2017 Kia Sorento Road Test and Review

There’s a lot of heavy-hitting competition in the midsize SUV class these days, yet despite the challenge, the 2017 Kia Sorento has the potential to thrive. Though this class has a lot of well-established models, offering everything from impressive power to great fuel economy, the Sorento can be configured to compete on pretty much any point. Even in base trim, this SUV is stylish and affordable (although, as we’ll discuss later, our fully loaded test vehicle had a jaw-dropping sticker price).

Chances are, most buyers of the Sorento will add some options, and Kia has certainly made plenty of those available. Your new Sorento can be as value-oriented or as ostentatious as desired. And, for the 2017 model year, Kia’s updated the Sorento with new available infotainment and safety features. Let’s take a closer look at the 2017 Kia Sorento SXL.

For buyers interested in an affordable, family-friendly midsize SUV, the 2017 Kia Sorento L, which starts at $25,400, is a good choice. It comes with only a few standard features, and its 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine gets the job done.

The next trim level up is the Sorento LX, which starts at $26,700. This modest increase in price brings with it a handful of useful standard features, and this trim level also opens up a couple of options packages and the availability of the Sorento’s optional third row, increasing seating capacity from five to seven passengers. The LX V6 trim level, $28,990, adds the 3.3-liter V6.

Next are the EX ($31,500), which comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, and the EX V6 ($33,100).

The Sorento SX, starting at $38,600, comes standard with the V6 and tons of standard features. The SX Limited, at $43,900, has even more standard equipment, much of it focused on safety.

The 2017 Kia Sorento has three available engines, all paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available.

The base Sorento comes with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes 185 horsepower and is EPA-rated for fuel economy of 21 MPG city, 28 MPG highway, and 24 MPG combined. These numbers are above average for the class.

A turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine is available in the midrange Sorento EX trim level. Lower-displacement turbo fours are typically good for a boost in fuel economy, but that’s not the case here; this engine actually takes a slight hit in gas mileage, putting out EPA ratings of 20 MPG city, 27 MPG highway, and 23 MPG combined. With 240 horsepower, though, this mid-range engine is worth the sacrifice for some buyers.

The top-end V6 engine also sacrifices fuel economy, with numbers of 18/25/20, but it's nice to have 290 horsepower in this 4000-lb. Kia.

The Kia Sorento was fully redesigned just last year, so it continues to benefit from its fresh and modern exterior. The design is typical Kia—basic and functional, yet with enough style to appeal to a family. It’s not one of the flashiest vehicles in the segment, but it’s not bland, either. Our test Sorento looked especially good dressed in the Snow White Pearl exterior finish, which is a $395 option.

The headlights in the 2017 Kia Sorento SXL are fitted with HID bulbs and have auto-leveling and Dynamic Bending technology to better illuminate the road ahead and into turns. We didn't notice any actual “bending,” but they are good lights. The automatic headlight feature also is a plus. Rear and side lighting, as well as the front fog lighting, uses bright and efficient LEDs. The lights on the Sorento look good and work well, giving this Kia an upscale look and feel.

Although the 2017 Kia Sorento SXL is packed with a ton of features, the cabin is reasonably easy to navigate, and comfortable. There’s plenty of storage space throughout the Sorento, so it’ll be easy to keep clean and organized.

The base Sorento comes with cloth, and leather is available on most of the mid-range trims. Leather comes standard on the SLX (the window sticker actually called it “metallic” leather) and the front seats were heated and ventilated. The driver’s seat is power-adjustable, with good, firm lumbar support. Though most versions of the Sorento come standard with two rows to seat up to five passengers, a third row is available on some trim levels, which increases capacity to seven. Total cargo space, 73 cubic feet, is good for the class—we had ample space for a grocery and liquor store run, with plenty of room left over.

The 2017 Kia Sorento SXL comes standard with an infotainment system that has an 8-inch touchscreen display (most trim levels get this system, but the base model comes with a 4.3-inch non-touch screen display). The infotainment system includes Bluetooth wireless integration, satellite radio, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. The system’s easy to use, with logical menu layouts. The Infinity surround-sound audio system is pleasant, too. We have very few complaints about the whole setup, but if anything, the steering wheel has too many functions—although with a little more time in the Sorento, those would probably become second nature fairly quickly.

Our 2017 Kia Sorento SXL came loaded with everything available: the V6 engine, the optional all-wheel drive, 19-inch wheels, and all of the options packages. These include the infotainment and audio systems described earlier, leather upholstery with heated seats and ventilation in the front, a heated steering wheel with audio controls, pushbutton start with a proximity key, a panoramic sunroof, heated power-folding mirrors, “welcome” lighting on the front exterior door handles, HID headlights, and LED rear and side lighting. The Sorento SXL also comes with a 360-degree camera, one of those things we think we’d never need but is super handy when you have to coax the car out of a garage and into a narrow Chicago alley.

The Sorento SXL also includes Kia’s full suite of advanced safety technology, which we’ll discuss next.

The 2017 Kia Sorento has been evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and has earned very good scores from both. The Sorento collects both organizations’ coveted top ratings—Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and 5-Star Overall from the NHTSA.

The Sorento SXL trim level comes with all the model’s available advanced safety systems. It includes a rearview camera and a 360-degree camera, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking assist. All three seating positions in the second row offer LATCH child safety seat hardware.

There’s no underestimating the convenience of the hands-free tailgate while on a Costco run. As long as the key is nearby—tucked into a pocket or zipped away into a purse is fine—the Sorento senses you’re behind it and cheerfully pops the gate. It feels a little weird at first, but we got used to it quickly.

We also liked that the front collision warning system is adjustable for sensitivity. In some cars, it comes on so late it might as well not be there; in others, it’s chastising you constantly simply for driving on the same road as someone else. Although other cars also let you adjust the system, the control in the Sorento is right there on the dashboard control, inviting you to adjust it. That’s a nice change, because frankly, it hadn’t ever occurred to us to try to adjust it until now.

We liked the 2017 Kia Sorento SXL, but we’re left to wonder how we’d feel about a base or mid-tier model. A lot of the features and equipment that usually come on fully loaded vehicles are things we’d be very unlikely to shell out for, if shopping for our own car, but Kia complicates this by making it very expensive to get features we would want, such as the active safety suite. While most customers likely will add some options to the Sorento’s base model, we have a hard time imaging that most customers would want a Sorento fully loaded.

For the money (a reminder, our test vehicle was equipped to the tune of $46,990) it’s tempting to cross-shop a fully loaded 2017 Sorento SXL against entry-level luxury suvs. Those are more expensive at the base level, but they include more standard equipment than Kia includes with the Sorento.