Refreshed 2014 Kia Sorento is Ready for Crossover Battle – 2012 L.A

Refreshed 2014 Kia Sorento is Ready for Crossover Battle – 2012 L.A Show Floor Update: While the 2014 Kia Sorento’s visual updates work in its favor overall, the same can’t be said about the redesigned grille. Even in the top Limited trim, the new grille looks cheaper than the one on the new Forte, which debuted beside the new SUV. The Sorento’s revised panoramic sunroof and automatic sunshade are also reminiscent of the Range Rover Evoque’s, which isn’t a bad thing. The Sorento is also the first new Kia to use the UVO eServices infotainment system. Parents can create a restricted access area and receive an instant text message if their kids wander into unwanted territory.

Refreshed 2014 Kia Sorento is Ready for Crossover Battle – 2012 L.A

Refreshed 2014 Kia Sorento is Ready for Crossover Battle – 2012 L.A

Refreshed 2014 Kia Sorento is Ready for Crossover Battle – 2012 L.A

 

Refreshed 2014 Kia Sorento is Ready for Crossover Battle – 2012 L.A

The Kia Sorento is the automaker’s second-best-selling vehicle behind the Optima sedan, and after three model years, the refreshed 2014 model is debuting at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show and is ready for midsize crossover battle. The 2014 Kia Sorento has been thoroughly updated: the sheetmetal, interior, and engine bay all see changes and there’s a new Sorento Limited model.
Let’s start with the engines. The Kia Sorento continues to offer four- and six-cylinder engines, both of which receive updates and are mated to a six-speed automatic. A direct-injection 2.4-liter engine is standard on the Sorento LX and EX, making 191 hp at 6300 rpm and 181 lb-ft of torque as low as 4250 rpm. Families actually using the Sorento’s three-row capabilities may want to step up to the 3.3-liter V-6 (replacing a 3.5-liter V-6), which also has direct-injection technology. The powerplant makes 290 hp at 6400 rpm and 252 lb-ft of torque at 5200 rpm — updates that should provide a noticeable improvement over previous Sorentos like our previous long-termer.
Electric power steering is now standard, which means Kia can offer the new Flex Steer system with three different driver-selectable levels of steering tuning. Torsional rigidity has been increased by 18 percent, and a new multi-link rear suspension uses new bushings and mounts to reduce road noise vibration and is said to add interior space, as well.
We’ll let you judge the 2014 Kia Sorento’s revised styling for yourself, but Kia does note that the crossover now offers 19-inch chrome wheels (17s and 18s are available). With the success of the Optima and Optima Limited, Kia is trying out the high-end trim on the Sorento. Available in the second quarter of 2013, the 2014 Kia Sorento Limited will be offered in white, black, or silver, and use self-leveling HID headlights, 19-inch chrome wheels, and red-painted brake calipers. Step inside the Sorento Limited and you’ll find Nappa leather seats, a wood-trimmed heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats as well as a soft-touch headliner and pillar trim accents.
For those who aren’t interested in a Sorento Limited that could carry a price around $37,000 in all-wheel-drive form, the Sorento EX will offer a redesigned center stack with an available eight-inch infotainment screen and even a seven-inch instrument cluster screen that shows a speedometer, tachometer, fuel level, engine temperature, plus trip and vehicle information. Kia says the Sorento is the first model to offer the voice-activated UVO eServices infotainment system. A programmable power liftgate will be optional, and Kia says the redesigned panoramic sunroof has a one-piece power-operated shade.
New to Kia and the Sorento is a blindspot monitoring system that gives visual and audible warnings — not a bad idea for a crossover with the Sorento’s rear and side visibility. Especially with the changes made under the surface, the 2014 Kia Sorento may still warrant a place on midsize crossover shopping lists everywhere.