Car Review 2013 KIA SORENTO review and 2014 KIA SORENTO CES preview

By A.C. FERRANTE / Editor in Chief

Posted: January 13th, 2013 / 07:09 AM

KIA Sorento 2013

Car Manufacturer: Kia
Model: 2013 KIA SORENTO
Suggested Retail Price: Starting at $23,150

As KIA has proven, their cars are definitely top of the line and smooth, comfortable rides.

The KIA SORENTO is no different. Test driving the Sorento on a drive to Las Vegas to check out the Computer Electronics Show (CES) really put the car to the test.

With the weather a mixture of sunny, cloudy and very windy, it showcased how smooth the car drove in every kind of situation.

The beauty of the Sorento is it never feels like you’re braving crazy weather. Even on the short cut road heading to Vegas which is already bumpy and quite windy, the Sorento held its ground and provided a very slick ride.

More storage space in the KIA Sorento 2013

As for the exterior, The Sorento has the same stylish look that most KIA’s have. It’s definitely a family SUV, but it feels more modern and hip that its competitors.

The driver and passenger rear view mirrors automatically collapse into the door once you park – which prevents them from getting dinged, hit or completely smashed by other vehicles parking next to you.

The tinted windows in the back also makes it difficult to see what you’ve left behind on your seat.

Interior-wise, the Sorento is quite spacious allowing you to pack the trunk pretty full with suitcases and other items, plus it has a blind that pulls down to prevent people from seeing what exactly you have in the trunk.

The seats are very comfortable, and each passenger can set the air or heat to their preferred temperature. You can also heat up your seats too which was perfect on the cold drive down to Vegas.

There’s ample storage space as well. One of the problems with most modern cars the car manufacture’s inability to realize people need places to stash their electronics, change, wallets, etc. Not only does the Sorento have a nice center compartment to store, and a place underneath the radio, but there’s a super secret compartment behind the radio that is perfect to store your phone and money.

The Sirius radio is also fantastic and the navigation worked pretty well throughout the trip.

The only negative here is the rear and driver’s windows. While they collapse when you park, they also point downward when you go in reverse, which is allows you see how close you get to the parked vehicle behind you, but you can’t completely see if a car is driving quickly past you until the mirror has reset.

Overall, the performance and drive of the Sorento is fantastic and clearly benefits from all strengths of the other KIA cars that have come before it.

KIA Sorento 2014 at CES

The journey with the Sorento didn’t end there though. KIA invited ASSIGNMENT X to visit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and watch a presentation of what the new 2014 KIA Sorento has to offer.

The big push is the new UVO2 eServices which is entering its second generation. The first generation was all about infotainment, the new version is about adding eServices so you can keep track of maintenance of your vehicle and it can keep track of you as well.

Unlike other cars with similar services, this one will be free and you can manage it directly from an app on your smart phone.

Here’s a rundown of what UVO2 has to offer.

1) If you get into a crash, UVO2 will call 911 immediately. There is a ten-second delay, just in case you don’t want help. If you get a flat tire, you can manage roadside assistance via that app on your phone as well.

2) Vehicle management is another major feature of this app. You can do your own diagnostics to determine what is wrong with your vehicle and it will let you know what it is and gives you an option whether you need it to be serviced or not. The diagnostic report is also sent directly to the dealership, so they already know what’s going on with your car. This feature also allows you to keep track of when you need an oil change, brake services and more.

KIA Sorento 2014 at CES

3) Parking Minder is a function that allows you to remember where you parked your car. It sets your location ala GPS, and you can also take pictures of where your vehicle is to help find it. It also can keep a timer to tell you when your meter will expire.

4) Another great function is the ability to get directions the night before of where you’re heading and then sync it up directly to your car – so when you get in the vehicle the next morning, it already knows where you’re heading.

5) Car Zone is a parental control for kids. If you teenagers are driving your vehicle, you can program into the car a certain mile radius they’re supposed to drive within and also a curfew. Although nothing will happen to the car if either of these rules are broken, the car will know and give a detailed look at where and when they’ve been (and if they didn’t follow the rules).

6) Microsoft worked with KIA to create a voice activation function that is exclusive to this app.

7) The UVO2 service is for the life of the warranty of the car.

Related: KIA SOUL official website (for more information)

Related: Car Review: 2012 KIA SOUL