# 9 It comes in several tasty flavours
The Korean automaker made a wise decision when it stopped sending to the North American market a base version of the Sorento with front-wheel drive and a stripped-down list of equipment. Now, the company’s Dynamax AWD system is standard on all trims. At the other end, don’t bother looking for the SXL version that previously sat at the top of the pyramid. Its price tag north of $50,000 ensured that it was infringing on the turf of the most-affordable Telluride, so Kia removed any possibility of the two models cannibalizing each other’s sales.
In 2020, thus, buyers can choose from among seven different versions of the Sorento, with the bidding starting at 32,905 for the base model, and topping out at a $48, 255 starting price for the top-of-the-line model.
# 10 It can carry a little, or carry a lot
Leaving in place all seven seats of the 2020 Sorento, you’re left with a mere 320 litres of space behind the third row. Which means that if your plan is to bring yourself and six healthy passengers to the cottage for the weekend, you all better not bring much more than a bathing suit and toothbrush each. Food supplies might be an extravagance.
On the other hand, if it’s just you and the missus or mister, you can bring everything including the kitchen sink with you thanks to the 2,082 litres of cargo space available with both back rows folded down. And things will be even more cavernous in the next Sorento, since Kia is stretching the wheelbase of that edition (by 1.4 inches)
I found another way to test the cargo volume of the Sorento. It started with a hankering to buy myself a paddle board. Now, this turned out to be an epic quest, as I discovered that Canadians, little inclined this summer to take planes to vacation in Europe or, heaven forbid, in the U.S., stampeded stores selling anything to do with marine fun. Personal watercraft, paddle boards, kayaks, even backyard pools proved as easy to find in June as a snowball. Finally, in the midst of another heatwave, the gods took pity and I was able to secure my very own paddle board. Of course, on learning that the thing measures an astounding 10 feet and 6 inches (helpfully written right on the board), I started to wonder just how I would get it home.
Well, ladies and gents, my purchase fit snugly into the Sorento, from head to toe. It was as if Kia’s engineers had planned the dimensions of the vehicle with a paddle board in mind! Hardly believing my good fortune, I headed straight for the nearest convenience store to purchase a 6/49 ticket.