The Car Connection Deems 2021 Kia Sorento Three-Row Crossover “Spacious and Stylish”

During late winter here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, its a time of true transition: many of our loyal customers are enjoying firsthand their looks at the 2020 available models, but also looking forward to future horizons. The 2021 Kia Sorento is a model asked about quite frequently, and one that has risen drastically in popularity. As Managing Editor Aaron Cole said in his most recent blog for The Car Connection, the 2021 model will boast brand-new looks, a new engine, and a new frame when it arrives in the States.

This rising star of a crossover will make its formal debut to the public at the Geneva auto show in March, although Kia has revealed a fair amount about the 3-row and fit family hauler so far. The 2021 model will be available with two turbo-4 engine options. There will be a 2.5-liter turbo-4 snagged up from the new Genesis GV80 crossover that makes 277 horsepower and a 1.6-liter turbo-4 mated to hybrid batteries as well as an electric motor that will make 227 hp combined. Both engines will be paired to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Plausible rumors also say that a plug-in hybrid version could arrive after this year. The wheelbase on the 2021 Sorento is about an inch longer than the outgoing model, and we expect the new model to brandish much more interior space. The nose on the new crossover is a bit more like the Seltos, featuring a horizontal grille, a more creased hood, LED headlights that have been stretched, and a distinctly angled front bumper. A glance at the back shows features that are a bit closer to what you see on the Telluride, including vertical taillights, wider badge, and a bumper situated lower with dual exhaust ports.

We always love the outlook and insight that the Motor Trend staff offers up as well, and after they hailed the Telluride as the 2020 SUV of the Year, they were glad to see that the Sorento was taking cues from its design stance. There's a rotary shifter, fine-appearing upholstery on the seats, and distinctly unique ambient lighting. It will be the first SUV based on a brand-new platform that was built to accommodate a new hybrid powertrain.

Overall, the new Sorento's proportions have been designed to give the appearance that the crossover is longer than it really is, and that is thanks to very smooth surfacing on the entire body. Another great feature will be the new “remote smartphone surround-view monitor”: it allows folks to look at the vehicle's surroundings on their smartphone through an app, which can help you keep a watch on a parked car while you're inside running your errand.

Car and Driver Provides Leaked Images of 2021 Kia Sorento

In official circles, Kia has yet to officially debut the newest version of our Sorento mid-size SUV, but a select few on the Car and Driver staff got their hands on some spy shots this past month. As we poured over them here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, a first look shows the blue Sorento appearing sharper than the current model, with nice detailing at the front and the rear heightening its aggressive stance. These pics seem to be of a Korea-spec Sorento, but the design is not expected to change too much for the market in the States later this year.

The roofline, doors, and overall shape of the new Sorento aren't too different from the current model, and the front and rear designs look greatly refreshed. Modern-looking LED headlights are flanking the nicely detailed front grille, and the vertical two-bar taillights on each side blend nicely with the angles of the tailgate. There is a hybrid badge on the rear confirming that gas-electric variants will be offered for the first time, as Car and Driver stated here earlier in the year.

4-cylinder gas and V6 engine choices will be the standard engines here in the states, and all-wheel drive will be available on the hybrid, as noticed when spotting the “4WD” badge visible on the rear. This 2021 model should be on sale by the end of this year, and we expect the interior to be top-grade trim with a brand-new screen layout and special air vents that are a bit reminiscent of what you'd find inside the fast and furious Ford Mustang! There are a two-tone steering wheel and quilted stitching, and the very long door is like what is seen on the larger Kia Telluride.

There is a 12.3-inch screen for the instrument cluster and 10.3 inches for the infotainment that blend in form and function quite well. Up front is the latest evolution of the prominent Kia “tiger nose” grille which nicely wraps the LED headlights in a fashion like the Seltos. The 2021 Sorento also seems at first glance to not have the same minivan vibes and features a longer wheelbase. The windshield has been moved back 1.2 inches, giving the Sorento a stance that is a bit classier like the Telluride.

We will keep you posted on anything else we see and hear regarding the 2021 release, and the public will have their first chance to lay eyes on it on March 3 at the Geneva Motor Show. We’d be willing to bet that this more rugged stance and changes to the interior will align perfectly and ultimately pair well with the finest midsize crossover available out there today!

Car and Driver Covers 2021 Kia Optima Makeover That “Transforms it to New Heights”

Kia and Hyundai have been on the rise prominently over the past five years, and its made us so excited here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis to witness. A Car and Driver blog post over the past week first praised the Stinger and Telluride SUV for being so over-the-top awesome and then leads into a full-blown closeup of the 2021 Kia Optima, which now heads further upscale with an even more stylish overhaul. This particular magazine staff wasn't impressed with the outgoing models' hood and side surfaces, which they thought were a bit too creased for their liking.

The new model boasts a chrome strip that runs congruent with the sweeping roofline before crossing the rear pillar, tracing the top of the trunk lid, and providing a visual connection for the opposite side of the car. This helps create a fastback profile that sees a finish with provocative taillights that spin the rear end. Once inside, the layout is pleasantly uncomplicated, sporting materials that still have a rich look. The dash boasts a piano-black bezel that is home to a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.3-inch touchscreen.

The review staff here claims that the instrument panel “has beautiful displays”, including a vista-like background and gauges that change with the drive mode. The group's tester included cool ambient interior lighting for the doors and dash, air-purification, heated and ventilated front seats, luxurious leather upholstery, and a wireless charging pad. There are plenty of spots to store small personal items in the center console, and the large trunk also looked capable of holding luggage for all passengers. The back seat provided generous legroom and a larger-than-average fold-down armrest.

There's still a chance that the fifth-generation Optima could be called K5 when it comes to the U.S., and the review staff here from Car and Driver claims that at this point nothing could hurt its appeal. This testing crew drove the turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four that makes 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque and was mated to an 8-speed transmission. The drivers thought this gearbox changed ratios with a “refined consistency” that was the most fun in Sport drive mode, and the ride overall had a pleasantly firm quality that was most noticeable on uneven surfaces.

We hope you come down this winter to check out and drive the car that provided minimal road noise, and no structural vibrations at all during the drive. Relaxed and reactive steering was the key to maneuvering down the tight streets of Seoul, as well as a perfectly soft yet responsive brake pedal. Four passengers will be most comfortable in the Optima, and all of us here at Jim Butler enjoy the interior as its strongest feature: this is a very unique layout in a sea of the bland and all-too-usual!

Carbuzz.com Showcases 2021 Kia Sedona's Fresh new Changes

Two years ago at the New York Auto Show, the Kia Sedona was given a refresh with updated styling, a larger cabin, and brand-new technology on board. Carbuzz.com took a look this past week at the brand-new version arriving for 2021 and was excited about what our direct competition for the Chrysler Pacifica will brandish as new features and standing out with vigor in the daily driver segment. The new Kia Sedona will measure 202 inches long, 78 inches wide, and 68 inches high, which is both longer and wider than the outgoing model.

The new wheelbase will be 1.18 inches longer, measuring 121.6 inches. Spy shots that have made their way across our desks here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis have shown us that the next-generation Sedona will feature brand new LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights and a brand new bumper. Definite engine options for the new Sedona have not been officially confirmed. The current model incorporates a 3.3-liter V6 that makes 276 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque, mated to an 8-speed transmission. Likely, a plug-in hybrid version could also be included in the lineup, which would most likely be the same electrified powertrain found in the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Just like the outgoing model, the all-new Sedona should be offered with both a three and four-row seating layout. As the staff of Car and Driver pointed out late last year, the Sedona succeeds wildly at “avoiding the dreaded soccer mom stereotype”, and hits incredibly high marks in the safety category as well. The EX trim level is where the ante is upped in terms of standard equipment: this is where you receive leather upholstery, heated front seats, 3-zone climate control, wireless charging, and several standard driver assists. Among these are blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors.

Other test-drive teams throughout the industry have claimed that the ride here is very placid over smooth pavement, and the heft of the steering wheel is weighted perfectly. If traveling frequently is going to be part of your itinerary during the New Year, the SX trim can pretty much be equipped as a private jet, with reclining captain's chairs instead of the second-row bench seat. The 7.0-inch touchscreen system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration comes as standard, while the luxurious SX trim increases the screen size one inch and adds to the mix navigation with real-time weather and traffic updates.