2016 Kia Sorento
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/" rel="tag">Crossover</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/kia/" rel="tag">Kia</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/" rel="tag">First Drives</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2016-kia-sorento-first-drive/"><img alt="2016 Kia Sorento" data-caption=" " data-credit="Michael Harley" data-mep="617643" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/7dbbbf18b3e9bdfd85294073e eb3df29/201253341/2016-kia-sorento-fd.jpg" /></a><br />
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Teenagers are awkward, predictably provocative and generally horrible to be around - at least unless you, yourself are one. There's just something about those angst-ridden years spent trying on identities, none fitting quite right. Luckily for <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/kia/">Kia</a>, the automaker has just celebrated its 20th birthday in America, and fresh out of the driver's seat of its <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/kia/sorento/">2016 Sorento</a> - dare we say it - we sense a touch of self-assured maturity. Don't worry; we expect the automaker's antics - including super-freak athletes jumping over an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/kia/optima/">Optima</a> at the NBA All-Star game and the employment of urban hamsters - to continue. Thankfully, offering unremarkable vehicles in pretty competitive segments seems officially a thing of Kia's history e-book.<br />
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To be fair, we've seen a pleasing Korean Renaissance for a few years now, and we're not just talking hot pots and bulgogi - <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/hyundai/genesis+sedan/">2015 Hyundai Genesis</a>, anyone? Kia Optima SX? <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/kia/soul/">Soul</a>? So where exactly does this third-gen 2016 Sorento fit in? Actually, we're not sure Kia knows that either; its product planners tell us that this miraculous crossover competes with variously sized vehicles including the compact <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/jeep/cherokee/">Jeep Cherokee</a>, markedly larger <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/jeep/grand+cherokee/">Grand Cherokee</a>, and even the family-hauling three-row <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/toyota/highlander/">Toyota Highlander</a>. But Kia is also not completely off its rocker, because the Sorento suffers (benefits?) from severe bipolar disorder in terms of pricing. While you can get a base L model for $25,795 after delivery - there are five trim levels including L, LX, EX, SX, and top-of-the-line SXL - the fancy SXL 2.0T with all-wheel drive we tested was priced at $45,305. That's a difference of almost $20k, with the latter model reaches a completely different, almost premium demographic.<br />
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And there's more. Sometimes the Sorento seats five, other times it can party hard with seven. There are three very different engine flavors to choose from: a carryover 2.4-liter four-cylinder will greet entry-level buyers with 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. A meatier V6 - good for 290 hp and 252 lb-ft - will come on three-row models only, while the new 2.0-liter turbocharged four option, good for 240 horses and 260 lb-ft comes on two-row models exclusively.<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/18/2016-kia-sorento-first-drive-review/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>2016 Kia Sorento</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/18/2016-kia-sorento-first-drive-review/">2016 Kia Sorento</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Thu, 18 Dec 2014 11:57:00 EST. Please see our <a href="/rss-term-of-use/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/18/2016-kia-sorento-first-drive-review/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/21116586/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/18/2016-kia-sorento-first-drive-review/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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