2025 Kia Sorento For Sale

Based on my experiences earlier this week with the Kia Cadenza, and now this new Sorento SXL, it's apparent Kia is gunning for big game. The brand's product transformation this model year is rather stunning, and they were already making pretty good headway shedding any sense of cheapness in the lineup.

In a nutshell, there's no reason buyers considering a Toyota Highlander or Honda Pilot shouldn't also visit a Kia dealer prior to making their choice. Interior materials, feature sets, interior space and overall driving refinement are at least as good as -- and in several categories superior to -- the segment mainstays. Take the headliner, for example: It's a soft felt with sort of a suede texture; not a big deal, but compared to the standard woven liners in the competition, it gives the Kia a more upscale atmosphere. Ditto the dark wood inlays on the steering wheel and dash, the dark chrome ring around the center stack, the rubberized control surfaces on the knobs. Separately it's all window dressing, but it shows the kind of attention to detail that separates a luxury brand from a mass-market manufacturer. I'm not suggesting Kia is in the former camp, but they're paying attention to the things that shoppers notice even if they don't know they notice them. The Sorento SXL makes the interior of the average Japanese ute look pretty bland, and that should worry Toyota and Honda (Nissan has already discovered the value of premium interiors, so they get a pass here).