Kia Sorento Proves Anything Can Go Off-Road, At Least Once.  

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 01/25/2018 at 10:00 • Filed to: Kia, 4x4

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I really don’t know what’s going on here. I want to know but I can’t wrap my head around the idea of selling a Kia in this way, are people cross shopping 4Runners and Sorentos? Does it matter really when the end result is what appears to be an official attempt to take a 2019 Kia up a petrified sand canyon?

This particular sand canyon is called hells gate. Hells gate is, if you are unfamiliar, a section of the hells revenge trail in moab and its pretty legit for anything not made for serious rock work and some that are; It’s turned over plenty a well built Jeep. It’s certainly not the hardest trail in the area but it’s no walk in the park. Now, I’ve seen a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on Hells revenge, and I’ve seen !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! take it on, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a road baised crossover tackle hells gate.

Just in case you are wondering, no, Kia has not altered course in 2019 with the Sorento to turn it into a true, low range havin’ 4x4. No, it’s still pretty much the same run of the mill 7 seat minivan apologist you get when you are shopping for Highlangers and Pilots but want nicer seats and a radio for less money.

I will say Kia does apparently think “adventure” is important to its buyers though, as it’s touted as being “Bred for adventure” on their website.

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Personally, I’d like to think this was all the result of a typo where it was meant to read “Bread, for adventure” then, suddenly, what was meant to be sensible advice for a family hike snowballed into this elaborate marketing stunt.

In any case the kia and its available Dynamax™ AWD (so dynamic!) DID in fact make it up though the audio clues and heavy editing suggest it certainly wasn’t a single shot affair.

It’s also evident that it didn’t survive unscathed as the rear bumper valance is about half peeled off. Details. It made it! And I’m sure it drove home just fine to do it again next weekend...

Again, who is this aimed at? I know the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! s doing off-roady stuff is real lately, especially with Subaru XV’s and Renegades and such but surely people shopping for mid sized 7 seat crossovers aren’t part of that, are they?

I will tell you that if you DO buy a 2019 Kia Sorento and have a desire to test that adventure breeding, please film it.

Stapleface > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:06

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That’s pretty cool. I wouldn’t think a Sorento would be able to accomplish that.

functionoverfashion > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:06

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This is aimed at Bros who think you need 6" of lift, 34" tires, full lockers, blah blah blah just to do stuff like this. I only wish there had been a kid in the back seat holding a stuffed animal or something.

At least, I wish that was the point. But... I guess it’s trying to prove to the guys who won’t give up their Big Manly Truck-Like SUV for kid hauling, that a Kia crossover could do some pretty rugged stuff, if you really wanted to.

Don’t forget to reconnect those swaybars before heading down to preschool dropoff!

WilliamsSW > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:08

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I don’t know about any of that, but the dude in the Crown Vic, with the bike in the trunk, and the dog leading the way, is my new hero.

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:10

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That’s fucking awesome.

Arrivederci > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:11

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My wife has a ‘17 Sorento with AWD and it’s a great car. I’d never expect it to be able to do anything like this, honestly pretty impressive it made it somewhere it wasn’t designed to go.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:20

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Well... I would have guessed it would stop halfway up but I’m impressed.

Wobbles the Mind > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:22

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Outside of the US, the Sorento has a really weird following. I don’t get it, Kia certainly doesnt get it, but man do they wish the US had the same love.

I honestly think the 1st gen BLs won notoriety and all those guys have been trying to push the new generations to the same level.

Sorento Diesel is coming soon though, so that’s a win.

adamftw > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:22

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A little bit of momentum, good rubber, and a 4/AWD system that can at least get power F/R and anything can do those trails. Moab is schticky slick rock. Looked like a big AEV Brute at the end of the video there on top of hells gate.

As an aside, THESE are the types of SUV/CUV reviews I want to see. More wheeling in a Kia than most JKs have ever done.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 10:50

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It might go offroad once, but the second time will probably kill it.

HammerheadFistpunch > WilliamsSW 01/25/2018 at 10:59

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Ive met him before. He’s exactly as you would picture. Typical sun baked moab rat. Nice though.

HammerheadFistpunch > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/25/2018 at 10:59

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exactly.

WilliamsSW > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 11:00

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Seemed like it - and he gives the impression that this is about the millionth time he’s done that in the Crown Vic.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 11:02

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So because of my work I can’t comment much on this, but I love how they swap tires, add a skid plate and disconnect the sway bars.

3 of those things is something no Kia Sorento owner is going to do.

2 of those things you have to buy separate/aftermarket.

1 of those things (disconnecting sway bars) is something that Kia buyers have no idea what is or how to do it.

Anyhow, I think Kia is trying to turn it into their Grand Cherokee. Show it’s comfortable AND capable. Even though no one uses a Jeep GC that way anymore. So even tho this TV spot target’s Lexus directly, if you swapped the Sorento for a Jeep GC the spot actually makes more sense.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 11:09

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It’s living up to the brand name.

K.I.A.

HammerheadFistpunch > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/25/2018 at 11:11

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I personally think they handled the modifications disclaimer well, though they could have just as easily have left out the sway bar at hells gate only line and just said “disconnect the sway bars”. Why Kia is targeting Jeep is the real question though...Its not that they don’t know how to make great cars but I really don’t think they understand the US market all that well.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 11:16

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At least they reattached the rear bumper cover before their final beauty shot.

By now somebody has probably bought this Sorrento as a “Low mileage program car.”

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 11:44

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I remember doing similar trails to the one the Crown Vic was on in my Caprice back in the day. The slickrock is the easy part because the stuff is like sandpaper with rubber embedded in it on the trails themselves. The spots you had to be careful in were the deep soft sand, because you couldn’t accelerate on the stuff...

The main limiting factor were approach and escape angles. It had so much overhang that some obstacles were flat impassable because you’d touch body before you’d get your wheels to them.

HammerheadFistpunch > Arrivederci 01/25/2018 at 11:48

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its truthfully impressive they would try. I follow a lot of these extreme softroader videos and I haven’t found one that attempts hells gate.

HammerheadFistpunch > adamftw 01/25/2018 at 11:51

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Seriously! This pretty much the only reason to follow the fast lane car/truck on youtube. They are terrible personalities but they are doing the tests I want to see.

adamftw > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 12:07

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Oh my goodness I try to watch those. I really do... But they are some of the worst “on-air” personalities I’ve ever watched. I’ve always wanted to try and do that myself (My degree that I don’t really use in TV production and I actually have on-air TV experience.. lol..) as a sort of side gig but never got the chance and still have no idea how to get started. Basically review trucks/SUVs/CUVs as offroad and adventure rigs and do old and built ones too (like Matt does with the smoking tire). I had the idea years ago and even tried jumping on the Jalop staff train when Andrew still lived in NY and I think I applied for the position Orlove got back when he was an intern. Just not hashtag motivated enough for it right now. Definitely a market for that type of review, I think.

Pistol Whipped Cream > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 13:05

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Hell’s Revenge - 1 Bumper - 0

jkm7680 > HammerheadFistpunch 01/25/2018 at 14:17

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You can technically take anything offroad if you want. My buddy takes his Camry offroad because he can’t afford a truck and it works a little.

HammerheadFistpunch > jkm7680 01/25/2018 at 14:19

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exactly.

AlexAnderAble > HammerheadFistpunch 01/26/2018 at 21:16

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For what it’s worth, seeing that video ended up being the factor that pushed me to ‘yes’ before buying the 2018 SX Limited. If you would have asked me a month ago if i’d every buy a Kia, the answer would have been, “not in a million years”. After weeks of research and seeing how it was better in most categories of importance, and then seeing this video, I succumbed. Kia it is.  

HammerheadFistpunch > AlexAnderAble 01/26/2018 at 21:26

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Damn. Good job Kia I suppose. Credit where it’s due