Camping in a Kia? Here Are the Best Models to Go Off the Grid
Are you looking to go camping in your new Kia? If you are, then it’s a good idea to look at some specific models when you visit your Kia dealer. Kia makes a full lineup of cars and SUVs, but three of them stand out from the rest when it comes to taking the path less traveled. Let’s take a closer look.
Three-Row Luxury: Kia Telluride
Why is the Kia Telluride a great model for camping? For starters, it offers an extremely roomy cabin and three rows of seating. If you need plenty of room for the fam and maybe the family dog, the Telluride has room to spare. The Telluride also delivers a quiet and composed ride that will make you sigh in relief on long road trips. The upper trims of the Telluride are downright luxurious, so you’ll be camping in style.
If your camping trips lead you off the pavement, the Telluride is ready to roll. It features up to 8.4 inches of ground clearance with an available self-leveling rear air suspension. This SUV can also tow up to 5,500 pounds, which gives you plenty of options on what to bring with you.
Practical and Rugged: Kia Sorento
When you visit your Kia dealer, you’ll be faced with a lot of choices if you’re shopping for an SUV. If the Telluride is a bit too big for your household, then the Sorento might be your ideal choice. It offers two different powertrains, plus three rows of seats and a practical cabin. The Sorento starts at a lower price than the Telluride, but if you want to do a lot of camping and going off-road, you’ll want to spring for the range-topping X-Pro trim.
The Kia Sorento X-Pro comes standard with the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 281 horsepower and AWD. It also adds a center locking differential, 17-inch wheels, and all-terrain tires. The X-Pro trim can tow up to 4,000 pounds as well. That might not be as much as the Telluride, but it’s enough for a few jet skis or something similar.
Compact Camper: Kia Sportage
For those who don’t need a three-row SUV for their camping lifestyle, the Sportage is a two-row SUV with an affordable starting price under $30,000. Most Sportage trims come with FWD, but AWD is available across the lineup. Kia is known for its distinctive design cues, and the Sportage is no exception. You’ll definitely stand out at the campground.
Why is it good for camping? Like the Sorento, the Sportage also offers an X-Pro trim near the top of the lineup. It offers 17-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, and various drive modes to help you tackle paths off the pavement. The Sportage won’t win any towing competitions, but it is capable of towing up to 2,500 pounds if you add an aftermarket trailer brake controller. The AWD X-Pro Sportage is capable of up to 31 MPG on the highway, which makes it the most fuel-efficient choice in this Kia lineup.
As you can see, there are some excellent choices in Kia’s SUV lineup for camping and having fun in the great outdoors.