What Exactly Is The Kia X-Line?. Not every SUV owner wants the full off-road experience. That doesn’t mean they aren’t drawn to the style cues that often come with tougher-looking trim levels.
To close the gap, numerous manufacturers have created packages and trims that outwardly resemble more robust editions elsewhere in the portfolio, but at a cheaper cost and without the extra equipment that can sometimes come in the way of a smooth daily drive. Introducing Kia’s X-Line.
What Kia’s X-Line Gives You
The major feature that distinguishes a Kia X-Line vehicle is its emphasis on powerful design and style. For the most part, the X-Line feature set aims to create a rougher, more aggressive visual expression while retaining the original Kia model’s comfort, practicality, and efficiency. The X-Line can be viewed as pulling stylistic cues from the more rugged Kia X-Pro trim level while leaving the majority of the off-road gear on the shelf.
To that purpose, Kia’s X-Line models have black external features such as black roof rails, black rims, and gunmetal or dark trim. The grille is also restyled to distinguish it from other Kia cars. Mechanically, all-wheel drive is standard on all X-Line models, and some vehicles have a modest ride height increase to improve ground clearance. Towing-specific drive modes are also available on X-Line versions.
KIA VEHICLES OFFER THE X-LINE PACKAGE.
For several Kia models, X-Line is a standalone trim level. For others, the firm offers the X-Line as a bundle across multiple trim levels. Regardless, X-Line is only available for SUVs. Sedans, hatchbacks, and minivans are excluded from the mix.
Read: What is the Honda TrailSport?
You can buy Kia’s tiny Seltos X-Line, compact Sportage X-Line or Sorento X-Line, and midsize three-row Telluride X-Line. While the Seltos and Sportage employ the X-Line trim level, the Sorento and Telluride use it as an options package because it can be coupled with numerous trims.
How Kia X-Line Compares to the Competition
Unsurprisingly, there are almost as many appearance packages and special editions as there are SUVs for sale.
The Toyota RAV4 Adventure’s design is similar to the more competent RAV4 TRD Off-Road variant. The RAV4 Adventure, like the Kia X-Line, has minimal capabilities enhancements over basic vehicles. Similarly, the Volkswagen Atlas Peak Edition features robust design but little in the way of capability upgrades.