The Chronicle Herald


In a segment as competitive as a Taekwondo tournament at the Kukkiwon, one of my favourite midsize SUVs in recent years has been doing very well against a lengthy list of opponents.


For 2014, the Kia Sorento, which I tested recently in its top level SX trim, received some significant upgrades (the first in three years) that should further boost its success on the sales mat against a whopping 26 other competitors in the Canadian midsize SUV segment.


In just four years on the market, the Sorento has managed to drive into third place in Canadian sales with 11,590 units moved YTD (to end of September); its kissing cousin, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, led the pack with 20,221 units moved; and the Ford Edge was second at 13,818.


Upgrades for the new Sorento included several exterior styling tweaks; a refreshed cabin; a more powerful V6 engine; and significant improvements to both its ride and handling.


While changes outside weren immediately discerned from the 2013 model, closer examination revealed new headlights; some sick looking new 19 inch machine finished alloy wheels; a new tailgate; and a new tail light design (LED tail lamps).


I liked the look of the new light bar LEDs that were standard on the SX and appreciated the HID headlights.


The Sorento front fascia also became wider and lower which gave it a slightly more prominent look, along with a sharpened grille.


My tester also included new illuminated door handles and a programmable power rear hatch.


On the engineering front, Sorento incurred significant changes to its chassis, as its body structure was stiffened; it received a new front suspension; and its rear suspension was re tuned; all of which resulted in the much improved ride comfort and handling I experienced.


The new 3.3 litre direct injected (GDI) V6 engine that moved my tester was the big news with the new Sorento; it showed 290 horsepower (up from 2013 276 horses) and 252 lb ft of torque on the spec sheet.


The 2014 Sorento was the first Kia automobile to offer blind spot detection, a sonar based system that alerted me with audible and visual warnings when other vehicles skulked in hard to see areas.


I liked the look and functionality of the Sorento larger touchscreen which hosted more visceral menus and Authentic Khalil Mack Jersey graphics; it also added a user friendly control knob on the centre stack; I concluded after seven days that it was one of the best such multi media interfaces I used in its price range.


The new gauge cluster also featured the large, easy to read, modern looking, seven inch TFT LCD screen that offered a digital Women's Derek Carr Jersey speedometer and a host of other trip computer vehicle data, including navigation directions.


Sorento cockpit received some upgraded materials to go along with those enhancements to the now easier to read and easier on the eyes instrument cluster.


Passengers in the second and third rows received a bit more leg room, while its compact new rear suspension allowed a few more millimetres behind the third row (now 15 mm longer; track is eight mm wider).


That third row was folded flat through most of my test time in favour of more cargo room but, when up, it was a good spot for humans to sit comfortably.


My tester also featured heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, second row window sunshades and a massive, redesigned panoramic sunroof with a power sliding shade.


The previously mentioned multi media system would handle all your media devices and it could store hundreds of songs in its Jukebox.


My tester also included a navigation system, backup camera and a 115 volt power inverter.


The new V6 with its increased power offered a smooth and responsive feel on all drives with ample low end torque at the ready to move its weighty 1,877 kg.


Its newly strengthened chassis and re tuned suspension kept things calm and in control on the hard taken turns and over rougher asphalt.


Sorento new electric motor driven power steering felt tight and precise; it also featured FlexSteer, which offered three modes: normal, sport and comfort. I didn feel much of a difference between normal and comfort, but sport seemed to tighten things up a bit (just a bit).