Kia Sorento X-Line SX-Prestige 2.5T AWD – SEOUL SEARCHING

Kia Sorento X-Line SX-Prestige 2.5T AWD

SEOUL SEARCHING

This, you’ll know, is an automotive soapbox and not – notably – a political podium. But nothing – NOTHING – speaks to the dysfunction that is the Trump presidency better than the recent raid on an under-construction EV battery plant in Georgia – a joint venture between Hyundai and LG – by ICE. There, some 400 Koreans assigned to the construction site were arrested, ostensibly for working at the plant illegally, without visas or the incorrect visas. And this, of course, takes place after Donald J. Trump has spent all of this second term ranting about the lack of production investment by foreign automakers. Trump – for gawdsake – that!

That recent headline is relevant here by virtue of the Kia Sorento, built under the Hyundai corporate umbrella in West Point, Georgia. Yup. West Point. Georgia. According to its Monroney (window sticker), 55% of its content comes from the U.S. or Canada, while 35% comes from Korea. Obviously, 55% North American content isn’t 100%, but then, neither is it 0%. Within my limited world view I see Kia as giving North American assembly of its Sorento a credible effort. And coincidentally, that’s how this  3-row crossover impresses – a credible effort. 

Having just driven Kia’s 3-row Telluride, at first blush you – and I – might find a week behind the wheel of the 3-row Sorento more than a little redundant. And at that first blush you’d be right. But their differences are as significant as their similarities, and both make a viable argument for their eventual purchase.

On the driveway the differences in spec are, on one hand, relatively small – but subjectively strike me as significant. The Telluride sits on a wheelbase three inches longer (114 vs. 111), is seven inches greater in its overall length (197 vs. 190) and over three inches wider. With that, the Telluride bodyshell impresses as more athletic; it sits there like a fuselage, while the Sorento is more of a midsize chunk. And as referenced in my review of the Telluride, that 3-row Kia sits back on its chassis, while the Sorento simply sits on its chassis.

The Sorento footprint is underpinned by 20-inch alloy rims shod with 255/45-20 rubber supplied by Continental. These are not the ‘mudders’ our Telluride all-roader was equipped with, so while the Sorento won’t enjoy the off-road chops of the Telluride, its overall handling offered a point-and-shoot capability missing from the larger/longer Kia. As you’d guess, neither one is going to a trackday (except as a tow vehicle), but the Sorento’s handling bordered on the recreational, while the Telluride was comfortable and composed, but won’t move anyone’s excitement needle.

That was also true under the hood. The Telluride came with just one powertrain choice, a normally aspirated V6 connected to a conventional 8-speed automatic transmission, while the Sorento offers a turbocharged 2.5 liter four – delivering 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque – to all four wheels via a Dual Clutch automatic. The response of the turbo four is more immediate, and doesn’t suffer the occasional flat spot of the Telluride’s V6. Both will get you where you want to go, but the stupid grin on your face will sit there only while behind the wheel of the Sorento. 

Inside, the perforated Terracotta leather of the Sorento was an almost exact duplicate of that in the Telluride, with generously proportioned buckets up front and Captain’s chairs occupying the second row. Only in the third row does the shorter cabin of the Sorento come into play – or not. If the Telluride was somewhat tight, the Sorento is very tight, and given the smaller greenhouse also claustrophobic. And while the Telluride provided some 21 cubic feet of luggage space behind that third row, the Sorento supplied only 13 cubic feet. In short, in the Telluride you could stow another teenager behind that third row, while the Sorento will hold only a toddler. Unbelted.

From an efficiency standpoint neither is a standout. The turbocharged Sorento will deliver an EPA estimate of 20 City/27 Highway/23 Combined, while the V6 Telluride gives you 18 City/23 Highway/20 Combined. In 12,000 miles of annual driving – and using the combined average in my calculation – the Sorento consumes roughly 520 gallons of fuel annually, while the Telluride burns through 600 gallons. That 80-gallon differential will cost you $240/annum, or about $20/month. In short, it won’t cost you much, beyond the additional space the Telluride consumes of your garage. 

For those wanting to maximize their efficiency the Sorento does offer a hybrid drivetrain, but the mileage gain isn’t as significant as you’d hope. And from a window sticker standpoint, regard the ’25 Telluride as about 10% more dear than the ’25 Sorento, with our X-Line SX-Prestige Sorento running about $50K and the test Telluride topping out at $56K.

The team at Car and Driver provides a ranking of 3-row midsize crossovers, and in their Top Ten the Telluride finishes first, the Sorento finished 10^th. And that’s about how this seat-of-the-pants would call it.