2024 Kia Sorento X-Pro First Drive: A Legit 3-Row Off-Road Adventuremobile?
Kia’s ruggedized midsize SUV has Toyota TRD and Subaru Wilderness models in its sights.
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Lockdowns are behind us, but the appreciation for outdoor adventures those dark days renewed isn't—nor are the off-road-oriented vehicles that arrived to enable it.
Joining the Telluride X-Pro and the Sportage X-Pro in the company's lineup of ruggedized models, the new 2024 Kia Sorento X-Pro indicates how the Korean automaker sees no subsidence in drivers' appetite for exploration. Yet vehicles like this invite skepticism that their off-road hardware is merely costume—which may be the case here. Still, X-Pro treatment brings tangible benefits worth consideration by drivers deciding on the best version of Kia's midsize three-row SUV.
2024 Kia Sorento: What's New
Introduced for 2021, this generation of Kia Sorento is built for those who need the third row not offered by the smaller Sportage, but for whom the SUV of the Year-winning Telluride is too large. Another appeal is the new Sorento's available hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, in addition to a 281-hp, 311-lb-ft turbocharged 2.5-liter I-4 gasoline engine found in the Sorento X-Pro and other higher-end trim levels.
These powertrains carry over for 2024, but this year the Sorento receives some notable updates. Most visible are its larger, more upright grille and distinctive, amber-accented all-LED headlights. Meanwhile, the cabin integrates reshaped air vents and a touch-sensitive HVAC control panel, a slightly fussy feature first seen in the all-electric Kia EV6. Yet the 2024 Sorento simultaneously benefits from Kia's EVs: Most trims gain a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen running the automaker's new ccNC (Connected Car Navigation Cockpit) user interface that debuted on the EV9 three-row electric SUV. With increased processing power and a redesigned menu structure, ccNC is improves responsiveness and ease of use over the Sorento's outgoing system. Over-the-air update capability and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are other gains.
X-Line vs. X-Pro: What's the Difference?
As before, Kia offers the Sorento in X-Line trim, which brings tougher-looking bumpers with faux skidplates and 20-inch wheels wrapped with 20-inch Continental CrossContact all-season tires sized 255/45. New for 2024 is the X-Pro, which tops the range at $48,765, exactly $1,000 more than the equivalent X-Line.
X-Pro is basically a wheel and tire package, consisting of 17-inch aluminum alloy rims that afford space for a taller sidewall on its BF Goodrich Trail Terrain tires, which measure 235/65. These all-terrain tires have a tread pattern inspired by BF Goodrich's renowned K02 off-road meats but use a rubber compound and inner construction tuned for better driving manners on pavement. The outer diameter of the rolling stock is identical between these two trims, and thus the X-Pro has the same 8.2 inches of ground clearance as any 2024 Sorento with AWD. The only other X-Pro benefit is a maximum towing capacity of 4,500 pounds, the most of any Sorento by 1,000 pounds thanks to upgraded cooling-system hardware.
Off-Roading (Kinda) In the 2024 Sorento X-Pro
Having kept a 2021 Sorento SX in our long-term review fleet (this author was responsible for most of the 23,000 miles it accrued in that year), and a 2023 PHEV model under review now, it's an SUV we know well and generally enjoy. That nostalgia accompanied us to the snowy mountains west of Denver, where Kia invited us to assess the Sorento X-Pro on- and off-road.
Record scratch —the off-road driving barely qualified as such. Sure, our route traversed miles of unpaved roads, but those routes had nothing more technical than occasional potholes and never inclined toward anything resembling steep; activating the AWD system's simulated-locking center differential would've been superfluous. Any of Kia's current models could've kept up, and in fact Sportage, EV9, and lesser Sorento support vehicles joined our convoy.
All we can report about off-road improvement is that those Trail Terrain tires bite into soggy (flat) dirt better than a set of all-seasons would. Conversely, when sweeping through corners on pavement, their open tread pattern scrubbed and taller sidewall flexed slightly. Worthwhile tradeoffs, however, for the ride comfort improvement provided by the taller sidewalls. The Sorento rides well on its 20-inch Continentals, but the X-Pro's 17-inch BF Goodrich rubber feels more supple and better dissipates sharp impacts—generally, a benefit of downsizing wheels on any vehicle. Interior noise levels are perhaps only slightly higher, and Kia claims no reduction in fuel economy for the X-Pro's rolling stock.
2024 Kia Sorento: Still a Solid 3-Row SUV
Otherwise, the driving experience remains like what we fondly remember from our bygone long-termer. Steering responses are crisp, and aside from the tire tradeoffs, handling feels stable yet peppy. Brake-pedal travel is somewhat long, but there's a consistent buildup of stopping force through its stroke.
As before, the Sorento's main foible is its eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Drivers accustomed to traditional automatics might find it unusual, as it doesn't have particularly immediate responses at low speeds. When lifting off the brake from a stop or slowly creeping forward, the transmission sometimes stutters and hesitates. Those delays are especially tangible in situations that call for stopping before quickly starting again. Once underway it changes gears faultlessly, taking advantage of the engine's ample torque for acceleration that's more than sufficient for a three-row family SUV.
Midsize crossover versatility remains the Sorento's main appeal. X-Pro or otherwise, equipped with six or seven seats, the SUV's features enhance everyday ease of use. Kia's driver-assist systems work very well, and USB-C ports abound throughout the cabin. The Sorento's third row is less roomy than the Telluride's, but wide-opening rear doors make accessing it easy. In the X-Line and X-Pro, niceties like contrast-tone leather upholstery, a piping hot two-level heated steering wheel, and microsuede headliner surrounding a huge panoramic moonroof add a premium impression—and make venturing off pavement more comfortable.
The 2024 Kia Sorento X-Pro deserves assessment on more challenging terrain than we found during our first drive—we'll run it through our independent testing soon. For now, though, it's apparent the Sorento's 2024 updates keep it as family-friendly as ever, while the X-Pro model promises greater capability for drivers who desire something tougher than the typical meek people-mover.
Alex's earliest memory is of a teal 1993 Ford Aspire, the car that sparked his automotive obsession. He's never driven that tiny hatchback—at six feet, 10 inches tall, he likely wouldn't fit—but has assessed hundreds of other vehicles, sharing his insights on MotorTrend as a writer and video host.
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