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2019 Kia Sorento three-row crossover will start at $25,990

Kia's refreshed three-row 2019 Sorento will start at $25,990 and be offered in five trim levels, including all-wheel drive options, when it hits showrooms later this year. Kia first revealed the updated crossover at the L.A. Auto Show in November, showing off more refined exterior features including new front and rear fascias with updated grille, revised headlamps, new rear bumper, tail lamps and a revised lift gate. Seven-passenger seating and a 7-inch touchscreen interface with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration will both be standard in the 2019 model, while the optional 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine is no more. In its place is the carry-over base 2.4-liter inline-four with a revised six-speed automatic, plus an optional 3.3-liter V6 with a new eight-speed automatic transmission. A diesel version is also forthcoming. Inside the Sorento there's a new steering wheel, shifter knob and revised air vents and gauges. Options include the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems package on the EX, SX and SX-L trims, which bring lane-keeping assistance and driver-attention warning technologies, and a premium Harman Kardon surround-sound system. The fully loaded SXL trim starts at $44,690 for front-wheel drive and $46,490 for all-wheel drive and includes LED headlights with high- and low-beam assist, LED fog lights, wireless phone charging and front parking sensors, among other perks. A Magna Dynamax intelligent all-wheel-drive system is available on all trim levels except the base front-wheel drive L and features a 50-50 locking center differential and torque vectoring. The new Sorento's starting price is right in line with its 2018 predecessor and keeps it priced competitively with three-row crossover competitors like the Subaru Ascent, which starts at $31,995, and the Volkswagen Tiguan, which starts at $24,595. Sales of the Sorento fell 13 percent in 2017 to 99,684, making it Kia's fourth top-selling vehicle behind the Optima, Soul and Forte. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Kia Sorento: LA 2017 View 12 Photos Image Credit: Kia Kia Crossover kia sorento subaru ascent three-row

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.

Kia slices K900 pricing amidst slow sales

Kia is learning the same hard lesson that Volkswagen learned so many years ago – it's not easy for a volume brand to sell a luxury car. The K900 luxury sedan has suffered through slow sales, moving just over 1,300 vehicles last year, and now the South Korean company is trimming the cost of entry to entice consumers. A new K900 Premium lowers the sedan's price by $5,000, from $59,500 to $54,500, not including a $900 destination charge, Motor Authority reports. While the price is lower, previously standard items, such as LED headlights, Nappa leather and a 17-speaker Lexicon stereo have been packaged as part of a new Luxury trim, which will maintain the original starting price. The two-tier scheme will force consumers to make a new decision about their K900, but that won't extend to the brute under the hood. A 5.0-liter V8 remains a standard item, making even the K900 Premium a tempting option for anyone that values straight-line thrust in a comfortable package. What are your thoughts? Is Kia merely rearranging the deck chairs on a sedan-shaped Titanic, or do you think trimming the price will do some good for the slow-selling K900? The new price is already reflected on Kia's consumer website, so head over, mess about and then come back and have your say about the move in Comments.