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a Kia Sorento X-line parked by a lake in the mountains

5 Facts You Should Know Before Buying a 2021 Kia Sorento

Now that Kia has got everyone’s appetites going with the Telluride, now it’s time for the automaker to move everyone to the main course as it recently unveiled the 2021 Sorento. With a bold new look that reminiscent of its bigger sibling, the Sorento shows a lot of promise that it can serve the same …

Now that Kia has got everyone’s appetites going with the Telluride, now it’s time for the automaker to move everyone to the main course as it recently unveiled the 2021 Sorento. With a bold new look that reminiscent of its bigger sibling, the Sorento shows a lot of promise that it can serve the same type of value as the larger SUV, albeit in a smaller package. While we don’t have pricing or concrete release dates yet, here are five facts that you should know before going and buying a Sorento when it becomes available.

The Sorento will be offered in five different trims

The 2021 Kia Sorento will be offered in five different trim levels to choose from: LX, S, EX, SX, and SX Prestige. All of the trim levels will have the option of being either front- or all-wheel-drive and while we still don’t know what each trim level will be priced at, Car and Driver estimates that the base-model S will come in at around $28,000 and top out around $41,500 for the SX Prestige.

2021 Sorento X-Line |
2021 Sorento X-Line | Kia

Three powertrains will be offered

The outgoing 2020 Sorento was available with either a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or a 3.3-liter V6, but the forthcoming 2021 Sorento will be available with three different powertrain choices. The first is a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that pushes out 191 hp and 182 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. For the higher trim levels, a turbocharged 281-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is available and will be paired to a wet dual-clutch, eight-speed transmission.

But if more fuel efficiency is what you need, then you’ll be happy to know that the Sorento will now also have a hybrid variant. Under the hood of the model is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that’s matched up to a 44-kWh electric motor and connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. We can expect that combination to put out 227 horsepower and achieve a Kia-estimated 37 mpg in combined driving.

2021 Sorento SX
2021 Sorento SX | Kia

A plug-in hybrid is due out next year

If you have a commute that can reap the benefits of a plug-in hybrid, then you should probably wait until early next year when the 2021 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid model comes out. This version of the Sorento will have a 1.6-liter, GDI four-cylinder engine that will be connected to a 66.9-kWh electric motor and paired with a six-speed transmission. Together, the combination will produce 361 hp and have an all-electric range of 30 miles.

2021 Sorento SX
2021 Sorento SX | Kia

The Kia Sorento is now filled with all kinds of tech

Since the success of the Telluride, Kia is now going to be known for providing the ultimate value in almost every model it puts out going forward. We doubt that the all-new Sorento will disappoint anyone with the bevy tech-savvy features it will come with including an available 10.25-inch infotainment display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a Blind-view monitor, which is a blinker-activated camera view that displays the adjacent lane in the instrument panel.

Other technological features include an available Bose 12-speaker premium audio system UVO Link telematics that can connect you to all kinds of information including weather and traffic updates as well as enable you to communicate with Amazon-Alexa and Google-Assistant. A host of driver-assist features will come standard as well.

It has more off-road capability

Available on the SX Prestige trim will be an X-Line trim level that features one more inch of ground clearance for improved approach and departure angles as well as a more advanced all-wheel-drive system, according to Kia. If you long for a slight off-road adventure on the weekends, then the X-Line trim will be the one to get.

2021 Sorento X-Line
2021 Sorento X-Line | Kia
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