2021 Kia Sorento Introduced to MAMA

06 Jan 2021 1:39 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

The final MAMA eMeet of the 2020 calendar year was hosted by Kia who took the opportunity to share updates on the 2021 Sorento. Kia Product Strategy Manager, Mark Savino, led the presentation to more than 50 MAMA media members and he fielded a live Q&A at the end of the online meeting.


Savino shared that while the Sorento nameplate is pushing 20 years of U.S. history, it has been completely redesigned for 2021 offering more capability, more safety technology, heightened performance and a bolder design. The all-new Sorento hit dealerships nationwide in December.

According to Kia, the 2021 Sorento features an “emotionally expressive” design with an all-new N3 platform, enabling the vehicle to be lighter and stronger. Picking up styling cues from big brother Telluride, the Sorento slots between the three-row Telluride SUV and the compact Sportage. The exterior is more angular and muscular while the interior incorporates bolder and more horizontal lines emphasizing its spaciousness. Another interior bonus is the newly added second-row captains chairs, which can t be found in Sorento s segment competitors.


In terms of technology, the all-new Sorento comes with an 8-inch standard touchscreen display or an available 10.25-inch HD touchscreen (which is shared with the Telluride).

The new Sorento is packed with the latest and most advanced safety tech from Kia, including:

  • Forward collision-avoidance assist
  • Lane keeping assist
  • Lane following assist
  • Driver attention warning and lead car departure warning
  • Rear occupant alert with ultrasonic sensors
  • Blind-spot collision-avoidance assist and parallel exit
  • Rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist
  • Smart Cruise with Stop & Go
  • Forward collision-avoidance assist
  • Safe exit assist

According to Kia, there s a Sorento for everyone” as the SUV will be offered in five different trim levels: LX, S, EX, SX and SX-Prestige and available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

For the first time, three new distinct Sorento models will be offered:


- X-Line: All-new for Sorento, the new X-Line appearance package features 1-inch higher ground clearance, improved approach/departure angles, more advanced AWD with snow-mode and a more robust roof rack than the outgoing model.

- SX-Prestige: Offered in a sapphire blue with gloss black accents. According to Savino, Kia’s hero model is the SX-Prestige AWD with X-Line appearance package, a variant that further demonstrates the transformation of the Sorento into a more premium and tech-oriented SUV. The X-Line SX-Prestige AWD trim includes:

·   Standard torque-on-demand AWD with center locking differential and downhill descent control

·   Increased ride height to 8.3-inch (a 1-inch increase over standard ride height)

·   Exclusive bumper and exterior details, such as unique 20-inch alloy wheels and bridge-type roof rack

- Hybrid (notable as this is Kia’s first-ever hybrid SUV)


*Plug-in Hybrid variant is forthcoming in 2021

Four all-new powertrains are also offered on the 2021 Sorento including: 2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder gas engine, 2.5-liter turbo, HEV, and PHEV (coming next year).

Pricing for the 2021 Sorento starts just below $30,000 ($29,390 to be exact) for the LX front-wheel drive and climbs to $42,590 for the top-level X-Line SX-Prestige AWD trim.

Additional MAMA eMeets will be scheduled for after the New Year; additional updates are forthcoming.

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