Kia defies expectations in showrooms and beyond. Not only was 2023 Kia’s most productive sales year, but the company is continuing its gaming application vehicle (SUV) strategy that takes Kia from the Sunshine Belt consumer-preferred suburban style to styles that can take care of the trails and some of the worst moments Mother Nature inflicts on drivers.
Steven Center, chief operating officer and executive vice president of Kia America, told Newsweek that the emergence of more capable cars would be the company’s symbol in North America and boost sales.
Kia’s family of SUVs includes the small Seltos, the compact Sportage and the three-row Telluride, EV9 and Sorento. Sportage and Sorento are available in many electrified configurations. EV9 is a battery-electric SUV.
In recent years, Kia has updated or revamped versions of each of its SUVs. The Seltos, the most economical model, has specially updated its powertrain, fairing, technology and interior. Sportage has also gained updates, adding the new Sorento X-Pro version.
The Sorento X-Pro uses all-terrain tires around 17-inch matte black wheels and has a 4,500-pound trailer (up to 1,000 pounds of the Sorento X-Line trim level).
To thank Kia’s newfound winter prowess, Newsweek guided the Seltos through Vermont’s icy and snowy winter conditions, and drove the Sorento X-Pro to the center of this month’s Colorado snowstorm, where more than 30 inches of snow fell in the Winter Park area. .
The 2024 Seltos AWD was picked up in Boston and filled with a week’s worth of ski gear (boots, skis, poles, luggage) and groceries for a family of three. To accommodate skis and poles, the second-row seat had to be folded down, but they are easily installed, resting all the way to the center without touching the center console.
Groceries were well packed where large luggage was not to be found. There’s enough room to have a full rear view through the rear window thanks to the SUV’s best-in-class interior area.
Even when packed to the brim, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Seltos had no trouble getting enough punch to keep up with the lively, competitive drivers Boston is famous for. Its 195 horsepower is sufficient and its fuel power around 30. Miles consistent with gallons (mpg) for the entire week of travel.
In Vermont’s Green Mountains, when the snow fell heaviest and blanketed the already icy roads with packed dust, the Seltos held its own, as did any Subaru. I didn’t want to put it in fast driving mode to conquer the conditions.
It’s only the small SUV that’s capable of doing that.
As the snowfall subsided during the week and the snowplows got to work, Seltos was just as proficient in the sleet and drove smoothly (or as smoothly as he could be just gazing at the icy streets of Burlington).
With a starting MSRP of $24,490 and an appliance valued at $32,665 (including $1,395 in destination fees and a $1,200 sunroof package), the 2024 Kia Seltos SX is a winter champion worthy of consideration.
2024 Kia Sorento X-Pro review
When Kia evolved its Sorento X-Line, it gave the SUV an off-road look, but not the dexterity it needed to become a trail-ready friend for a family. With 60 to 65 percent of Sorento buyers opting for all-wheel-drive models, the Kia team decided there was a market for a more capable Sorento. Enter: Sorento X-Pro.
Essentially, the X-Pro is a Sorento X-Line out of the box. It is supplied with 17-inch wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich all-terrain tires, another radiator for a 4,500-pound towing capacity, and an upgraded interior. Buyers can opt for styling in a Jungle Green or Roadrider Brown paint expressly for the trim level.
Retrieving the SUV upon landing at the windy Denver International Airport was the simplest thing to do in the model’s verification days last week. When we left the airport and hit the road proper, the snow started falling and didn’t stop for 3 days.
The roads were a mess. Flooding was widespread, and overly cautious or not at all careful drivers struggled to stay in their lanes. A wall of clouds rose in front of us, and the sunlight was fading.
The forecast called for up to 30 inches of snow over the next two days, and so it happened. Interstate 70 closed shortly after we left to head to US 40. This road would be closed at dusk.
To say that US 40 has been slow is an understatement. The 3,000-foot ascent to the Burgdorf Pass took more than an hour with absolutely cloudy roads, limited visibility, and trucks with giant paints combined with SUV functionalities and ill-equipped cars for the rainy snow falling. It took us another 90 minutes to get to the other side.
The Sorento’s seats turned out to be quite comfortable and climbing into the cargo area to get to the boots that needed to be put on before getting out of the car to clean the windshield wipers was a simple and fun task thanks to the Sorento’s incredibly spaciousness. cabin.
Kia has gifted the Sorento in its best clothes. Intricately stitched seats, a demo screen housed in a unique frame, and premium fabrics fill the cabin. It has just the right amount of generation for a vehicle of this caliber and this generation is in no way intrusive.
Sorento’s HVAC system couldn’t handle the snowfall. Even with the air vents projecting air into the windshield, the windshield was increasingly covered in snow and crusts, requiring the use of the maximum amount of windshield washer fluid to remain fairly clean.
The lack of brushes for the winter didn’t help either.
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That said, the Sorento is a champion. During 4 hours of hiking through the mountains in bad weather, where the roads were never overcast, he only moved when he drove to the gate to check it out.
Snow driving mode was activated for a portion of the ride to increase grip, but this is more out of due diligence than an absolute need for traction assist.
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The acoustic windows kept the noise of the plows out and the suspension did a wonderful job of keeping the cabin solid despite heavy frost and rough roads.
It took more than 4 hours to succeed in Tabernash, Colorado, an adventure that takes less than two hours in favorable weather, and at every step of the adventure, the Sorento was hospitable.
On clearer, flatter roads, the Sorento is equally capable of handling the task of driving on the highway. Its powertrain is sleek and responsive to throttle movements, but without the apparent torque that inspires ultimate confidence.
The X-Pro is the ultimate Sorento, costing just under $50,000 all-inclusive. It’s not cheap. But if you need a three-row SUV that ticks the boxes for elegance, style, and capability without being a premium model, the Sorento will be on your checklist.
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Auto team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the automotive sector for U. S. News.