2013 Kia Sorento

The 2013 Kia Sorento comes in three different trim options LX, EX, and SX. The LX trim comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors, keyless entry, cruise control, tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, Bluetooth, sound system with a CD player, air-conditioning, and 60/40 split-folding second-row seat. The EX trim gets an upgraded powertrain with the same inline-4 engine as standard. 

It also gets 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, keyless ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-way power driver seat, and Leather upholstery. The top-of-the-line SX trim gets a powerful V6 engine with different styling and the design of the alloy wheels also changes. It also gets LED taillamps, rear air-conditioning, 4-way power passenger seat, third-row seats, and the Infinity audio system.

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The 2013 Kia Sorento offers great value with the base trim as the standard feature list is very generous for the price. The base engine, however, fails to bring the excitement as a driver. We recommend going for the LX trim as it gets various advanced features as standard. It also gets an upgraded powertrain and has the option to go for the even-powerful V6 engine. 

The 2013 Kia Sorento is powered by a standard 2.4-liter inline-4 engine. The engine produces 175 horsepower and 169 lb-ft of torque. The power is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. The power feels insufficient if you accelerate hard, and this engine option is the best option for those who do not care about driving much. 

You can go for the upgraded form of the same engine which is optional for the LX trim and standard with the EX trim. This engine produces a peak power of 191 horses and a peak torque of 181 lb-ft. There is also a 3.5-liter V6 engine that is optional with EX and standard with SX. The V6 engine churns out 276 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque. 

The 2013 Kia Sorento takes 9.2 seconds to reach from 0 to 60 mph while the quarter-mile run takes a complete 17 seconds. The acceleration is not very impressive and the lack of power is evident. The slowest car in the competition is Toyota Highlander which takes 9.6 seconds to reach 0 to 60 mph and the quarter-mile timing remains identical to the Sorento. Chevrolet Equinox is the fastest SUV in 0 to 60 mph at 8.7 seconds while the Ford Explorer remains the fastest SUV in the quarter-mile run in the competition. The Sorento can achieve 0 to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds with the V6 engine.

The fuel economy is one of the strong points in the favor of the 2013 Kia Sorento. It manages to deliver 21 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg of combined fuel economy. The fuel efficiency figures are very impressive for the segment. However, the efficiency will take a dip with other powertrains, and to achieve this efficiency you will have to stick to the base powertrain option. The fuel tank capacity is also very generous at 18 gallons.

The 2013 Kia Sorento offers a very impressive fuel economy for the segment with the base powertrain option. The Ford Explorer beats all the competitors in the fuel efficiency part with quite a margin. The Toyota Highlander offers the least fuel-efficient engine in the competition. The Chevy Equinox manages a decent fuel economy and with its large fuel tank, it offers the best range beating the competition.

The 2013 Kia Sorento offers a very spacious cabin and you will not be complaining about the interior space. The seats are very comfortable and offer good support. You can easily spend long hours without getting uncomfortable. The driver gets an 8-way power-adjustable seat to get the best driving position based on your requirements. The front passenger also gets a 4-way power-adjustable seat with the SX trim. 

The control for the driver is easy to reach and there is not much of a concern there. The rear-seat space is also not an issue and three passengers can easily sit there without compromising the comfort. However, the five-seater variants lack the option to slide the rear seats to make more room for the rear passengers. The 2013 Sorento also has an option to get the third row of seating.

The 2013 Kia Sorento offers very generous space in the front and rear seats. The cabin quality is also of good quality for the segment. There is also an option for the 7-seater variant. The standard 5-seater variant manages to provide the best cargo area in the competition. Standout interior features:

• Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• Cruise Control
• Keyless entry/ignition
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• 60/40 split-folding second-row seat
• Eight-way power driver seat

How intuitive is the 2013 Kia Sorento’s infotainment unit?

The standard infotainment system of the 2013 Kia Sorento includes a sound system with a CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack, and an iPod/USB audio interface. The infotainment unit is not the best in the class but offers a very decent experience. You can also upgrade the audio system to a 10-speaker Infinity sound system with the top trim. The infotainment features like a touch screen navigation system remain optional. The infotainment features include:

• CD Player
• Audio system
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Auxiliary audio jack
• iPod/USB audio interface
• Satellite Radio
• Infinity audio system

The 2013 Kia Sorento carries a very modern look from the exterior. It looks better than the older rivals and feels like a young and fresh SUV in the segment. The front gets Kia’s honeycomb grille which makes it easy to identify that it belongs to the Kia family. On both sides of the grille sit the LED headlights that look very sleek in the overall styling. The foglights are placed below the headlight and look very elegant in the circular styling.

The side also looks like a modern SUV and the base 17-inch wheels don’t do justice with the stance of the Sorento. The higher trims get bigger 18-inch wheels which look better. The roof rails add a flavor of styling to the sides. The rear remains very simple with a big pair of taillamps at the back going all the way up to the tailgates.

The Ford Explorer is the shortest SUV in the competition and it also gets the shortest wheelbase of the lot. The Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota Highlander have identical lengths but the Chevy gets a lead in the wheelbase as it gets the longest wheelbase in the competition here. The Kia Sorento manages to have a longer wheelbase than the Explorer but has a smaller wheelbase than the other two SUVs with a big margin. Standout exterior features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic headlights 
• LED taillamps
• Heated mirrors
• Keyless entry
• Rearview camera

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has rated the 2013 Sorento an above-average 4 out of 5 stars in their crash test ratings. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given it their ‘Good’ safety pick in all the segments of their crash testing. The IIHS also awarded the Kia Sorento with their Top Safety Pick Award. The standard safety features are also very generous for the segment. The safety features of the 2013 Kia Sorento include:

• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
• Stability Control
• Traction Control
• Tire Pressure Monitoring
• Emergency Braking Assist

The Kia Sorento offers a very attractive package for the price in the segment. It looks modern from the outside and the interior also feels premium for the price. It also offers three different powertrain options, so you can choose what appeals to you the most. The V6 engine offers good acceleration and handling is also very composed. The 2013 Kia Sorento comes out as a very sensible choice in the segment.