Test Drive: 2013 Kia Sorento

Once you squeeze through the relatively tight rear door opening, you’ll find three seats, three headrests, and three seatbelts in the second row. The outboard positions are quite comfortable and offer reasonable (but not great) leg- and headroom. It seems airy back there thanks to the huge second sunroof. The middle seat is narrow and slightly raised, and straddles a bump in the floor – all of this makes it less than comfortable for adults, but all three of my kids were back there with nary a complaint. You’ll also find two sets of LATCH anchors for kid seats. The seats are fixed on the floor, but can recline.

The front seatbacks are hard plastic, which makes them uncomfortable, if you’re a daddy longlegs and you’re butted up against them.

In terms of convenience, you get adjustable air vents, a 12V plug, tiny door bins, a couple of seatback mesh pockets, and the middle seatback folds down to become a nice armrest with a couple of cupholders.

2013 Kia Sorento. Click image to enlarge

This is the typically tight third row that you expect from a smaller SUV. Getting into the third row is an adventure, and requires one of the second row seats to be tumbled forward – and making that happen isn’t an exercise in personal joy. Once you go through the process of tumbling the seat forward, you’ll find yourself in a claustrophobic rear compartment. There are two seats, two headrests and two seatbelts. Headroom sucks. Legroom sucks. There are a couple of side bins, and adjustable air vents.

Still, if you were a teen or adult and stuck back there for any length of time, you’d become acutely aware of how much the driver hates you for sticking you there.

2013 Kia Sorento. Click image to enlarge

The Sorento has decent storage options. The glove compartment is nice, there’s a useable open bin at the front of the console (with a nice rubberized bottom as well as two 12V plugs and the aux/USB plugs), two cupholders in the console and an enormous storage bin (with a removable organizer tray) under the armrest lid. Door bins are fine, and include a bottle holder.

The cargo space is good. The typical configuration (third row folded down – the seats fold 50/50) yields 1,047 L. You can cover this volume with a retractable, removable soft tonneau cover. Fold down the second row, and you’ve got yourself a 2,052 L cave to work with. Conversely, should you be using the third row as a torture chamber, you’ll be left with a laughable 258 L space – enough for a couple of flat, vertical packages.

The V6 never leaves you wishing for more power. It’s fantastic for driving around the city – power delivery is smooth and immediate, especially off the line.

2013 Kia Sorento. Click image to enlarge

The transmission, while not particularly fast, is always very smooth. It has a manual shift option, but considering how slow those shifts are, I found it was best to leave this auto to its programming. Also, because it’s a bit ponderous, you’ll find it takes a second or two to get moving when you step on it to pass someone – the engine is willing, but it has to wait for the transmission to find the right cog.

The suspension was where I felt the Sorento needs work. It’s pretty truckish, and nowadays, without true off-road cred, that’s inexcusable. We’ve come a long way, baby, and for a soft-roader like this, we expect a buttery ride. The rebound rates are too stiff, and the cabin lurches over bumps and bigger joints, as well as rutted, snowy roads. Wait – that pretty much describes all the Edmonton roads, soooo… yeah, not the most comfy ride.

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