The 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige is an excellent option in the mid-size, three-row SUV segment.

The 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige is a mid-size three-row SUV that has been launched for a base MSRP of $41,190 and is here to compete with the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe Limited, Toyota Highlander L, and Volkswagen Tiguan S. The Sorento has been one of the best-selling models in the segment ever since the arrival of the fourth generation back in 2020, and this 2022 iteration comes with a few more upgrades form the outgoing model, making it an even more enticing option for the family SUV buyers.

Being one of the highest trims of the Kia Sorento lineup, the Sorento SX Prestige comes packed with all the required interior, exterior, and driver-assistance features as standard. The infotainment system is easily the best of the class, and this SUV looks excellent inside out. The driving experience has always been a selling point of the Sorento and that ethos is carried forward unchanged. Before going forward with the purchase decision, here are 10 things you need to know about the 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige.

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The Sorento has been a looker ever since the redesign back in 2020 and the same design has been carried forward with no major changes to this 2022 model. The LED headlights with LED DRLs and the heavy dose of blacked-out elements in the form of grille and air dams make the Sorento looks sportier than the Mazda CX-9, which comes with a sleek and traditional design.

The LED headlights are very bright, and the 9 exterior color options do make it a bit more personalizable than the rivals. The protruding hood, muscular body lines on the profile, and the black 20" wheels with a multi-spoke design add to the sportiness of this mid-size SUV. The gloss black side cladding and lower rear bumper also look stunning. The impressive rear end gets LED taillights, a roof spoiler, and hidden wipers.

The classiness has been carried forward to the cabin as well. We adore the beautifully designed dashboard and door cards with leather with contrasting stitching, silver accents, and textured materials. The cabin also looks macho and feels more like the interior of a full-size SUV, with the massive door handles and the chunky 2-layer dashboard design.

Most parts of the dashboard get leather covering, and the unique AC vent design coupled with subtle texture on the injection-molded plastic adds to the ambiance. The infotainment system is pretty large and all the switchgear that surrounds it feels of high quality. The digital gauge cluster is crystal clear and bright, and the black and gray interior color palettes do look stunning.

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Most of the offerings from the Kia stable are quite renowned for their plush ride quality, and the 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige is no different. Even with a large 20" alloy wheels with reasonably low profile tires for an SUV, the Sorento SX Prestige turned out to be a comfortable daily driver, absorbing everything that the roads had to offer at slow city speeds.

At higher speeds, the soft suspension doesn't make the SUV ride like a boat, and the rear row passengers would appreciate that. The vertical movement is not too excessive and the same holds true in the case of body roll as well. With the SX Prestige trim, Kia has also added more sound-deadening materials, and that contributes to excellent refinement levels.

The new generation Kia Sorento is one of the better handlers of the segment, and the 2022 model sees no major changes in this regard. The handling is very predictable for a mid-size SUV that weighs close to 4,000 lbs, and the electric power steering does help in fast direction changes while offering a reasonable amount of feel and feedback.

The Sorento SX Prestige managed to take corners without feeling like it is going to tip over, and the body roll is not going to be bothersome. However, the 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige comes with an FWD drivetrain, with no option for the AWD. Along with that, the suspension is tuned to the softer side as well. As a result, we found the handling of the Mazda CX-9 to be superior.

The 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige comes with a 2.5-liter turbocharged GDI inline-4 motor mated to an 8-speed DCT automatic transmission, producing 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. The performance on offer turned out to be slightly better than the Mazda CX-9 and this SUV could do the 0-60 mph run in 6.5 seconds, and it could do the quarter-mile run in 14.7 seconds.

The performance offered by the 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige turned out to be more than enough for a daily driver. There is enough pep for overtaking fast-moving traffic on the highway, and the gearshifts are reasonably fast when put to the sports mode. The refinement level of the motor is on par with the rivals as well. However, the low-end torque turned out to be a bit disappointing, and off-the-line acceleration was much better in the Mazda CX-9.

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The brakes on the Sorento SX Prestige see no updates from the older models, and hence the braking performance remains unchanged. This mid-size SUV gets a 4-wheel disc brake setup with 12.8" front rotors and 12" rear rotors. Other braking features included are ABS with EBD, ventilated front disc, brake assist, and hill hold control.

While driving through the city, you would appreciate the excellent initial bite along with the feedback through the brake pedal. The braking progression under hard braking is superb too, and the brakes don't feel wooden like those of the Ford Bronco. The front-end dive is on the lower side, and the ABS only kicks in when required.

Since the 2022 Kia Sorento can be had with two different motors, the fuel efficiency also varies accordingly. However, the SX Prestige comes with the turbocharged motor only and that helps this SUV to do 22 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway, equating to combined gas mileage of 25 MPG. A 17.7-gallon fuel tank capacity means that this SUV offers an excellent highway range of 513 miles on a full tank of gas.

In comparison, the Hyundai Santa Fe Limited and the Toyota Highlander L could do a combined 24 MPG and 23 MPG, respectively. The Mazda CX-9 was also slightly lower than the Sorento SX Prestige in terms of MPG. The main reason for the better fuel efficiency might be due to a well-spread out 8-speed automatic transmission and an under-stressed turbocharged motor under the hood.

The first thing that you would be pleasantly surprised by when you sit in the front seat is how comfortable and supportive the seat is. The Sorento SX Prestige gets leather upholstery with quilted stitching and excellent under-thigh and lower back support. The seats are heated, cooled, ventilated, and powered. The headroom and legroom and excellent, similar to that of the Kia Telluride. The wide armrest and multiple storage bins, cupholders, and bottle holders add to the convenience too.

The panoramic sunroof makes the cabin very airy, and it comes as standard for this SX Prestige trim. When it comes to the mid-row, the passengers are going to be happy with the space on offer. The seats also carry forward all the qualities of the front row, and you also get a magazine holder behind the front seat, coupled with dual AC vents and USB ports. The seats could be moved and reclined too. However, the third-row space is not the best and is similar to that of the CX-9, making it ideal for kids only. The cargo capacity of 12.6 cu ft is decent and with the folding third row and second row, you could increase the space too.

Being a mid-size family SUV, Kia has managed to provide all the necessary safety and driver-assistance features as standard with the Sorento SX Prestige. We also admire the solid build quality on offer as it is constructed with high tensile steel and aluminum. There is no flexing from any of the exterior panels, and the doors, hood, and truck close with a solid thud. This also helped the car to do well in both the NHTSA and IIHS crash tests.

When it comes to the driver-assistance tech, the features like forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, collision mitigation system, blindspot monitoring, and the 360-degree camera comes as standard. All the basic safety features like airbags, side-impact beams, traction control, parking sensors, and tire pressure monitoring system are offered too.

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The 10.25" touchscreen infotainment system is neatly stacked onto the dashboard and offers an intuitive and feature-rich user experience. The display is sharp and bright and the viewing angles are spot on. There are many hard buttons and knobs too, making it easier to control. In comparison to the smaller 8" unit, the display feels more futuristic and offers a slightly more easy-to-use interface.

This infotainment gets many standard features like navigation with MapCare, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and steering mounted audio controls. The audio experience through the 12-speaker Bose audio system turned out to be adequate for the segment. However, the high frequency was a bit muffled, and audiophiles may not appreciate the audio quality.