Used 2022 Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento was fully redesigned for 2021, making it more competitive with class leaders in midsize 3-row crossover SUVs. The Sorento competes against some big names in family crossovers like the Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer. The Kia offers generous standard safety tech, a modern, well-appointed interior, and enough power for family-hauling duty. Another big perk is an outstanding 10-year/100,000-mile warranty.

For those who prioritize stretching their fuel economy, the 2022 Kia Sorento lineup also offers a hybrid model (reviewed separately) and a Sorento Plug-in Hybrid.

The 2022 Kia Sorento has two powertrain options available — a naturally-aspirated inline-4 and a turbo-4. The turbo-equipped Sorento is quite quick on its feet for a vehicle this size, and it has the agile handling to match its energetic engine. The base, non-turbo 4-cylinder engine is good on gas and sufficient for most drivers, but upgrading to the turbo makes for a more entertaining drive.

Power is delivered to the wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Kia boasts that driving the Sorento “feels like driving” thanks to its shift-by-wire automatic transmission with traditional gears rather than a gearless CVT used by some of its competitors. This does give the Sorento a bit more of an engaging driving feel without sacrificing comfort and efficiency.

Many drivers will likely be cross-shopping the Sorento with the bigger, more expensive Kia Telluride. The biggest difference between these two SUVs is the size. If you need a roomier third row, then your passengers will appreciate the extra space in the Telluride. The extra muscle of the V6 under the hood of the Telluride also gives it a greater towing capacity. If you’re looking for a smaller, more agile, more efficient SUV and can afford tighter legroom in the third row, then the Sorento is a more nimble and fun-to-drive option.

The overriding design theme for the Kia Sorento is “Refined Boldness,” according to Kia. We’d say the interior of this SUV really drives home that ethos. This midsize 3-row SUV has a nicely-designed interior that keeps getting better as you go up the trim levels. 7 seats are standard, while turbocharged models get 2nd-row captain’s chairs, making for an airy and comfortable 6-seat cabin. Available interior features that might surprise you in a Kia include open-pore wood interior trim, embossed diamond-quilted leather seats, and bright satin finishes, all of which you might expect to find in a more expensive SUV.

As for interior space, you can expect less cargo space than some competitors since this is on the smaller side of midsize 3-row SUVs. There are 12.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, which increases to 38.4 cubic feet when the 3rd-row seats are folded down. For reference, the bigger Kia Telluride has 21.0 cubic feet of cargo space with all three rows of seats in place. As for 3rd-row seating space, the way-back is roomy enough for kids and some adults, but not as adult-friendly as the 3rd-row seats in the Telluride and other larger players in this class.

The theme of “Refined Boldness” continues with the exterior of the 2022 Kia Sorento. Like the bigger Telluride, it manages to combine a rugged outdoorsiness with a premium look making for a decidedly modern-looking SUV. Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille flows into a horizontal LED headlight design outlined by daytime running lights.

The exterior of the Sorento can change a bit as you work your way up the model range. For example, the S trim adds black exterior accents and roof rails, and more wheel designs become available in the higher trims. Available on the top SX-Prestige model is the off-roady X-Line package, which adds revised bumpers with skidplates, a roof rack, and a distinct “Rust Color” package.

Kia used some clever design tricks to make the Sorento look like a longer, wider SUV than it really is. Overall, it’s a well-proportioned crossover. Its size is similar to midsize 2-row SUVs like the Ford Edge and Hyundai Santa Fe, but the Sorento has the convenience of a standard third row of seats.

SECOND-ROW CAPTAIN’S CHAIRS
Every turbocharged Sorento comes with 2nd-row captain’s chairs, which gives this Kia a more luxurious feel. If you can get by with six seats instead of seven, we highly recommend this option, and your passengers will appreciate it.

KIA DRIVE WISE
The 2022 Sorento is loaded with standard safety tech plus more advanced features in the higher trims. Automatic emergency braking, rear occupant alert, lane-keep assist, and lane-following assist are all standard, while junction turn and cyclist detection, highway driving assist, surround-view monitor, blind-spot monitoring and more are available.

The base 2022 Kia Sorento LX is fairly well-appointed for its pricing. It comes with the standard 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated inline-4 engine making 191 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque. 7-passenger, 3-row seating is standard with one-touch slide-and-fold 2nd-row seats for easy access to the third row.

Standard safety tech is pretty generous with automatic emergency braking, rear occupant alert, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, a backup camera, and LED headlights, all standard on every model. You also get an 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which we always like to see.

There are many options for the Sorento that vault this Kia into luxury territory. The top SX-Prestige model comes with premium features like a blind-spot view monitor, surround-view monitor, leather seating, heated/ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, power-folding mirrors, front/rear parking sensors, and Bose premium audio. An available addition to the Sorento SX-Prestige is the rugged X-Line appearance package.

Some other nice features are available throughout the model range between the base and top trims. These include all-wheel drive, a turbocharged engine — which becomes standard starting with the mid-range EX model — 2nd-row captain’s chairs, panoramic sunroof, more safety tech like highway driving assist, a bigger infotainment system with navigation, and more.

The 2022 Kia Sorento has two powertrain options available. The base engine is a naturally-aspirated inline-4, which you can upgrade to a more lively turbocharged version.

The base engine makes modest performance numbers of 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. This makes it sufficient for most everyday driving but might feel lacking if you’re carrying seven passengers plus cargo. It’s linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission and returns an EPA estimated combined fuel economy rating of 27 mpg for the front-wheel-drive model.

All-wheel drive is available, and it has a locking center differential, which means better traction when the roads get slippery. As always, adding AWD results in a slight fuel economy penalty.

Starting with the mid-range EX model, a turbocharged inline-4 powers the 2022 Sorento. This is a strong engine making 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, and it makes the Sorento very exciting for a family SUV. It still uses an 8-speed automatic transmission, but it’s a dual-clutch transmission with faster shifts than the conventional gearbox mated to the base engine. Fuel economy is rated at 25 combined mpg with front-wheel drive. It’s worth noting that the turbocharged engine with AWD is more efficient on the highway than the base engine with AWD.

2.5-liter inline-4 (LX, S)
191 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
181 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/29 mpg (FWD), 23/25 mpg (AWD)

Turbo 2.5-liter inline-4 (EX, SX, SX-Prestige, SX-Prestige X-Line)
281 horsepower @5,800 rpm
311 lb-ft @1,700-rpm – 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/29 mpg (FWD) 22/27 mpg (AWD)