2021 Kia Sorento X-Line Review: The Best SUV Kia Has Ever Made

The 2021 Kia Sorento SX X-Line might just be the best SUV Kia has ever made, and yes that includes the highly award winning Telluride. Why is that? Read below to find out why I make this bold claim on Kia’s all new SUV.

TLDR: Kia’s latest right-sized SUV is arguably better than the award winning Telluride thanks to its punchy turbocharged engine, sporty handling, handsome interior and exterior, and great off road performance.

Pros: Looks great, nicely appointed and crafted interior, 2.5 Turbo engine in EX & SX trims is a powerhouse, wet dual clutch is a big improvement over the dry dual clutch in smoothness and heat capacity, off road capability is the best yet of any Kia, available third row, well tuned suspension both athletic and comfortable

Cons: Odd trim differentiation between models, X-Line should be its own trim, the dual clutch occasionally will judder when accelerating from a stop, small third row, numb steering

Background on Sorento

This all new Sorento comes in a variety of trim levels, and engine options. A hybrid and plug-in hybrid is on the way, and currently there are two gas engines available: a 2.5 naturally aspirated engine and a 2.5 turbo which is the engine I tested.

The 2.5 naturally aspirated is available on LX and S trims and gets 23/25/24 (city, highway, combined) mpg with AWD, 24/29/26 for FWD models. The 2.5 Turbo engine is available on EX, SX, and SX prestige trims and nets 21/28/24 mpg with AWD, 22/29/25 for FWD. Pricing starts at $29,390 for LX trims and goes all the way to 42,590 for Sorento SX Prestige X-Line.

The Sorento is a bit of a segment straddler, thanks to its third row and long-ish wheelbase. Arguably, its competition is primarily two row’s such as the Honda Passport, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Subaru Forester. But you can also compare it to larger three row’s such as the Mazda CX-9 and Toyota Highlander, but not the largest three rows like the Telluride, Pilot, and the VW Atlas.

Sorento SX Interior Thoughts

The cabin on my Kia Sorento SX Prestige X-Line trim level was excellent and feels very premium for the segment. SX Prestige gets you genuine leather upholstery which looked and felt great in my vehicle. Seats were comfortable, and had heating and cooling for the front row. I loved the open pore style wood trim in my X-Line model, and the aircraft style door handles look tough yet modern.

The center console of the Sorento is adorned with piano black plastic, which looks great but might not age that well, and everything falls to hand easily including the drive mode selector. Up top is a 10.25 inch LCD display that looks fantastic and exclusive to SX trim levels. This display is flanked by haptic, virtual buttons which work very well, and I found no issues with them. Interestingly, the smaller 8 inch screen (on L, S, and EX trims) get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the larger screen is still wired. Additionally, CarPlay and Android Auto doesn’t stretch the full 10.25 inches…I guess you can’t have everything.

The digital dash looks great in all lighting conditions. It’s the first Kia SUV to get the digital dash and it is well executed providing legible graphics that don’t try to be over the top or make you wish it just had regular gauges. I do wish though, that Kia did more with this dash such as displaying maps for navigation, and information from CarPlay or Android Auto. SX Prestige trims get a 12 speaker Bose audio system that sounds pretty good to my ears.

SX trims get second row captains chairs which provide tons of legroom and comfort, and the third row is useful, but tight. It is the kind of third row that is good for occasional use, but wouldn’t be comfortable for long journeys. It can fit two adults, but I would limit it to kids as the seat is basically on the floor. Despite some drawbacks, I like the fact that Kia continues to offer the Sorento as a three row. It makes it a right sized alternative for many people who only occasionally need a third row but don’t want the size of a Telluride, and for people who would rather have a third row as a “just in case” option. Better to have it than not right?

Exterior on this SX Trim Sorento

My Kia Sorento SX Prestige X-Line with the $2000 extra X-Line package looks so much more aggressive than the outgoing model which was adorned with smooth and soft lines. Some say that this new Sorento looks kind of a like the Ford Explorer, and I can see that. But to me the Explorer looks like a cartoon character that got its face punched in, while the Sorento looks more chiseled and athletic.

Compared to the regular SX Prestige, the SX Prestige X-Line package adds bridge style roof rails, unique 20″ alloy wheels, X-Line badging throughout the vehicles interior and exterior, and revised front and rear bumpers that add a faux skid plate look, and unlocks X-Line exclusive Aruba Green. Additionally, choosing the X-Line package also unlocks the $200 rust interior color package which gives you a really nice looking brown leather interior.

My gripe, with many Kia’s, is the fake exhaust looking designs in the rear bumper. Thankfully the X-Line does away with this, but adds a real exhaust that looks like it is suppose to be hidden away but isn’t. It’s not a huge problem, but I wish the exhaust was finished a little bit better.

Driving Impressions

This all new 2021 Kia Sorento SX Prestige X-Line is an impressive on-road crossover. The 2.5 turbo is punchy and very powerful, making accelerating to freeway speeds or making a pass effortless. The all new wet dual clutch provides fast shifts and is responsive to paddle shift commands. In my Seltos review, in which I complained about the juddering and lack of refinement of the dry dual clutch, this new wet unit is smooth and stays out of the way about 99% of the time. There are occasions where you can feel a juddering, and overall lack of smoothness that a torque converter provides. However, it is not as dreadfully awful as Motortrends review makes it seem. I don’t know if their car was broken or if they are exaggerating to make their review more sensational but it isn’t at all the deal breaker they make it out to be. The benefit though to the dual clutch is fuel economy which is very good given the engines power. In my mixed driving, I hit the EPA targets on the dot, and others have reported exceeding EPA estimates.

Whether cruising around town or on the freeway, the Sorento provides a smooth and comfortable ride, but never floaty. The structure is lighter and stiffer than before, and you could feel the solidity of the chassis in its ride comfort. There is a bit of wind noise around the A-Pillar, and some road noise, but the cabin is quiet and refined. Despite its on road comfort, handling is excellent. Steering is in typical fashion, numb, but speed and weighting is good. Body control is sporty, and brakes haul this SUV down quickly with a nice firm brake pedal. Grip is also impressive thanks to its 255 width Continental all seasons.

The Sorento Proves Its Off Road Capability

Kia markets its new Sorento as off-road ready, and based on my testing (see it in action here), it absolutely is. The same well tuned on-road suspension transfers to its off road ability providing a smooth ride and confident handling in rough conditions. The X-Line adds an inch more ground clearance bringing 8.22 inches total as well as improved approach and departure angles.

The wet dual clutch means that the transmission has better heat carrying capacity…ie: it doesn’t overheat like dry dual clutch transmissions. Additionally, with its drive mode in Snow and AWD Lock engaged, wheel slip is quickly minimized through braking action, and allows power to be sent to the opposite wheel. This is in stark contrast to the Telluride which just spins its wheels. This Sorento was able to make forward progress even in slippery loose dirt conditions and street tires. And despite multiple runs to get video footage, and lots of wheel slipping, the AWD system never overheated or showed signs of overheating. Overall, I was very impressed with its traction control abilities, and showed ability similar to Subaru’s renowned X-Mode.

Hill descent control worked well in smooth conditions, but when going down a steep rocky hill, it seemed to go too fast for my liking and I had to intervene on the brakes. One thing that I like is that the hill descent control button is easy to find and not buried somewhere behind the wheel or in the infotainment screen.

With impressive off road capabilities, it makes me wish that Kia’s product planners will go more all in with Kia Sorento SX Prestige X-Line, giving the Sorento its own X-Line trim level like the Soul or Toyota’s RAV4 TRD, instead of relegating it to an option package on the top tier SX Prestige. Off road tires, and real skid plates would make this Sorento one of the best options for adventure seekers. PLEASEEE KIA, MAKE IT HAPPEN!!

Verdict

My verdict on this all new Kia Sorento SX Prestige X-Line: I want this car! Whenever I come away from a car, wanting it, you know it is a good car. My only complaints with the car primarily involve its interesting trim differentiation, but I don’t have much too complain about with the car itself. It’s stylish inside and out, and supremely capable on and off road. The third row is an added bonus that makes this car right sized. And it’s sporty yet comfortable suspension and lively powertrain, give this Sorento an energetic, youthful vibe that the Telluride simply lacks. Yeah, it is simply the best SUV Kia has ever made to date.