The Best Family-Friendly Kia SUV Options

You want your family to have the best, whether you’re at home or on the road. The latter can be tricky since there are so many factors to balance when choosing a vehicle, like safety, comfort, price, and space. But don’t worry—as your Kia dealer near Karnes City, we here at Victory Kia have plenty of options for you and your family that will give you everything you’re looking for without breaking the bank. Our lineup of Kia SUVs is filled with affordable models that come standard with plenty of great features and are downright luxurious in their upper trim levels. Today, we’ve rounded up some great options that run the gamut from compact to massive and are sure to keep the little ones content on even the longest of road trips.

Sorento: Compact and Efficient

The Kia Sorento is a midsize SUV that has three rows of seating, which can come in handy whether you have a lot of kids or you like to bring friends and extended family members along for the ride on a day trip up to San Antonio. The 2024 model is available as a traditional gas-powered SUV, a hybrid, or a plug-in hybrid, so you can choose your own adventure when it comes to fuel economy. With the off-road capable X-Pro trim, you can chase down real adventures away from the paved roads and show your kids the beauty of the Texas wilderness with camping trips that are sure to create fond memories all around.

It’s easy to make getting there half the fun with the comfortable interior. Optional captain’s chairs give second-row passengers plenty of elbow room, and even the third row has enough leg room to stretch out and get comfortable. Second and third-row USB charging ports mean the kids can keep their devices charged and keep themselves entertained instead of getting into fights and asking the dreaded “Are we there yet?” on longer drives. When the kids aren’t along for the ride, it’s easy to fold the second and third-row seats down to accommodate plenty of cargo on errand runs, even at bulk stores, and the available Smart Power Liftgate makes it easy to get everything loaded in, even when your arms are full.

Telluride: Roomy and Rugged

For families who don’t like to pack light, the cavernous cabin of the Telluride is paradise on wheels. This model also has three rows of seating, but it has a longer body than the Sorento, so you can account for growth spurts and pack big on road trips. When you’re sticking close to home and driving around Karnes City, you’ll be doing so in style with a modern exterior that looks ready for adventure. Like the Sorento, the 2024 Telluride also has a rugged off-road X-Pro trim that lets you drive with confidence down unpaved country backroads and OHV trails alike. Available dual sunroofs give you plenty of natural light and let all passengers get a good look up at clouds, stars, or the clear blue Texas sky.

Maneuvering a vehicle this big can be tricky, but Kia’s cutting-edge technology makes it easier. Like all of the SUVs on this list, the 2024 Telluride has a comprehensive suite of standard driver assistance technology, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian, Cyclist, and Junction Turning Detection. The Telluride also has standard Blind-Spot Collision Warning, so you can change lanes on Route 181 with confidence. The available Surround View Monitor comes in handy when parking, whether you’re dealing with a crowded mall parking lot during the holidays or a driveway covered in toys the kids haven’t gotten around to putting away. It gives you a 360-degree look around the vehicle so you can see everything in your path and avoid the trickiest of obstacles.

Sportage: Compact and Versatile

Not every family needs a big SUV with three rows of seats. Many can be comfortable in a compact SUV like the Kia Sportage. As a compact, it’s a more affordable option and easier to maneuver in tight spaces. It’s also quite fuel efficient, especially with the available hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, so you don’t have to worry about high fuel prices cutting into your family’s budget. The 2024 Sportage even has a towing capacity of 2,500 lbs, so you can always compensate for the smaller cargo area with a trailer. However, with both rows of seating in use, there’s still a solid amount of cargo volume in the back.

The Sportage has an available X-Pro trim, and its smaller body makes it easier to maneuver on tight and twisting off-road trails. Whatever trim you choose, you can expect the Sportage to stay in good shape for a long time with proper maintenance. In the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, the Sportage was the highest-ranking compact SUV. That means this is a vehicle that your kids can grow up with, and you might even be able to pass it down to them years from now when they’re ready to get behind the wheel themselves.

EV9: An Electric Family Hauler

If any electric vehicle can appeal to Texas drivers, it’s the new 2024 EV9. They say everything’s bigger in Texas, after all, and this large SUV is the same size as the Telluride, with a third row that can comfortably accommodate adults, so you don’t have to worry about your little ones outgrowing the car with their next growth spurt. Its EPA-estimated 304 miles of range lets you travel from Karnes City to San Antonio and back twice on a single charge with range to spare, and you can install a charging station at home so you can recharge overnight and spend that extra time with your family. The EV9’s all-electric powertrain isn’t just efficient; it’s also powerful and gives you a towing capacity of up to 5,000 lbs. And with zero emissions, you’ll be leaving the air free and clear so your kids can grow up strong and healthy.

Carnival: Minivan or SUV?

Technically, the Carnival is a minivan, not an SUV. But it offers a lot of the same benefits, like a spacious interior with three rows of seating. In fact, passenger space is even more generous in the Carnival than it is in the Telluride or EV9, and there’s plenty of cargo space behind the third row as well. There’s a reason minivans are known for being good family vehicles. While they may have a reputation for looking a bit too family-friendly overall, the 2024 Carnival is certainly an exception, with a bold exterior that has an SUV-like style with a square face and large grille up front. The sliding rear doors are a great touch for families with kids who can get over-eager when arriving at a destination and risk damaging the car in the next parking spot when they open the door too wide.

Your Family Deserves the Best

No matter how big your family is, how often you drive, or where you drive, we know one thing for sure: you deserve the very best. With a reliable and comfortable Kia vehicle, you can have the best not just today but for miles and miles to come. Our diverse range of options gives you the freedom to choose something that’s just right for you, from the small yet mighty Sportage to the large-and-in-charge Telluride. You can read more about these models here on our website or head east on Highway 239 to see them in person here at Victory Kia. Our team works hard every day to provide our customers with an amazing experience that’s worth making the drive out from Karnes City. We can’t wait to help get you set up with an SUV that’s just right for your family.