The Sorento looks thicker through the middle in photos than in person. The Hyundai Santa Fe has sleeker body sides, but a less attractive face.
The 2011-2015 Kia Sorento was more squared off and appeared chunkier than the 2016. The latest Kia grille, shared with the Sedona, is the boldest aspect of the Sorento's exterior.
The SX adds 19-inch wheels, body-color lower body cladding, and painted brake calipers. Honestly, even a red Sorento doesn't appear this rotund in person.
The Santa Fe's upswept side window reduces outward visibility from the third-row seat. Fantastic interior. Aside from a few lapses, it looks like that in a much more expensive crossover.
The Hyundai's interior styling isn't nearly as artful or as elegant. Some details are just odd. This is what the Sorento's interior looked like last year.
Stitched instrument panel arches from door to door like that in an Audi A7. Classy. Well-designed controls.
Very good but not great driver seat includes more adjustments than competitors'. The Sorento's second-row seat is a comfortable height off the floor, but isn't the roomiest.
The Sorento's third-row seat is tight for adults, but so are those in most midsize crossovers. Very little cargo space behind the third row. Competitors have more, if still not much.
Folding the third row bumps cargo space from 11.3 to 38.0 cubic feet. Folding both rows yields 73 cubic feet of cargo volume, about the same as the smaller CR-V and RAV4.
Stronger, smoother, and about as efficient as the turbo four, the V6 is the engine to get. Kia wants you to think that the engine is mounted longitudinally rather than sideways.