2014 Kia Sorento Photos, engines & full specs

Kia introduced the third generation of the Sorento for the European market in 2014, proving the carmaker’s determination to become a major player in the large SUV segment.

The third generation of the Sorento for the European market was released at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in September, after the global debut that happened in August in Seul. Like its predecessor, it was a monocoque construction, only this time, it shared its platform with the Kia Carnival MPV. As a result, it could be offered with three-row seating and several features that made it a better people carrier.

In addition, the increased percentage of high-strength steel usage made the bodywork stiffer and safer. With the 2014 Sorento, the Korean automaker challenged other big players in the SUV segment, such as Land Rover Discovery Sport or Volvo XC90.

Kia’s new design language, imagined by Peter Schreyer in 2006, along with the first generation of the cee’d, evolved over time. It was expanded and applied to the rest of the range, so by 2014, it had become well-established in the carmaker’s inventory. The Sorento featured a broad grille pinched at the top, in the middle, following the “Tiger nose” concept created by the German designer.

The swept-back headlights that were available with Xenon brights. From its profile, the large SUV showed a long greenhouse with triangular windows behind the rear doors. The slightly tilted forward tailgate was adorned by a roof spoiler and was fitted as standard with power opening and closing.

Inside, for selected markets, the 2014 Sorento came fitted as standard with three rows of seats and room for seven passengers. At the front, the automaker installed a pair of bucket seats separated by a wide center console. There, Kia installed the gear stick and several storage areas, including a pair of cup holders. On the center stack, the automaker offered the option for an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with a reversing camera.

The front seats and the outboard middle-row seats were available with heating, a feature that not many full-size SUVs had at that time. There was enough room for three passengers in the middle row on the split-folding (40/20/40) bench seat that allowed the occupants easy access to the third row of seats. All but the front seats could be folded easily from the trunk area using distinct levers.

The technical bits of the third generation of the Sorento showed the automaker’s concern about safety and comfort. As a result, the independent suspension in all corners was enhanced with additional bushing that reduced road noise and vibrations. Also, the automaker offered advanced safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, front collision warning, lane change assist, and others.

Under the hood, depending on the market, the Sorento was available with either a 2.2-liter turbo diesel or a 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection powerplant. These four-pot engines were mated with either six-speed manuals or six-speed automatics.