Kia Sorento 2021 Test Drive

The Kia Sorento has been one of my favorite cars to review due to its size and affordability. A few years back, we took the Kia Sorento for a drive up to Cameron Highlands and we thoroughly enjoyed the drive. The extra space on a long road trip was a definite life saver.  Therefore, when the opportunity came for us to review the latest Kia Sorento 2021, we jumped on the bandwagon. 

For drivers who are new to this SUV, the Kia Sorento 2021 is a 2.2 Litre Diesel engine with a 8 speed dual clutch transmission. The fierce stylish lines of the Kia Sorento is a definite head turner and together with her pricing and practicality, this is a car that bigger families can seriously consider. 

First impression of the Kia Sorento 2021

 

This car is huge! As I was standing next to the car, I felt like a little midget trying to get into an car.  If you love big American cars, the Kia Sorento makes you feel like you are getting into one. Stepping into the cockpit of the car, I felt like I was getting into a Premium Boeing 747. There was a mega big dashboard with a 10.25 touchscreen Infotainment system at my fingertips. Providing fate for entertaining, navigation and communication, I was overwhelmed with the amount of technology available to me. 

Looking around the Cockpit, I quickly noticed the Bose Speaker system which complements the whole audio experience. One will be glad to know that the Bose System is a massive 12 speaker system, which means that even the people in the 3rd row get the full immersive sound system. 

Best Thing about the Kia Sorento

I thoroughly enjoyed the size of the car. The Kia is like a beast when you park the Sorento next to a sedan!  Together with the size, you get comfort! We brought the grandparents out for a drive with the Sorento and we maximized the third row of seats.  We have driven many MPVs before and the thing about the third row is that it is usually a tight squeeze. This discomfort was sustainable when the kids were younger but with 3 teenagers, the 3rd row is usually a very tight squeeze. 

The good news is that the Kia Sorento offers third row comfort, as there is much more head room and leg room. Kia also has the comfort of passengers in mind. Normally, third row passengers are forgotten, but the Kia Sorento has third row air-con vents, cup holders and Bose speakers.  

Normally 3rd row passengers also find themselves imprisoned in the back and they find it difficult to exit the vehicle, when the driver is carrying a full load of 6 passengers.  Kia addresses this issue by offering quick release buttons, where at the press of a button, the second row seats fold down. This feature is super useful as not every second row passenger is used to the seat folding system found on the second row seats. Thumbs up to Kia on this feature!

Best Feature of the Kia Sorento

The best feature of the Kia Sorento are the blind spot cameras. The thing about big sized SUVs like the Sorento is the numerous blind spots that you can find in the car. However, the Kia Sorento has cameras hidden around the car to give drivers a safe driving experience.  In fact, this is the first car which i have driven, which has these features. Being so high tech, I think that this feature can only be best explained by a video. Check out what happens on the dashboard when the driver signals left or right. Cameras on the car, give a live blind spot view of the obstacles found on the side of the intended lane change. 

The cameras move to a different level of sophisication when one is doing reverse parking or doing a 3 point turn. The camera virtually projects a car onto the markings on the road and even enables one to clearly see if the car is parked within the parking lot. Check out the second video to see the blind spot cameras of the Kia Sorento at work: 

The feature is definitely revolutionary for me and it means that I can better get into tight parking spaces, where the parking lines are not visible from the driver’s seat. No more coming out of the car to check whether I am too far to the left or to the right … A definite plus factor! 

Driving Experience with the Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento comes with a futuristic cockpit that comes armed with a 10.25 inch touch screen infotainment system. With the car armed to the teeth with technology, the Kia Sorento has every gadget that every driver can wish for. From audio, communication to driver-assist features, this car is loaded to the max. One feature that I used throughout my drive, is the head-up display which projects the driving speed onto the windscreen. This is a cool feature that makes you feel like you are driving a fighter jet and also better enables drivers to keep their eyes on the road. 

My teenage kids loved the fact that the vehicle comes with so many charging points for their handphones and the Kia even have a wireless smartphone charger on the front centre console. This means that you just leave your mobile phone on the mini dashboard and it charges by itself. Together with cruise control, ample luggage space and a smart power tailgate, the Kia Sorento has everything one needs for a long drive.  

For super hot days, drivers will be delighted with this feature. Kia’s car seats comes with air ventilation, where cold air is blown out from the cushions of the seats. My wife who is always complaining that any air-conditioning is too cold, loved the fact that she could switch the seats to channel hot air. This was a heaven-sent for the whole family, as there were no longer any complaints from her, as we enjoyed the air-conditioning found in the Kia Sorento. 

Safety features of the Kia Sorento 

Besides being built like a giant, drivers will be glad to know that the SUV comes with an advanced 7 air bag system. Drivers also enjoy a forward collision-avoidance assist where pedestrians or cyclists detected around the vehicle will cause a sensor to go off and assist in braking automatically. Lane keeping assist is a plus for weary drivers and if you are texting at the traffic light, the Sorento also alerts drivers, when the front car has driven off. Together with vehicle stability management that controls the steering and brakes when the roads get bumpy, this Korean car has definitely got all its bases covered. 

Overall Conclusion of the Kia Sorento 

If you are aiming to be a people mover and you want good value for money, the Kia Sorento should be one of your obvious choices. Priced at approximately $183,000 (do take notes that prices will vary), she is definitely more pricer than a mid-sized MPV.  However, if you have a big sized family, this SUV has the capacity to meet your family’s needs and provide safety and handling at the same time.  

Together with the 4WD option, the Kia Sorento is a worthy flagship of the Kia family.