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2009 Kia Sorento Review

STYLING | 6 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

refined
Motor Trend

Stylish bobbed tail
Car and Driver

could easily be mistaken for a high-end Japanese SUV
Kelley Blue Book

remarkably similar to the Grand Cherokee
Automobile Magazine

With a shape that’s somewhat rugged looking but also rounded and soft to the eyes, the 2009 Kia Sorento isn’t likely to be very polarizing. And its appearance seems to have become outdated sooner than the competition. The interior is one of the least styled of any vehicles in its class—more useful than it is handsome.

The basic shape is rather plain to TheCarConnection.com’s editors, and it looks fairly thick from some angles

A number of reviewers try to compare the Sorento’s styling to that of other utility vehicles—an indication that its styling might be a bit derivative. Automobile comments on the 2009 Kia Sorento's similarity to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, oddly enough, saying it shares the same proportions as the Chrysler-built SUV. According to Cars.com, the 2009 Kia Sorento bears a strong family resemblance to its little brother, the Sportage, sharing that vehicle's "multi-slat grille, narrow air dam and larger headlights with orange borders.”

Comments from other reviewers are positive as well. Car and Driver likes the Sorento’s "stylish bobbed tail," and Jalopnik admires its “stunning curves”—ironically, it turns out. Buyers who choose to upgrade to the 2009 Kia Sorento's EX trim will get their vehicle outfitted with fog lights and chrome door handles.

Inside the Sorento, most reviewers consider the design simple and unremarkable, if a bit derivative. Automobile Magazine comments that the "interior accommodations are also similar" to those of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The interior has been upgraded since the Sorento was introduced in 2003, and Motor Trend notes the "new center fascia, gauge cluster, and floor console as well as new, upscale wood and metal trim materials" and describes the interior as "refined." Edmunds praises the "upscale ambiance to this modestly priced SUV" and says that "the ergonomics are sound," though they note that the "styling of the interior has begun to look dated." TheCarConnection.com editors agree with the refined appearance, from a distance, but up close the materials don’t fare as well.

Conclusion

The 2009 Kia Sorento doesn’t really stand out in the crowded field of SUVs.


Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Sorento, which soldiers on for 2009, is part of a seemingly dying class of trucklike mid-size sport-utility vehicles. The Ford Explorer used to be the best seller in the class, but its popularity is fading and it’s slated to soon be replaced with a more carlike vehicle. The Mercury Mountaineer is nearly identical to the Explorer; both offer three rows of seating and optional V-8 engines. The GMC Envoy and its Chevrolet TrailBlazer twin are both very outdated and will soon be discontinued. The Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen are similar vehicles that offer V-8 engines and four-wheel drive. However there’s a wild card: Kia’s own Borrego, which is even burlier and more trucklike than the Sorento, yet brings better standards of refinement. However, the Borrego’s (lower) fuel economy and (larger) size are likely a step in the opposite direction for those who might consider the Sorento.

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See the Kia Sorento in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

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