2021 Kia Sorento hybrid electric vehicle, a fashionable and efficient car

With the advent of 2021, the intersection of various flavors is still the most popular form factor in the U.S. automobile market, so it is very important for manufacturers to keep these products fresh. This is exactly what Kia is doing. By the end of 2021, it should have at least five models less than two years old, including the newly launched fourth generation Sorento. In addition to a new design, like many other new utilities, Sorento now also offers an optional hybrid system for the first time.

Sorento shares its basic platform with the new K5 midsize sedan, launched earlier this year as an alternative optimization. Like the K5, Sorento uses a new design language, including a new "tiger nose" grille treatment. There is no longer a gap of body color between the LED headlamp and the grille area.

Most of the exterior is clean, just like the Sorento of the past two generations, but the designers have added some dubious decorations. Many other vehicles feature an artificial vent in the area between the front fender and the door, and Sorento has a chrome trim that obviously has no function, it just sits there with no real purpose. Similarly, behind the back door is a reverse shark fin that extends from the chrome trim around the side glass to the half of the C-pillar. Although these clips clearly distinguish Sorento from dozens of other crossover vehicles, deleting one or both of them will not cause any harm. In addition, other parts of the body are well proportioned and have a moving posture.

The interior Sorento has an attractive new look with an 8-inch touch screen central display standing at the top of the dashboard, but its surrounding integration and flow directly into the dashboard. This method makes the display closer to the driver's line of sight while driving, without pinning the appearance of the tablet to the dashboard.

Like many 2021 models, Sorento now supports the wireless connection of Apple AAPL + 0.9% Carplay and Android Auto in addition to the embedded functions of infotainment. It's easy to connect to my Google pixel5. After pairing with Bluetooth, my phone prompts me to activate Android auto, just like when I usually connect through USB. Once I accept it, I can put it on the wireless charging pad at the bottom of the center console, and it will be reconnected every time I get in the car. There are also eight USB charging ports, one of which is located on the inside edge of the front seat for second row passengers.

Sorento is unique to the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) lineup (including Kia, Hyundai and Genesis) and is largely a medium utility vehicle, but has three row seating capabilities. It's more than four inches shorter than the K5 and only half an inch longer than Santa Fe. However, in the modern lineup, you have to go to the bigger fence to get three rows. Kia explained that the larger telluride is only in North America and the Middle East, while Sorento is a global product. Sorento acquired this capability due to the global demand for medium-sized three row vehicles.

The second row of space is large enough for adults, as long as they are willing to use less than the maximum leg space, two adults can be in the third row. However, the last row is basically on the floor, and my 5-foot-11-inch frame is in an obvious knee up position, although my head doesn't touch the headlines. The third row can flexibly carry a couple of minors or shorter adults, but you don't want to use it in long-distance travel. With the third seat up, there is only a very shallow cargo hold of 12.5 cubic feet in the back. When these seats are folded flat, the second-row seats are 38.5 cubic feet when fully backward and 45 cubic feet when pushed forward.

Perhaps the most significant new feature of Sorento in 2021 is the availability of hybrid drive options. Gasoline powered models are equipped with a pair of 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines with or without turbochargers. The hybrid uses the latest generation of HMG hybrid system, which couples the engine with a traditional 6-speed automatic transmission, in which the torque converter is replaced by an electric motor. Previous applications have used naturally aspirated engines with 1.6 L or 2.0 l capacities of Nile and optimized respectively.

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