While it can be had in a number of hues ranging from a semi-gloss grey to a vibrant blue, it’s the so-called Aruba Stone green of this tester that sets the Sorento X-Line’s look off to perfection. It doesn’t add any more cladding to the wheel arches or rocker panels, but this version of the Sorento has slightly more ground clearance than the rest of the lineup to go with unique roof rails and a few other finishes of its own. Kia might not enjoy the same rugged reputation as, say, Subaru or Jeep, but this new X-Line trim at least looks the part of an SUV that could bear either one of those badges.

And once again this right-sized sport utility has taken on a whole new identity, with the 2021 Kia Sorento X-Line in particular built to look about as adventure-ready as they come. Rather than allowing the ink to dry as it writes the pages of its own history book the brand is at it again, with a significant overhaul to its popular midsize SUV that might not have been necessary but is welcome nonetheless. Not only did it look totally different but it was even better than before, delivering a quality product that’s capable of holding its own to this day. The first generation wasn’t very good, but it was improved steadily from there before being completely revamped back in 2014. The Sorento has been around for the better part of Kia’s Canadian history, launching in 2002 as a crucial step towards what it’s achieved to this point. In fact, it finished 2020 ahead of rivals like Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, and Volkswagen – an impressive accomplishment given Kia has only been on the market in Canada since 1999, giving each of those brands a decades-long head start. While some constants remain, like pricing that usually undercuts the competition by a healthy margin and all kinds of desirable features for the money, the automaker’s ability to pivot has been instrumental in its sales success in recent years. Kia is no stranger to reinventing itself and its products – even when it’s not explicitly necessary to do so.

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