Over and over “This is a Kia?” as he looked around, twisting left and right, running his hands over the surfaces and, from what I can gather, trying to find the ‘cheap’ that is associated with the brand.  But he didn’t find it, instead sitting back down with his jaw slightly dropped as he took the whole picture in.  Here was a vehicle, from the first glance to the ride over the next day, that completely ruined the idea that luxury had to be expensive.

This feeling of amazement was shared over and over, and even as I drove it, I found more features that just fell in love with.  But there was something that stuck out to me; everything was familiar.  I had seen almost every element before in one car or another.  And it was this point that I realized I was looking at the brazen attempt to bring the amazing elements that make up other cars into one single vehicle.  The technology and features I personally love in Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes all sat in front of me, packaged together seamlessly.  Brazen, yes, but even more so, genius to me.

Here is a car that does not hide the fact that there are reverse engineered ideas built in.  Here was a car, that from the very start, was designed and built to shake up the luxury car market, and just as my friend reacted, bring out that kind of reaction in others.  And as I drove it, I found myself looking for the inspiration of each piece, and here is what I’ve figured.  The MMI and AC controls are clearly Audi, the gearshift is BMW, the seat controls are Mercedes, while the seats and overall body shape have a Lexus look.  The cluster and design elements in the hood, headlight,  and grill are Jaguar, and the back seats controls are Audi as well. The glass panoramic roof is amazing, and most companies do it now.  The few items clearly Kia were the leather options and the steering wheel design, while little trim pieces here and there stood out in a fairly unique manner

I am not saying it was the perfect looking car, as the wheels and some of the fake chrome pieces stood out like a sore thumb to me, but I couldn’t help looking back at it time and time again as I would walk away.  That says something to me.

Driving wise, the car was quiet.  I mean amazingly quiet, and even at higher speeds on the rough roads of Colorado construction, it just seemed to glide over every bump.  Even at a mile high, the naturally aspirated motor had no problems with the climbs of the mounts, accelerating off the line, or keeping up with the standard flow of traffic.  While lacking a bit compared to the cars it was going against in the power range, it is more than enough for a 4 door sedan, and the V8 was surprisingly efficient for a vehicle this size, showing an average MPG of 21 even as I drove it fairly defensively.

So what’s the word on the 2014 Kia K900 VIP?  Well, I love it.  Other loved it.  And even as an Audi fan myself, I sat and thought to myself about how I could have one of these in my garage.  This is not the car to make a massive financial statement by any means, but it has the presence to turn heads and be desirable.  And for the price, while high for a Kia, feature vs. feature, it has proven that the market can be shaken up a bit.  The 10 year warranty included, it might just be the best buy you can make if you’re looking for a full sized luxury sedan with all the bells and whistles.

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The 2014 Kia Sorento is no exception to this general statement either, with a slew of great features, creature comforts, and technology packed into a ride that feature-for-feature, competes well with its more expensive cousins.  It’s a great vehicle designed for the modern family, with 3 rows for all the kids, pets, friends, and toys, along with technology to make the whole experience as easy as possible for the parents.  It looks great in the driveway, fits well in a standard garage, and uses all the nooks and crannies well to fit as much into the ride as possible.  Overall, there is no reason it shouldn’t be one of the top choices for a growing family, especially one looking to haul everyone everywhere.

But there is a downside. This vehicle is probably one of the least comfortable to drive.  I mean physically taxing and uncomfortable.  At 6ft 2in, my head was only a few inches away from the ceiling with the seat as low as it can go, as well as having limited movement back, and the steering wheel couldn’t telescope out far enough for an optimal position.  I found myself sitting for hours in a vehicle that was not ergonomic to the driver, especially one of my height.  Sitting so close to the dash and steering wheel.  To say I was tired of driving at the end would be an understatement.  The other seats were amazing, with a back row that would slide back and forth with ease, and the passenger seat was comfortable and lacked the same feel as the driver’s.  I was not able to test the third row as I have legs, but it looked as if I could have tossed a child or two back there with ease.  But the driver’s position killed my enthusiasm to drive a car, and I feel this should be one of the most important aspects in designing of any ride.  If a vehicle is taxing in the drive, or the positioning isn’t proper, safety can be compromised.  Reactionary movements have to change, and in this day and age, a driver needs to be as focused as possible on the road ahead and not on the comfort (or discomfort) of the driving position.

Then there comes the singular issue of the quality of the seat, not something I am usually able to speak on as the vehicles we drive are often fresh from the factory.  But this one, within 8000 miles, had a broken seat cushion that made it feel as if I had a wrench in my back pockets.  Trying to find an optimal position after driving for a few hours with that constant feeling was neither pleasant or comfortable, and after only 8000 miles, it’s disappointing.  I will note that I was able to speak with a few other journalists who had driven the same exact vehicle in the past, and we all felt the same on the issue.*

So where does this bring me?  Well, the 2014 Kia Sorento is an amazing SUV packed full of features often reserved for the luxury market.  It has a great price tag, an amazing warranty, and overall is a great buy.  But there is a feeling that maybe, just maybe, Kia was so concerned about putting as much technology into the ride they missed a few of the quality and ergonomic check marks.  And that’s what feels strange about the whole ride; compared to the other vehicles from the up and coming brand, the Sorento is the only one that has that issue.  With all the updates we saw in this new generation, maybe, just maybe, they will see this miss and catch is next time.  Maybe.

*Editor’s Note: The seat issue was brought to the attention of the press fleet management group in hopes of getting it repaired for future journalists.

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