TABERNASH, Colorado — It looks like we started trying the fourth-generation Kia Sorento not long ago. It came out for the 2021 model year. This three-row SUV, which is smaller than a Telluride, looks young in 2024 thanks to the effects of a pandemic that warped time, and the car sports good looks and modern technology. In order to balance out the off-road-inspired X-Line trims, Kia has added more off-road-ready Telluride and Sportage models (X-Pro) to its range. The 2024 Kia Sorento got a mid-cycle facelift that included the X-Pro treatment. This went against the X-Pro’s earlier preference for the Sorento as a model range leader. Talk about being different.
In 2024, the gas-only Sorento models will undergo major changes in their looks and technology. In 2025, the hybrid models will get similar improvements. We are still going to use non-hybrid cars today. The 2024 Sorento has vertical headlamps and a revised grille that is clearly wider and more upright. These changes make the already aggressive-looking car look even more sportier. The cabin’s sleek, curved dual-screen display takes center stage after it was cleaned and fixed up inside. The dash’s horizontal curve makes the cabin look bigger and less crowded. The new Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) software from Kia is the technology that is built on it. It can be updated wirelessly. You can switch to normal wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you don’t like the really beautiful and easy native interface. One of the new driver-aid technologies is Kia’s Highway Driving Assist 2, which helps you change lanes and uses machine learning to make adaptive cruise control gradually fit the way you drive.
Surprisingly, all all-wheel-drive Sorento models except the Sorento S now come in either X-Line or X-Pro trim, with X-Pro being only offered on the top-of-the-line SX Prestige. This means that the EX and SX all-wheel-drive models come with the X-Line’s black-out interior and all-wheel-drive system, which has a center-locking differential and a snow drive mode. The X-Line also has raised roof rails, 20-inch gloss black wheels, and higher ground clearance.
Even though it costs $1,000 more than the X-Line SX Prestige, the X-Pro is a better and more durable choice for the Sorento family. The main change is the 17-inch silver-colored alloy wheels with all-terrain tires from BFGoodrich. It can pull 4,500 pounds because it has better cooling and a new fan. In fact, that’s 500 pounds more than what the X-Pro was supposed to cost in the first place. Mark Savino, senior product manager, says that Kia “found” 500 pounds more than the “conservative” first estimate from the research and development team. It’s different from the cheaper X-Line because it has special badges and headrests with “X-Pro” stitched on them. It is also equipped with a variety of wheels and tires.
But why leave out any low-riding, all-wheel-drive Sorento that isn’t an “X” model? Kia says this is because people like the X-Line and X-Pro better. Since these trims make up more than 40% of sales at Telluride and Sportage, why would the Sorento be any different? It’s right in the middle. On top of that, SX and SX Prestige models made up about 30% of SX sales. Says Savino, buyers “are looking for a pretty richly contented, high-spec, high-trim Sorento.” Kia marketing vice president Russell Wager also says that adventure is the third piece of the Sorento buyers’ “mindset” puzzle, coming after comfort and family-friendliness. People who buy the X-Pro should get “three rows of unstoppable.”
Every Sorento, except for the base LX and S models, has a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that makes 281 horsepower and a strong 311 pound-feet of torque. The power from the powerful engine is sent to the wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Surprisingly, the X-Pro’s regular all-terrain tires don’t make it less fuel-efficient. In fact, the X-Pro gets the same EPA ratings as the X-Lines: 20 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg overall.
The regular, normally aspirated 2.5-liter engine gets better gas mileage (2-2 mpg), but it only has 191 horsepower and takes 11 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. For the most part, this means that the turbo is needed, especially on roads that go over the Continental Divide high in the Rocky Mountains. When the Sorento came to a stop, it hesitated before starting right away. This was possible because the turbochargers squished and pushed air into the engine, giving it enough power to handle the winding mountain roads. It was amazing how quickly and smoothly the eight-speed DCT worked. It tried not to draw attention to itself and didn’t act like a DCT should, which is herky-jerky.
A lot of different drive modes on the Sorento came in handy in Colorado’s varied and high-altitude environment. When we were on flat roads and city streets, we would leave it in Normal or Smart mode. When there was snow on the road, winter mode made it easier to steer and stay balanced. We were able to drive faster and with more enthusiasm in sports mode. It also kept the transmission in the best gear and the revs high enough as we went from one hill to the next. The next set of gears needed to do more to stop the engine, but the paddle shifters did make it so that brakes weren’t needed as much on drops.
I got to test the Sorento’s Highway going Assist two system when I was going more slowly on the highway. When set to the closest setting, this cutting-edge adaptive cruise control worked great, keeping a safe distance, just like in other Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis cars. The lane-centering steering assist did a great job of keeping clear of the lane markers through the many; many mountains turns after an early start and a long drive. This made the cruise smooth and easy. The lane-change help didn’t bother anyone, which was a surprise. The first time we used it, it found a safe spot in the lane next to us and moved the Sorento into it without any stalling or sluggishness. It went off when we used the turn signal with the cruise control and steering help on. Because it works better than similar methods, we might see more of it become useful.
We thought we would be able to test the X-Pro, which is the most powerful Sorento. The county dirt roads that wound through the mountains were mostly clear and didn’t cause any problems for the X-Pro. A week or two earlier, they would have been tough. For the most part, we want to test the all-wheel drive, the center locking differential, and the all-terrain tires’ grip on some of our favorite sandy tracks in Northern Michigan, like the high, sandy hills above Black Mountain.
We were expecting the bigger tires and higher suspension to make the ride worse on normal roads, but they didn’t. This was especially true after driving the Telluride in the X-Pro trim level, which was worse on-road. The Sorento X-Pro is still a nice family car thanks to the wider rubber that separates it from the road. It was fine to talk to people in other rows of seats or to hear the road. Even though the BFGoodrich all-terrain tires had high cornering loads on the spare sidewall, the body roll was well within safe limits. Also, there was enough grip on the sides. If we had to choose between the Telluride X-Pro and the slightly off-road Sorento, we would definitely look at comfort and skills more, but our worries would be very different.
We also liked spending many hours and miles inside the Sorento’s beautiful cabin. It’s hard to believe that the SX Prestige costs less than $50,000 and has so many nice features. The front seats are heated and cooled, and the leather trim on the second-row captain’s chairs makes them look nice. There is also heat on the steering wheel. The dash trim looks a lot like open-pore wood grain, even though it’s made of plastic—until you tap on it. The headliner is made of fake leather and goes around the panoramic sunroof. You can use the camera-based mirror display instead of the rearview mirror when the trunk and seats block your view. Besides that, the Bose sound system sounds great. The Hyundai Santa Fe’s automatic gear makes the back seats bigger, but we wouldn’t want to spend much time there anyway. Even so, having it on hand is definitely helpful for those rare times when you might need it.
As the best Sorento, the X-Pro takes center stage, and this mid-cycle change makes a great car even better. It keeps the ride quality, comfort, and ease of driving while being the most capable, feature-packed, and aesthetically pleasing car in the range. It is the most expensive Sorento, even though it costs less than $50,000. It’s good for an SUV with three rows of seats.
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