subject: The Kia Sorento's Engine Options [print this page] The Kia Sorento's Engine Options The Kia Sorento's Engine Options
The Kia Sorento is a mid sized crossover SUV which was produced and sold by the Kia Motors company from 2002 until 2009. The Sorento has been discontinued and will not continue with a 2010 model. The Sorento was a popular car because of its affordable price and its excellent safety ratings.
The 2009 Kia Sorento came with two different engine options. The first engine option which came standard with the Sorento was a 3.3 liter six cylinder engine that produced 242 horsepower. Towing capacity with the 3.3 liter engine was about 3,500 pounds. The 3.3 liter Sorento engine got an EPA estimated 16 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon on the highway.
The second engine option came standard within the Kia Sorento EX trim. This engine was a 3.8 liter six cylinder engine that produced 262 horsepower. With the 3.8 liter engine, the Sorento received increased towing capacity of nearly 5,000 pounds. Due to the increased performance, the Sorento receives worse fuel efficiency. The Sorento EX gets and EPA estimated 15 miles per gallon in the city and 21 miles per gallon on the highway.
Both trim levels of the 2009 Kia Sorento came standard with two wheel drive. For an additional fee, the Sorento could have been upgraded to all wheel drive, which would have reduced fuel efficiency by about 5%. The car could be further upgraded by selecting an automatic transmission over the standard manual transmission.
While it was not available in the United States, Kia introduced a 2.4 liter diesel engine which helped increase fuel efficiency. Depending on the transmission selected, the diesel engine produced excellent fuel efficiency ratings of up to 42 miles per gallon.
