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The three-row SUV field is a crowded one, packed with lots of comfortable, affordable options, and the redesigned 2021 Kia Sorento is now among the best. Sitting under the also-impressive Telluride in Kia’s lineup, the Sorento has a thoughtfully designed and quality-focused cabin, comfortable road manners and a robust list of standard safety features.
The Sorento seats six or seven across three rows, depending on seating configuration, and occupant room is up this year, most notably third-row headroom. In addition to space, there’s a lot to like about the cabin, from its high-quality materials to its ample storage spaces for smaller items. We’re also fans of the Sorento’s multimedia system, which is the total package: It sits high on the dashboard within easy reach of the driver and is straightforward to use and responsive to touch.
The choices continue with the Sorento’s available powertrains. There’s a base 191-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine; an uplevel 281-hp, turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder; and a hybrid model that’s due later in the year. It’ll use a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and electric motor for a total system output of 227 hp. The model debuts a quick-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that also caught our judges’ attention.
The Sorento’s generous list of safety features also helped earn it a shot at Cars.com’s top award. Standards across the lineup include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear seat alert, a driver attention warning system, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane keep assist and automatic lane-centering.
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