2019 Kia Sorento to Sell in Five Trim Levels, Starts at $25,990

The starting price for the entry level Sorento L is $25,990, while the top of the range Sorento SXL will retail for $44,690. In between the two, customers can opt for the Sorento LX ($27,490), Sorento EX ($35,590) and Sorento SX ($39,990). Prices do not include handling and destination charge.

All of the versions of the SUV can be ordered in either front- or all-wheel-drive configuration, with minor price variations. Regardless of the type chosen, all models will feature as standard seven-passenger three-row seating.

Engine wise, Kia offers for this model year either a 2.4-liter inline-four unit or the bigger 3.3-liter V6. For the latter, the South Koreans made available this year a new eight-speed automatic transmission.

Back in 2017, when the carmaker introduced the new version of the Sorento, it did so by showing what the SUV can do in extreme conditions.

Adding to a regular production version only a set of all-terrain tires and making other minor adjustments, Kia took the Sorento on the Hell’s Gate off-road trail in Moab, Utah (video below).

Refreshing the SUV for a new model year is one of Kia’s ways to tap into the ever-increasing appetite customers have for this segment.

Although in the U.S. the Sorento is not at the top of the list for car buyers, the fact that other SUVs from other manufacturer ranked in top five best selling vehicles last year entitles Kia to have higher hopes for 2018.

Globally, SUVs have registered an increase in a healthy 34 percent market share. In North America, two out of three cars sold in 2017 have been SUVs.