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Cruising Up The Central Coast of California in the 2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

In November, my family and I took a week-long road trip up the central coast of California.  Along the way, we made stops in Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey.  To say that these three coastal cities are beautiful is an understatement.   They are magnifique!

Over the course of our vacation, I drove the new 2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD that had a lot of swagger in it!  The Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD is Kia’s version of a premium grade, mid-sized SUV.  It comes equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.  This powerful engine helped us travel up a very windy section of PCH that leads to Big Sur.   The six-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic capabilities also helped me to control my speed when going down this narrow coastal road.

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

The Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD is a five-passenger vehicle.  Therefore, was an ample amount of legroom in the front passenger seat for my co pilot, Mr. SoCal Field Trips, to stretch out and kick back.  He also enjoyed the cozy, comfortable leather seats that comes standard with the SXL V6 AW package.

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

In the backseat, I could see that my kids had plenty of room to play with their toys or read a book or chit-chat among themselves.  My son really liked having his own seat warmer when it was a chilly 42 degrees outside!  I liked the fact that my daughter’s car seat fit perfectly in the Kia Sorento and was easy to install.  I simply wrapped the seat belt around the back of the car seat and clicked it in.

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

The Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD produces a quiet ride for drivers and passengers with no sound or air coming through the window or door seals, unlike other vehicles I have driven.  However, when we did want some auditory stimulation we turned on the Holiday Traditions station on SiriusXM Radio!  The 630-watt, 10-speaker Infinity audio system with Clari-Fi technology fit the bill perfectly.  It was a great way to kick off the holiday season with my little ones!

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

The Kia Sorento is gifted with a mature and curvy like appearance that registers at 74.4 inches wide, 66.3 inches tall and stretches 187.4 inches, bumper-to-bumper.  From the outside it is super sleek!

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

The Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD also brings some extra bling to the vehicle in the form of LED fog lamps and tail lights.

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

Inside, soft touch material is everywhere, from the stirring wheel to door panels to the dashboard and other locations.

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

Our Sorento included the SXL Technology package with such extras as lane departure warning, smart cruise control, an around view monitor, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and forward collision warning.

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

Our Sorento also came with a rear hatch that opened with Kia’s new smart power life gate technology and provided 36.9-cubic feet of cargo space.  Lower down the second row and you get even more!

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

2016 Kia Sorento SXL V6 AWD

The EPA estimates the 2016 Kia Sorento SXL AWD gets 19-city/25 highway, with a 22 mpg average.  The base price starts at $41,700.