Test Drive: New 2016 Sorento: Tight, taut, tough

2016 Kia Sorento EX V-6
2016 Kia Sorento EX V-6

So, here it is, mid-February, and already Kia Motors is stocking its Chattanooga-area stores with a 2016 product.

What gives?

Well, Kia executives are obviously giddy about the company's newly redesigned Sorento crossover SUV, which we agree is both more attractive and more solidly built than the still-competent 2015 model.

With auto sales soaring in the United States, it's little wonder that Kia wants to get the 2016 Sorento into showrooms while the getting is good. The new Sorento delivers Kia's winning formula of cutting-edge styling and value. Simply put: Kia always delivers more content than the competition for less money, a winning formula.

FAST FACTS

* Model: 2016 Kia Sorento EX V-6* Exterior color: Titanium Silver* Interior color: Gray* Engine: 3.3 liter, V-6* Horsepower: 290* Transmission: six-speed automatic* Fuel economy: 26 mpg highway, 18 mpg city* Dealer: Pye Kia, Dalton, Ga.* Price (as tested): $35,895

Our test vehicle this week is a Titanium Silver Kia Sorento in mid-level EX trim provided by Conrad Easley of Pye Kia, in Dalton, Ga. Easley says customers seem to be drawn to the 2016 Sorento's updated sheet metal. The dealership has six Sorentos in stock, he says, and expects to have 18 or more when inventory ramps up.

Our test Sorento stickers for $35,895 before discounts which puts it near the middle of the Sorento price range and right in the sweet spot for seven-passenger SUVs. A base, four-cylinder L-trim Sorento starts at $24,900 and a top-of-the-line Limited V-6 stickers for $41,300 before options.

The Sorento is typically among Kia's three top-selling models, a trio that also includes the hot-selling Optima sedan and the jaunty little Soul compact. Interestingly, the front-wheel-drive Sorento was one of the only vehicles that did not record a single occupant fatality in the United States last year, not an insignificant statistic.

STYLING AND FEATURES

Designing a modern, three-row SUV is a bit like putting icing on a bread box, there are limits to what you can do with the architecture, given the interior space demands.

The new Sorento makes the best of these constraints by putting the design ephasis on the front end, which is built around the elegant "tab" grille -- a product of Kia design guru Peter Schreyer, formerly of Audi. The tab grille gives the Sorento a smiling face, which then turns menacing when viewed from the side. Designers have cleverly manipulated the hoodline to make the Sorento look like a big cat from some angles.

Designers have carved character lines in the door panels, the automotive equivalent of great abs. The rear of the Sorento is nicely tailored and equipped with an optional Smart Power liftgate that activates when you stand within three feet of the trunk. Thankfully, Kia has built in a 15-second delay so the door doesn't yawn open every time you park it at the mall.

Let's see, we've gone from mechanical liftgate openers, to key-fob openers, to sweep-your-foot-under-the-back-bumper openers, to, now, Kia's stand-close-to-me opener. I predict the next advance will be voice-activated liftgates, followed soon by rear hatches that can be opened using mental telepathy.

Inside, the Sorento has been upgraded without some of the fussy detailing common in some over-cooked SUVs. Our tester had gray leather seating surfaces -- a nice break from the tyranny of today's black-out trend -- a padded dash, and an ample steering wheel that fills up your fists.

Our tester includes a standard SiriusXM audio system, back-up warning signal, dual-zone climate controls, auto-dimming mirror and a power driver's seat. A $2,500 premium pack adds push-button start, blind-spot and cross-traffic monitors, second-row window shades and the aforementioned power lift-gate. Sorentos can be ordered in five- or seven-passenger configurations.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

For 2016, Kia offers three engine options for the Sorento, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and a 3.3 liter V-6, the power-plant in our tester. The engines make 185 horsepower, 240 horsepower and 290 horsepower respectively.

In a short test drive around Dalton last week, the 2016 Sorento had noticeably more body rigidity and handling prowess than before. There is no sloppiness in the steering and the ride seems more buttoned-down and solid than before. The V-6 has plenty of low-end punch and launches the Sorento to highway speeds with aplomb.

A silky, six-speed automatic transmission does its job quietly and efficiently, like a tranny should.

BOTTOM LINE

The 2016 Sorento promises to be a hit, following on the heels of last year's updated Kia Sedona mini-van which quickly vaulted to the top of its segment in many comparison tests. Expect the Sorento to follow the same trajectory.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.

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