Kia Sorento Going Up Hell's Gate Should Have Been the Brand's Super Bowl Ad

No, since we're not a sports media outlet, we were much more interested in the commercial breaks, and that's because a lot of carmakers choose to use the very expensive advertising time to boost the image of their brands.

This year, it almost felt as if there was a theme running across all companies since most of them went for tear jerkers. Kia's clip featuring Aerosmith's Steven Tyler wasn't the mushiest of them all, but it still essentially said the rock band's frontman was too old to feel anything anymore. Which, especially since it might be true, is terribly sad.

This little video, though, this would have provided a lot more excitement - plus it probably cost less than what Steven Tyler charges for one minute. It shows a 2019 Kia Sorento SX Limited doing a very good Jeep Wrangler impersonation as it goes up the Hell's Revenge trail in Moab, Utah.

The South Korean SUV was not designed for this kind of punishment, but it handled itself impressively. The only modification made to the off-roader (it has definitely earned this name now) were to swap its tires for a set of BFGoodrich KO2 all terrains, install a skid plate under the oil pan to prevent coloring the trail black, and disconnect the sway bars for the last part of the climb (the one featured in the clip).

Of course, we all know the driver and spotter are just as important when off-roading as the vehicle itself, so two pros were enlisted for the stunt. The aerodynamic bumpers of the Kia took a little damage in the process, but other than that it made it to the top in one piece, which is definitely quite impressive. Sure, the driver seemed genuinely scared at times, but who wouldn't be? It's usually supermarket parking lots you see out the windshield of these vehicles, not a few rocks and a blue sky, after all.