The 2021 Kia Sorento latest generation has been a huge styling upgrade from previous generations. Starting with the outside, the Aruba Green color has a sparkle that makes it stand out. With this being the X-Line, the front bumper’s sides have a smoother design to it. I do prefer the other trim’s bumpers as it breaks up that area in a more aggressive look.

The Sorento’s wheels are have a very unique design to it. The design has a front face but with parts carved out of it. The dark color also adds to a great combination to the Kia’s green. The Sorento’s LED taillights have a similar design to that of the Ford Mustang with its split vertical lights.

When you open the door, you’re greeted with their rust colored leather interior. The door and dashboard have what feels like a natural wood trim to give that more rugged yet refined feel to it. The seats were comfortable and with heating and cooling. Unfortunately the venting wasn’t strong enough to battle the Texas heat. Thankfully, the Kia designers added a split AC vent. This was a small detail that was incredibly useful because I was able to position the top vent towards my face, and the bottom was pointing at my body. This design kept me cool despite the lackluster vented seats.

When it came to performance, this is where the Sorento was weird. The turbo lag coming from the 2.5L was the most I’ve experienced in any modern day turbo engine. To add to the powertrain weirdness, the drive modes don’t really have any effect on the throttle response. This really hurt the MPGs as the ECO mode still made the throttle have a sporty response. Between the turbo lag and the touchy throttle, it made the drivability of the Sorento somewhat of a bad experience.

Overall, if I were to get a Sorento, I’d probably go with the hybrid. Even though it has less overall power, the hybrid system would surely take care of the bad turbo lag.The hybrid system would also help provide a higher MPG rating. Even after all that, I think I would start looking towards the Telluride that’s only a couple of thousand dollars more for a comparable build.