2015 Kia Sorento

The 2015 Kia Sorento is available in as many as four major trims that include LX, EX, SX, and SX Limited. The LX trim splits into two: one with the base four-pot engine and the one with the V6 engine as standard. The prices for the base trims start at $24,300 with the FWD configuration, while the AWD configuration sees a price of $26,100. The topmost trim starts at $39,900 and goes up to $41,700 for the AWD configuration. The best thing about Sorento’s features list is that most of the safety features are standard except for blindspot monitoring and a rearview camera.

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We suggest going for the EX trim, as at the price of slightly over thirty grand, you get a decent set of features and the more powerful V6 engine over the base trim’s underwhelming four-pot engine. Not only this, for the six grand premium over the base trim, you also add a ton of creature comfort features like dual-zone automatic climate control, driver’s seat memory function, heated steering wheel, better infotainment, etc.

The 2015 Kia Sorento offers two engine choices; the standard one being a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine that puts out 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque while the other one is the more powerful 3.3-liter V6 engine that puts out a respectable 290 hp and 252 lb-ft of torque. Both the engine comes with FWD and a six-speed automatic transmission as standard, while the AWD drivetrain along with torque vectoring cornering control and locking center differential is available. The Kia Sorento in the base configuration goes from 0-60 mph in 9.1 seconds and covers a quarter-mile in 16.9 seconds. The V6, on the other hand, shaves off 2 seconds from 0-60 mph and 1.2 seconds from the quarter-mile timings.

Both the rivals come with a similar four-pot engine, but both of them put out lesser power and torque figures compared to the Sorento. Although when you compare the 0-60 mph and quarter-mile timings, the scene flips in the favor of the rivals. The Honda CR-V clocks the fastest 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds and covers a quarter-mile in 15.9 seconds.

The fuel economy figures from the four-pot-powered Sorento aren’t that great. The EPA estimates suggest that you can expect a fuel economy of 20/27/23 mpg in city/highway/combined respectively, and with the AWD, there is a dip of 1 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway fuel economy. The V6 powered Sorento, on the other hand, returns 18/25 mpg in city/highway respectively, while the AWD configuration sees a dip of 1 mpg on the highway. As standard, the Sorento gets a 17.4-gallon fuel tank.

The rivals outpace the Sorento by a margin, and between the Forester and CR-V, the CR-V puts out the highest 27/34/29 mpg of fuel economy in city/highway/combined, respectively. These figures are better than the Sorento’s by 7 mpg in both the city and on the highway. When comparing the overall range, here too CR-V takes the least against the rivals by offering the class-leading range of 444 miles combined.

For its asking price, the 2015 Kia Sorento packs in a decent cabin with some segment-first features like 2nd-row retractable window shades, LCD speedo, etc. The overall cabin has a lot of hard-touch plastics, yet everything is well-sorted and thoughtfully incorporated. The seats are big and comfortable with a great view of what’s ahead. As standard, the Sorento offers two-row seating, while the optional third-row adds cramped third-row seats which are also cumbersome to access. The first two rows offer sufficient headroom and legroom for even taller adults. With 36.9 cubic feet of boot space, the Sorento leads the segment here.

As for rivals, the Subaru Forester offers better legroom in both rows but lacks both shoulder room and headroom compared to the Sorento. The cargo space of 35.2 cubic feet on offer in the CR-V remains the second-best in this comparison. Subaru stands at the very end with a cargo space of just 31.5 cubic feet. Key interior features include:

• Heated front seats
• Rear window sunshades
• Fabric-trimmed seats
• Available power-adjustable front seats
• Available dual-zone automatic climate control
• Available leather-trimmed seats
• Available memory function for driver’s seat
• Available auto-dimming rearview mirror w/ HomeLink

How intuitive is Kia Sorento’s infotainment unit?

As standard, the Sorento gets a six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo system. The available system includes 8-inch infotainment with navigation or a UVO infotainment system. The SX trim features a 10-speaker premium Infinity stereo, while a six-speaker setup remains standard. Other notable features that you get include SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB, and AUX input ports, etc. Key infotainment features include:

• AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo system
• SiriusXM w/ 3-month trial
• Bluetooth
• Six-speaker stereo
• Available Infinity premium stereo
• Available 8-inch screen w/ navigation

The Kia Sorento has a tamed approach towards exterior styling. The front has the famous tiger-nose grille and a one of its kind four-point LED fog lights. The headlights are standard halogen units that get upgraded to Xenon HIDs on the top trim. From the side, the Sorento has a van-like silhouette. The rear portion has its own share of quirkiness. As standard, you get 17-inch rims, heated mirrors, black molding on the sides, rear wipers, etc.

Dimensionally, the Kia Sorento is the biggest among all, but it falls short in front of Subaru Forester’s massive 8.7-inches ground clearance. That said, the Sorento has the longest wheelbase measuring 106.3-inches and the highest curb weight of 3,594 lbs. The other two rivals in the segment offer a curb weight of under 3400+ lbs, making them comparatively lighter than Sorento. Key exterior features include:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED front positioning lights
• Fog lights
• Power heated side mirrors
• Windshield wiper de-icer
• Available panoramic sunroof
• Available power-folding side mirrors
• Available 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels
• Available xenon HID headlights

The 2015 Kia Sorento comes with a host of safety features right from the base trim, and that has ensured that the Sorento will score well in both the agencies’ crash tests. The NHTSA rated the Sorento with a perfect five out of five-star rating, while the IIHS gave the Sorento a rating of ‘Good’ in four out of five tests. The front overlap test was rated with the lowest rating of ‘Poor,’ and the ease of use of LATCH was rated with the second-best rating of ‘Acceptable’ by the IIHS. Key safety features include:

• Roll-over mitigation
• Hill-start assist
• Automatic headlights
• Available Blindspot detection system
• Available rearview camera

The 2015 Kia Sorento is a jack of all trades. It has a spacious cabin, mature ride and handling, and sufficient performance from the V6 to carry a load of a family with full luggage without breaking a sweat. The base engine is underwhelming in both performance and gas mileage, so we suggest skipping it. Having said that, the Sorento packs in the biggest dimensions and has one of the most accommodating boots in the segment. So if you are a family person and want to try something new, the Kia Sorento is just the right crossover SUV for you.