We know we’re all enjoying summer way too much to start thinking about the fact that in a few short months, the snow is going to start to fly. Alas, it’s true. Pretty soon, we are going to be heading into another unpredictable winter where we can’t guarantee good roads and ideal driving conditions. This means that we all are probably going to want to start thinking about how well our vehicles handle this incoming weather. While Kia doesn’t currently have any trucks in its lineup, it makes very affordable SUVs that shouldn’t be discounted. If you head to your local Kia dealer, then they’ll be able to point out a few of their top winter driving pucks. They’ve got a couple SUVs that are great for handling harsh winter weather and that are also affordable, which makes them great options if you’re trying to change vehicles before the end of the year.
2022 Kia Telluride
The 2022 Telluride is popular for a lot of different reasons, but the active and on-demand all-wheel drive capability makes the Telluride a driver favourite when dealing with inconsistent roads and unexpected winter conditions. Basically, this system takes into consideration both the driver’s feedback and situation feedback. This allows the Telluride to kick the all-wheel drive in and distribute torque and power between just the front wheels or all the wheels. This feature is a must-have when you consider how likely a skid or spin can be when you’re driving on icy, snow-covered roads.
This also makes the Telluride a more fuel-efficient vehicle because rather than constantly having to be in all-wheel drive configuration, it can adjust to use all-wheel drive only when it’s absolutely necessary. On the outside of the Telluride, Kia has a couple other features available that make you safer during winter weather. The ability to upgrade the headlights and fog lights to LEDs increases driver visibility and also makes your vehicle more visible to other drivers on the road. Kia also offers the ability to have amber-coloured daytime running lights, which again increases other drivers’ ability to see you.
Kia also invested quite a bit into the 2022 Telluride’s safety features. When it comes to the standard features, the Telluride has forward collision avoidance and assistance, which will definitely come in handy on slick roads where you’re going to need more time and help to stop your vehicle. Kia also has standard blind spot detection, which is good to have in great driving conditions, and even better when visibility is low. Another great feature that Kia has for when visibility is less than ideal is safe exit assistance. This allows your Telluride to utilize radar sensors on the back of the vehicle to determine if it is safe for you and your passengers to exit your vehicle. This is for those times when the snow is so bad that you can’t see a metre in front of you, and that means cars driving by probably can’t see you either.
Kia also opted to include highway driving assistance, which is a lot more than most other manufacturers have included in their standard safety setups. Highway driving assistance is a huge asset to drivers in the winter because it reduces the amount of steering the driver has to do. This reduces the chances of jerky, fast overcorrections that could quickly turn to hydroplaning on the slick road. When it comes to keeping you safe during rough driving conditions, the 2022 Telluride is topping the list!
When it comes to being comfortable while driving in cold conditions, Kia took that into mind for their Telluride as well. It has made heated seats a possibility for both the front seats and the second-row captain chairs. This keeps you and your passengers at a comfortable temperature, and if you’re coming in from being out in the cold, the warm seats are a luxury you just don’t want to pass up!
2022 Kia Sorento
Much like the Telluride, the 2022 Sorento is working wonders in terms of giving drivers the reassurance that they will be able to handle the upcoming winter driving. Being a three-row SUV gives the Sorento a bit of weight to help it maintain traction on the roads, and the heavier vehicle chassis provides drivers and passengers with some additional protections. The Sorento has the advantage of being heavier, but it also has all-wheel drive with locking capability. This is a great feature for any driver who wants the reassurance that their vehicle is in all-wheel drive. This lock mode distributes the power evenly throughout the wheels and keeps the power evenly distributed till you take it out of lock mode.
Another drivetrain feature that helps keep the Sorento safer on the roads is the torque vectoring cornering. This system ensures that the right amount of power goes to each wheel while driving and turning, which increases your vehicle’s ability to stay steady on uneven and slick roads which increases your ability to maintain control of your vehicle. The Sorento also has a drive mode selection option that allows you to select that you’re driving through snow. This puts the driving settings at the optimal level for winter driving conditions.
Like it did for the Telluride, Kia invested in the Sorento’s safety. One great safety feature they gave the Sorento is automatic emergency braking. This aspect of the Sorento means that if you start to get too close to other vehicles, the Sorento will automatically engage the brakes. This means that if you’re sliding and not slowing when approaching stopped vehicles, your Sorento will begin to help control the vehicle and ensure that it stops. The 2022 Sorento can also have blind spot detection like the Telluride, which again is good to have when you can’t see behind or on the side of your vehicle very well. Kia has enabled the Sorento to have rear cross-traffic collision avoidance and surround view cameras. Both of these features help decrease the chances of accidents during low visibility times on the road and increase the driver’s ability to see and respond to other drivers on the road. LED lighting is also in the cards for the Sorento, and that increase in visibility is a must when you’re not sure whether or not you’ll be driving in blizzard-like conditions.
If you’re worried that you won’t be as comfortable in your vehicle as you would like due to the cold, fear not! The Sorento is able to have heated front seats that’ll keep drivers nice and toasty when driving during the cold months of the year. The heated side view mirrors mean you’re spending a little less time out of your car scraping it clear of ice and snow. The Sorento is a good pick if you want to be safe and confident on the road during the upcoming winters.
Pick a High-Quality Kia SUV
Where winter is quickly approaching, it’s a good idea to take into consideration what vehicle you need to keep you safe and on the road. Icy roads, blowing snow, and impacted visibility are all things that can make driving unsafe or impossible. None of us can really afford to not feel good about leaving the house when we need to, which means we have to be very aware of what vehicle we have to drive during any time of year, especially in winter. The 2022 Kia Telluride and Sorento are both high-quality SUVs that are ideally suited to driving in the winter. They both have quite a few features that give drivers peace of mind that their vehicle will be safe on the road.
