the scent of supple premium leather wafts out of this Kia. Featuring an upscale đá quí pattern for its perforations, the leather exudes chất lượng và is wrapped around exceptionally comfortable front seats with heating and ventilation. The driver's seat features 14-way power adjustment, while the front passenger can choose from eight different ways lớn adjust the seats.Second-row passengers sit on a sliding bench seat, and when it is moved all the way back taller adults have enough legroom. To ensure that the seatbaông chồng folds flat, however, the bottom cushion is mounted rather low, & it lacks thigh support. Kids are happy enough, though, and the Limited is equipped with second-row side window sunshades.Sorentos equipped with a V-6 engine include a standard third-row seat. They are uninhabitable by anyone over about 5 foot 6 & the seat's head restraints and seatbacks are located so cchiến bại to the rear liftgate that parents likely won't want lớn place children in this location because so little rear-impact collision crush space exists.

Climate Control System

A dual-zone automatic climate control system is included for EX, SX, and Limited versions, & the Sorento EX V6, SX V6, & Limited V6 are equipped with second-row air vents &, for the third-row seat, separate vents and a fan tốc độ control. The Sorento Limited also has ventilated front seats and heated rear seats.Unseasonably hot weather during testing week precluded the use of the heated front và rear seats or the heated steering wheel, but the air conditioning system và ventilated front seats definitely came in handy. They also proved quite effective at combating near 90-degree temperatures.

Infotainment System

Kia's Your Voice (UVO) infotainment system is user-friendly, and includes connected services that are không tính phí rather than available only with a paid subscription. Pairing an iPhone to the system proved easy, & the voice recognition had no trouble identifying contacts. Streaming music from Pandora and iTunes was no trouble at all, either.The 8-in. touch screen successfully resists glare & fingerprints, và supports swipe và scroll gesture recognition. Knobs adjust commonly used features, such as system power, volume, và station tuning. Music hard-drive sầu storage allows the owner to lớn store tracks directly on the system, & an Infinity premium surround sound system is available, featuring 10 speakers and Clari-Fi music-restoration giải pháp công nghệ.

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Storage & Space

Priced and marketed as a midkích cỡ crossover SUV, the Sorento lớn feels just as roomy inside as its 5-passenger competitors. Compared to lớn its 7-passenger competition, however, the Sorento feels smaller inside.Cargo area measurements bear this out. Behind the 50/50 split-folding third-row seat, 11.3 cu. ft. of space is adequate for a row of grocery bags or a compact folding stroller, và little else. Fold the third-row seats down for 38 cu. ft. of space. Maximum cargo capathành phố measures 73 cu. ft.Storage space is adequate, & most areas are lined to quell noise, vibration, và harshness. Kia missed an opportunity to include storage bins in each door panel armrest, especially important khổng lồ parents so that children have additional space for juice boxes, snacks, or small toys.A "smart" power liftgate is available for the năm nhâm thìn Sorento, designed to detect when the SUV's keyfob is within cchiến bại proximity and then to open automatically khổng lồ assist owners who need khổng lồ load armloads of stuff into the cargo area. If this feature is not desired, it can be turned off using the proper driver information display menu selection.

Visibility & Safety

Safety is one benefit of Sorento lớn ownership. This family-friendly crossover gets top crash-test ratings from both the federal government và the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). However, it is not available with an automatic emergency braking system, which means it is ineligible for a "Top Safety Pick+" designation from the IIHS.Optional for the Sorento LX & standard for the EX, SX, and Limited versions, Kia's UVO eServices giải pháp công nghệ includes a collision-notification và emergency calling service. Additionally, the eServices giải pháp công nghệ allows parents to program tốc độ, curfew, và boundary alerts lớn help them monitor teenaged driver behavior when the Sorenkhổng lồ is away from home.A blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert is standard for the SX & Limited, and optional for the EX. To obtain a 360-degree surround-view monitoring system, lane-departure warning system, & an adaptive cruise control system with forward-collision warning, buyers must choose the Limited and then add the optional Technology package.Without automatic emergency braking as a part of the Technology package, it's difficult khổng lồ justify the $2,500 expense.

Engine/Transmission

Kia offers three different engines for the năm nhâm thìn Sorento. Less expensive trim levels have sầu a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder or a 3.3-liter V-6. More expensive sầu versions have a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder or a 3.3-liter V-6. A 6-tốc độ automatic transmission is standard for all of them, with an AWD system available as an option.The 290-horsepower V-6 is strong, feeling powerful and responsive, & is nicely isolated from the cabin. Throttle tip-in & response off the line is progressive rather than linear, ensuring a smooth launch & feeling similar to how top-kết thúc luxury cars with enormous engines respond. Accelerating down a freeway on-ramp to prevailing freeway speeds is not a problem, even with 6 people aboard.Eteo, Normal, & Sport driving modes are available, with predictable yet subtle changes in terms of powertrain response. Eager upshifts and delayed downshifts are expected in Eco mode, but in Normal mode residual evidence of this behavior proves occasionally irritating. Even in Sport mode, when climbing a mountain grade, the transmission tends to lớn upshift and downshift rather than hold a gear. A manual shift mode with an intuitive sầu shift pattern does help to resolve this, however.

Fuel Economy

Like other midkích thước crossover SUVs, the năm 2016 Kia Sorenkhổng lồ is expected lớn return fuel economy in the high-teens or low 20s, depending on the engine choice and type of driving.The EPA says a Sorenlớn equipped with a 3.3-liter V-6 engine & AWD should deliver 17 mpg thành phố, 23 mpg highway, và 19 mpg in combined driving. The demo vehicle averaged 19.1 mpg on the thử nghiệm loop, & by the over of a week that included plenty of highway driving the Sorento had averaged 21.1 mpg.

Driving Dynamics

Kia has come a long way in terms of driving refinement. From its soft, progressive launch character when accelerating from a stop lớn its syrupy steering, smooth ride, & hushed cabin, the Sorento lớn Limited broadcasts sophistication. Cruising down a freeway, the Sorenlớn effortlessly absorbing irregularities in the pavement, you'd never guess how satisfying this SUV is to drive when the road starts to lớn bover and kink.

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Sitting on 19-in. wheels wrapped in 235/55 Michelin Premier LTX tires, the Sorento lớn provides impressive grip và the brakes are easy khổng lồ modulate & fade-resistant. Kia's Dynamax torque-vectoring AWD system certainly contributes lớn a sense of athleticism, but long front & rear overhangs, a shallow breakover angle, & 7.3 in. of ground clearance make the Sorento a soft-roader at best, rather than an off-roader. Over bumps và dips, the Sorento can exhibit a hint of toàn thân sway, but the suspension quickly quells excess motion.Around town, the Sorenlớn feels solid, secure, almost heavy, yet thanks lớn its robust V-6 engine and responsive sầu handling proves nimble và easy lớn maneuver. It is easy lớn bring the Sorento khổng lồ a quiông chồng & clean stop thanks khổng lồ its expertly calibrated braking system.