The Kia Sorento is a midsize SUV that combines an impressive towing capacity with a spacious cabin for passengers. The 2023 Sorento offers two engine options, both of which can pull a trailer. You can also choose to add some additional towing features to the Sorento to make your job a bit easier. Read on to learn more about the new Kia Sorento's towing capacity, along with some other great features you'll want to see for yourself.
Kia Sorento Towing Capacity
Kia Sorento IV 2020 by Werner Bayer is licensed with CC0 1.0
There are two towing limits for the 2023 Sorento depending on which engine you have. The base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit that can tow up to 2,000 pounds. If you upgrade to the optional turbocharged four-cylinder unit, the towing capacity increases to 3,500 pounds. In practical terms, the 2,000-pound limit is enough to travel with a pop-up camper or a small boat. The higher trim capacity would provide you enough flexibility to tow a midsize camper or trailer.
If you plan on doing a lot of towing, you may want to add the optional tow package to your Sorento purchase. The package comes with a trailer hitch and wiring harness. These features can help you secure heavy loads more firmly to the rear of your Sorento, which can improve handling and safety when you're on the road.
Which Kia Sorento Has the Highest Towing Capacity?
There are five main trims available with the Sorento: LX, S, EX, SX, and SX Prestige. The S, EX, and SX prestige trims also have all-wheel-drive sub-trims known as the X-Line S AWD, X-Line EX AWD, and X-Line SX Prestige AWD. Towing capacities vary across the trim lineup.
The LX and S trims have a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. The same towing limit applies to the X-Line S AWD sub-trim. All remaining trims from the Sorento EX upwards have a higher capacity of 3,500 pounds. The difference is made by the more powerful turbocharged engine, which comes standard with the EX, SX, and SX Prestige trims.
Sorento Towing Tips
Whether you opt for the lower or higher towing capacity, there are several things you should bear in mind before you start towing. First, avoid pushing your Sorento beyond its towing limits. Trying to tow a trailer or something else that's too heavy can cause you to lose control of your vehicle, which is a serious safety risk. On top of that, you could damage your Sorento's mechanical components, including the powertrain, which can be very expensive to repair.
Remember when calculating the towing capacity to note how heavily your Sorento is loaded in the cabin. The Sorento has a hauling limit of 1,599 pounds. If your cabin is heavily loaded, it can impact how much you'll safely be able to tow at the rear.
Before you set off, make sure that the trailer you're towing is packed properly. You'll want to balance out the weight in your trailer as evenly as possible to avoid excessive drag to one side or a risk of rolling.
You should also carefully inspect your tires to make sure they're properly inflated. Due to the extra weight your vehicle is pulling, your tires will have to work harder. Underinflated tires can cause your vehicle's handling to deteriorate, which is exactly what you want to avoid if you have a heavy trailer. In addition, soft tires can reduce your Sorento's fuel economy.
Finally, don't forget to check that your brakes are in good working order. You'll need them to perform to the best of their ability if you have to come to a swift stop with a heavy load in back, so it's crucial that your brake pads are in good condition and your fluid is topped off.
Sorento Engine and Performance
The Sorento's base engine puts out 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. This engine is the one to go for if you're happy with the 2,000-pound towing capacity limit offered by the lower trims. The turbocharged engine offers considerably more power, churning out 281 horsepower and an impressive 311 lb-ft of torque. It's this added power that pushes your towing capacity to 3,500 pounds.
The larger engine doesn't have a major impact on the Sorento's fuel economy, which is among the best in the midsize SUV class. Base Sorentos with the four-cylinder engine achieve up to 29 mpg on the highway and 24 mpg on city roads. The turbocharged engine can also manage 29 mpg on the highway, but its efficiency in the city is slightly lower at 22 mpg.
Kia Sorento Cargo Capacity and Seating
Your choice of engine will impact the configuration of the Sorento's cabin. With the base engine, the Sorento can seat seven people, with a bench seat in the second row and two third-row seats. If you step up to the turbocharged engine, the bench seat is exchanged for two captain's chairs, dropping the passenger capacity to six.
If you're traveling with a full load of passengers, you'll have about 12 cubic feet of storage at the rear. That should be enough to accommodate two large suitcases. If you need to transport bulkier items, you can open up 45 cubic feet of storage by folding down the third row or 75 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded flat.
In the base trim, the Sorento features cloth upholstery and manually adjustable front seats. You can add synthetic leather upholstery, power adjustments for the driver's seat, and heated front seats in the S trim. The higher trims add features like ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, and genuine leather upholstery.
As you can see, the Sorento is a great choice if you want an SUV that can tow and provide a range of other convenient features. If you have any questions about the Sorento's performance specs, don't hesitate to contact us today. Our auto experts here at Team Kia of El Cajon will be happy to give you some advice or arrange a test drive in San Diego so you can see for yourself how the Sorento performs.
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