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Predictable is good | 2017 Kia Sorento Quick Spin

It's been a while since we've tested the latest Kia Sorento, and we've never reviewed the V6 model. That's a shame. It's comfortable, drives well, and offers a lot of features. It's one of Kia's best-sellers, though sales have slipped as competitors roll out fresher models. Still, with consumers flocking to crossovers, the Sorento remains a critical vehicle for Kia. We spent a couple of days running around metro Detroit in the top trim SXL V6 model, which starts at $46,595. With optional Snow White Pearl paint ($395) our tester comes in at $46,990. It's loaded, with the 3.3-liter V6, all-wheel drive, 19-inch chrome alloy wheels, HID headlights, and LED fog and taillights. The interior has heated and vented seats, a heated leather steering wheel, Kia's UVO infotainment, satellite radio, and Infinity surround sound audio. Safety features include an auto emergency braking system, lane departure warning, surround view monitor, and rear traffic alert. Put simply, it's a really nice crossover. Here's our impressions. We were immediately impressed with the V6, which pumps out 290 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque. It offers strong, even acceleration. We took off from a stoplight, revved to 6,000 rpm, and shot past a line of traffic cued up to the left. The Sorento feels a little bit like a sleeper. It's strong on the expressway. We had no trouble merging or maneuvering through plodding traffic. Reaching cruising speeds of 75 or 80 miles per hour isn't a chore. We occasionally floored it to stretch things out and weren't disappointed. Response is very acceptable for this segment. We noticed the sound of the V6 is basic, and not sporty. Just six cylinders doing their thing. Teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission, the V6 was refreshing. So many crossovers come with turbo and/or naturally-aspirated four-cylinders (the Sorento offers both). But a competent engine moving us forward in a linear fashion is kind of nice. Traditional even. Yes, the industry is moving toward downsized displacement, and that's a smart tactic. But a turbocharged engine — they all have some degree of lag — is a strange dynamic for some consumers. Add in a dual-clutch or an eight- or nine-speed gearbox, and everyday vehicles can start to feel weird. Accelerate quickly in a turbo crossover with a non-enthusiast and they're not going to like it. The point: the traditional powertrain in the Sorento delivers. Once we're cruising, we noticed a little bit of road and wind noise.

Kia Niro Concept is the miniature Soul of the future

The Kia Niro Concept has officially made its Frankfurt Motor Show debut, and aside from the product specialist who would not get out of our photographer's way, this was our first in-person look at the Niro Concept, which first broke cover near the end of last month. The compact, rough-and-tumble crossover would slot in below the Soul were it to enter production, with Kia calling it a B-segment competitor.
The Niro sports neon accents, although both the trim and the actual color of the car itself are far lighter than they appeared in the original press photography. The cabin, meanwhile, looks like it was completely crafted from a single piece of rubber. We suppose that'd make it easy to clean out, sort of like a Jeep Wrangler.
Kia claims the Niro was designed "in Europe with European tastes" in mind, and that its production options will be based on the response of the general public. Take a look above for a full gallery of live photos, and then down below for the press release and images from Kia.

2019 Kia K900: Here's the redesigned interior in sketch form

A little while ago, we posted teaser sketches of the new Kia K900 flagship. So far, we've learned how it looks from front to side to rear, but the interior has remained a mystery. Today, Kia released this sketch of the dashboard, which seems to be as restrainedly designed as the exterior. The general shape of the dashboard seems to mirror recent BMW offerings, as it's not pronouncedly driver-centric. There's a nearly full-width strip of light wood that extends to the doors, and the steering wheel has also received its share of the wood treatment as well as the gearshift surround, with a large infotainment jog dial next to the shifter. We also see a virtual gauge cluster, which is complemented by a wide central screen that Kia says is 12.3 inches. The HMI screen has gesture controls, but the interior's trick appears to be what Kia calls an "intelligent lighting system," which includes chromotherapy ambient mood lighting to deepen the sense of being cocooned inside the leather interior. There are several calming interior lighting modes to suit the occasion — maybe it's a way to combat frustration in traffic. Again, if the Stinger's exterior is knowingly busy and its interior is designed to invoke the feel of a GT car, the K900's cabin has traditional "executive sedan" woven into the mix, just like its exterior design. Kia has said the K900 will be out in the second quarter of 2018, so we might just see a reveal in a couple of weeks at the New York Auto Show. Related Video: