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A 2020 Kia Telluride on display at the 2019 NBA Awards

Why You Should Stop Ignoring Kia SUVs

Kia may not be the first brand that comes to mind when you’re in the market for a capable SUV for the family. But maybe it should be. Kia’s 2020 Sorento and Sportage are getting solid reviews. The 2020 Kia Telluride is a Motor Trend SUV of the Year finalist. Looking sharp, loaded with great safety …

Kia may not be the first brand that comes to mind when you’re in the market for a capable SUV for the family. But maybe it should be.

Kia’s 2020 Sorento and Sportage are getting solid reviews. The 2020 Kia Telluride is a Motor Trend SUV of the Year finalist. Looking sharp, loaded with great safety features, and offering great value, could a Kia SUV be in your future?

SUVs by Kia

A 2020 Kia Telluride on display at the 2019 NBA Awards
The 2020 Kia Telluride | Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Turner Sports

Kia has built a reputation by producing quality vehicles that perform well, look sharp, and offer great value. The warranties are good too. Kia has stepped up its game over the last few years and now it offers some impressive SUV choices you should know about.

If you’re looking for an SUV, Kia has something for you. The Kia Telluride offers a refined, quiet ride with upscale looks and a price tag that will surprise most. The Kia Sorento is upscale inside and out, and it has standard third-row seating. The Kia Sportage has a turbocharged engine and available all-wheel drive. If you’ve been ignoring Kia while shopping for your next vehicle, now may be the time to take another look.

The Kia Telluride

While Kia offered the Sorento as a quality SUV, it couldn’t match its peers when it came to cargo and rear passenger space. The new Kia Telluride is a welcome new arrival that’s turning heads because it’s bigger and it has the interior space the Sorento lacks.

The all-new three-row midsize SUV is the biggest offered by Kia now. It comes standard with a V6 engine that puts out 291 hp. The cabin is pleasantly upscale, and it seats up to eight passengers. It also features 87 cubic feet of cargo space. It’s stylish, loaded with advanced safety features, and offers features like a driver intercom that’s geared towards families.

The upper trim levels offer luxury features and exceptional driving experience. Aside from Motor Trend, it was also named as Edmunds’ Top Rated SUV of 2020. It starts at an MSRP of $31,690.

The Kia Sorento

Many are aware of the Kia Sorento as a family-friend SUV. Whether you want two or three rows of seats, the Sorento’s got you covered. While three rows of seats can be handy, there’s not much space in the back. With small kids, it works fine. For longer trips with adults? Maybe not. 

It comes standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 185 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque for its L and LX trim levels. The other models get a 3.3-liter V6 engine that puts out 290 hp and 252 lb-ft paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. 

Still, you get a lot for a good price. The interior uses quality materials and there are a lot of good safety features. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard along with Bluetooth, six speakers, a 7-inch touchscreen, and a USB port. An 8-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, wireless device charging, navigation, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system are available options.

The generous warranty you get with Sorento sweetens the deal too. It starts at an MSRP of $26,690.

The Kia Sportage

If you’re looking for a smaller crossover SUV, the Kia Sportage might be just the thing. Sure, you’ve probably considered the Toyota RAV4 or the Ford Escape. But the 2020 Kia Sportage has a lot to offer in the way of a lot of great features and a price that’s hard to beat for this class.

The 2020 Sportage comes standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and offers a lot of driver-assist features including a forward-collision warning system and lane departure warning. And you can outfit the standard LX model of the Sportage with an option package for a reasonable price. You can’t do that with the competition.

There are other things you don’t usually find in this class in the upper trim levels of the Sportage like an athletic turbocharged engine. The 2020 Sportage comes standard with a 2.4-liter inline-four engine that puts out 181 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged option is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces an impressive 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

And while the Sportage is smaller, its passenger seating area is quite roomy. There’s a little less cargo space but the price might help you justify that if that space isn’t something you need regularly. It starts at an MSRP of $23,990.