Transportation

Car Review: 2016 Kia Sorento

Published

11 years ago

March 30, 2015

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (NNPA)–Although it should be sunny by the time you read this, we ran into real world conditions while here to test drive the new 2016 Kia Sorento. Wind gusts were up to 50 mph and sometimes more; precipitation varied between rain and sleet and a bunch of snow was expected that night.

We felt some relief when we were told that Kia had brought all-wheel-drive versions of the 2016 Sorento utility vehicle, front-wheel-drive versions are available. Although we were at altitudes that ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 feet, the roads were not narrow two-lane affairs. Still, driving at those altitudes with not much room for error kept us more alert than usual.

Kia has completely revamped the Sorento. The utility had a longer wheelbase by three-inches; it was slightly wider and a bit lower. Overall, it looked sleeker, the hood looked longer and it looked a lot lower than the one half-inch that Kia said it was.

The front end was more aggressive and narrower, while the tiger grille seemed taller. Its quad diode fog lamps were very distinctive and they are becoming the face of the brand, never mind the grille.

New for the third generation of the Sorento was a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that made 240 horsepower. Thus, there are now three engine choices: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that made 240 horsepower, a 2.4 liter normally aspirated four-cylinder that made 185 horsepower and the 3.3-liter V6 that made 290 horsepower.

Kia brought the V6 and the four-cylinder turbo. We sampled the turbo first. It ran smoothly, the engine was quiet and the six-speed transmission was sure. The torque was the secret at these altitudes.

The turbo made 260 pound-feet of torque at 1,450 rpm while the V6 that we sampled after lunch made 252 pound-feet of torque at 5,300 rpm. It made a difference. The Sorento’s six cylinder engine, though it made 30 horsepower more than the four-cylinder turbo, worked harder to get up and over the mountains here and the transmission downshifted often searching for gear induced torque.

The turbo on the other hand was a more effortless drive. By adding the four-cylinder equipped with a blower to the lineup, Kia has given the Sorento a model choice for just about any terrain in the U.S.

With the base four-cylinder engine, the Sorento can tow 2,000 pounds, the turbo can pull 3,500 pounds and the V6 can pull 5,000 pounds. The towing figures are for all-wheel-drive version of the utility vehicle.

The ride attributes of both Sorentos here were identical as well they should have been. The suspension had been revised, steering was relatively quick, for a utility vehicle the Sorento was fairly nimble, and a new “H” shaped subframe gave it a solid ride.

Overall, the Sorento was quiet, really quiet. That was surprising since the vehicle sat a bit higher than the average car. We felt the wind gusts more than we heard them. The Sorento was so quiet we kept eyes on the tree limbs and branches to gauge how hard the wind was blowing.

Improved too was the interior of the 2016 Sorento as Kia tries to uplift it into the ranks of premium utility vehicles. Occupants could have a tactile experience with the soft touch surfaces, especially the instrument panel, center console and door panels. The door grips were so soft they felt padded.

The Sorento had a 50-50 folding third row seat that was standard on the V6 and optional of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder. It is not available on the turbo. The second row was a 40-20-40 folding seat and the front row seats were heated and cooled, the second row seats were heated and the front row can have a 14-way power driver seat and an eight-way power passenger seat.

There was a stretch of California 70 East that was lined with wood frame houses, each sitting on a half-acre or more of land that looked like they were populated by a no-nonsense crew of people. This is where we got a chance to test the Sorento’s Clari-Fi audio technology.

It rebuilds sounds that are lost as music is compressed for digital storage. In other words, it will read the sound that is there and reconstruct the sound that got lost. The first application in a motor vehicle, Kia said the sound was cleaner, crisper, wider and more dynamic. We found it to be different and to sound better.

The Sorento’s UVO system continues to be improved. Apps can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play. Content can include Soundhound, Pandora and iHeart radio. For sure, there was satellite radio, voice controls and features such as local weather, fuel prices and sport scores in our test vehicle. The Sorento, like other contemporary vehicles, can operate as a semi lap top computer on four wheels.

Safety features on our turbo four-cylinder as well as the V6 included an electronic parking brake, smart cruise control, surround view monitor, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, a rearview camera, a backup warning system and Bluetooth.

New does not necessarily mean improved. But in the case of the 2016 Kia Sorento both meanings apply. Prices start at $24,900 and range up to $43,100.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

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Alameda County

Ferry Fares to Increase July 1 as Ridership Hits Record Highs

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

Published

18 hours ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy photo.

By Mike Aldax, The Richmond Standard

Starting July 1, the standard adult fare for the San Francisco Bay Ferry route between Richmond and San Francisco will increase to $5.20, up from the current $4.90.

Discounted fares for eligible passengers, including youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and Clipper START users, will rise to $2.60 from the current $2.40. Children under 5 will continue to ride for free.

The Oakland and Alameda routes will increase from $4.90 to $5.10, the South San Francisco route will go up from $7.40 to $7.60, and the Vallejo route will increase from $9.90 to $10.

The adjustments are part of a systemwide fare update approved by the agency’s Board of Directors, which is moving away from a flat 3% annual increase to route-specific pricing for the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years.

This fare update arrives as San Francisco Bay Ferry celebrates a historic May, transporting 301,270 passengers. The record-breaking figure represents an 8% increase over May 2025 and marks the third consecutive month of record-setting ridership.

Furthermore, it is the sixth month in a row that passenger numbers have exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Weekend travel has been a primary driver of this growth, with average weekend ridership seeing a 56% increase compared to pre-pandemic trends.

The agency states that the fare adjustments are necessary to ensure the long-term fiscal sustainability of public ferry services. By shifting to route-specific adjustments, the agency aims to offset rising operating costs while maintaining the high levels of service frequency and reliability.

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Business

V&C Foods: How a Bay Area Distributor Built Leadership Across Three Generations

Succession planning works when businesses invest in developing leaders before they’re needed. Victor and Judy did this with Steven. Steven is now doing it with Adam. Each transfer happened because someone took years to teach, to trust gradually and let the next generation earn their place.

Published

1 week ago

June 17, 2026

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By JPMorganChase

In 1945 in San Francisco, Victor and Charlotte Cortesi started V&C Foods with fresh eggs and a distributor’s vision. What makes the business distinctive isn’t just that it endured. It’s how succession actually happened. When Victor passed, his daughter Judy inherited the business and made a remarkable choice: she recognized that Steven Herrera, who’d spent years as a route driver being mentored by Victor, was ready to lead. She sold the business to Steven, ensuring the values and relationships that defined V&C would continue into its next chapter. Now Steven is mentoring his son Adam in the same way Victor developed him—teaching him operations, relationships, and what it means to lead through experience and responsibility.

V&C’s story reflects a broader truth about succession planning: long-term continuity often depends on intentionally developing the next generation of leadership, whether within a family or beyond it.

From Mentorship to Legacy

When Steven first arrived at V&C as a route driver, he was hungry to learn. Victor saw potential and invested in it. Over the years, Steven moved through sales, distribution, and operations—not just learning how the business worked but understanding why it mattered. By the time Steven purchased the business, he was a leader who’d earned his place through partnership and decades of trust.

Steven arrived at the helm with deep knowledge of V&C’s operations and a clear sense of how to serve the Bay Area’s evolving restaurant industry. He understood the Cortesi family’s core principle: reliability and quality matter more than anything else. Under his leadership—and the support of his wife Liz, and his children Victoria and Adam—V&C expanded thoughtfully by building on those foundations rather than abandoning them.

“We want to be the vendor customers don’t have to worry about,” Steven said. “And Victor always preached about clear communication—sometimes trucks are late, but he always kept customers informed. I drill those principles into my son now. We don’t want to leave any customer hanging. That’s the mantra around here.”

Deliberate Development

According to recent Chase research, 54% of San Francisco small business owners expect to retire within the next decade. In a city where one in seven businesses have been operating for 20 years or more, ownership transitions will shape continuity in local commerce and community life—making proactive succession planning all the more essential.

V&C planned deliberately. The Cortesi family brought Steven in early and developed him through real responsibility. When Steven took the helm and began scaling operations, he had the continuity and clarity needed to grow. Now he’s creating the same culture with Adam—one where the next generation understands expectations and has the tools to lead.

“I had a lifetime of familiarity with the business. I even worked in high school and college during the summers, and my dad taught me how to drive one of the trucks when I was about 18,” Adam said. “So I’ve done every part of the job, just like my dad, and I think that’s helped me.”

For roughly two decades, V&C has partnered with Chase. When Steven took over and began scaling operations, having access to financial tools and a banking partner aligned with his strategy made navigating growth and transition clearer. Chase provided the guidance that supported each phase of the business’s evolution—from Victor’s leadership to Steven’s expansion to today’s preparation for Adam.

“V&C Foods shows what enduring leadership really looks like—developing people over time, creating clear expectations, and planning for transition before it’s urgent. We’ve been proud to support Steven and the team with the tools and guidance to navigate growth, stay reliable for their customers, and prepare the next generation to step in with confidence,” said Gary Li, Business Relationship Manager, Chase Business Banking.

The Pattern That Lasts

That’s what makes V&C’s story distinctive and what makes it transferable. Succession doesn’t require biological heirs alone. It requires clarity about what you’re building and the discipline to develop people who can steward it, even when that means passing it outside the family. Victor and his daughter, Judy, mentored Steven for years. Judy worked alongside him for many more before trusting him with the business. Steven is doing the same with Adam. But bringing someone along that way—investing years in their growth, then having the financial clarity to pass the reins—requires more than good intentions.

Chase for Business can help guide that work. Visit chase.com/NationalTreasures or speak with a Chase Business advisor to learn more about succession planning resources and how to build the clarity a business needs to thrive across generations.

This article is for Informational/Educational Purposes Only: The opinions expressed in this article may differ from the official policy or position of (or endorsement by) JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates. Opinions and strategies described may not be appropriate for everyone, and are not intended as specific advice/recommendations for any individual or business. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions, and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services or other content.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

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Activism

New Bill, the RIDER Safety Act, Would Support Transit Ambassadors and Safety on Public Transit

The RIDER Safety Act would allow public transit agencies to hire transit ambassadors trained in de-escalation, crisis response, and rider education and engagement. Acting as a visible, non-enforcement presence to deter low-level incidents and reduce conflict, transit ambassadors would ease the burden from law enforcement and enhance public safety.

Published

4 months ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

BART train. Photo courtesy of ABC7.

By Post Staff

A new federal bill would support transit ambassador, or transit support specialist, programs at public transit agencies across the country.

The bill, (D-CA-12), H.R. 6069, the Rapid Intervention and Deterrence for Enhanced Rider Safety Act, or the RIDER Safety Act, was introduced Jan. 30 by Congresswoman Lateefah Simon. (D-CA-12), H.R. 6069, the Rapid Intervention and Deterrence for Enhanced Rider Safety Act, or the RIDER Safety Act.

This legislation is based on Congresswoman Simon’s work at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to create a first-in-the-nation Transit Ambassador Program, which previously earned a prestigious nationwide award for “Innovation in Public Safety.”

She announced the bill at a press conference at the 19th Street BART Station alongside BART leaders and other supporters.

The RIDER Safety Act would allow public transit agencies to hire transit ambassadors trained in de-escalation, crisis response, and rider education and engagement. Acting as a visible, non-enforcement presence to deter low-level incidents and reduce conflict, transit ambassadors would ease the burden from law enforcement and enhance public safety.

This bill would also create jobs provide meaningful work, training opportunities, and a pathway for career growth in local communities. In the House of Representatives, the bill is also co-led by Representatives Shomari Figures (AL-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), and John Garamendi (CA-08).

“I am incredibly proud to champion the RIDER Safety Act in Congress and continue my work to ensure transit is safe, accessible, and affordable to everyone. We have seen the success of the transit ambassador programs here in the East Bay, and I am dedicated to bringing this proven public safety model to the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman Simon.

“These are strong local jobs for people who want to support public safety on transit and serve as a resource to individuals who may be in crisis or in need of services,” she continued. “Strengthening safety on transit benefits us all and helps ensure our public transportation systems remain places of opportunity, dignity, and trust.”

“This bill is critical to ensure the safety of every passenger who relies on public transportation across the country,” said Congresswoman Nellie Pou. “The RIDER Safety Act builds on successful transit models already implemented in communities, including the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) through the leadership of Congresswoman Lateefah Simon during her time as BART President. By providing transit stations with medically trained, unarmed personnel, we can strengthen safety standards, reduce fare evasion, and give riders a greater peace of mind when getting from one place to the next.”