When the Telluride first went on sale in 2019, Kia noticed an interesting phenomenon with buyers. Lots of customers wanted the fully-loaded SX trim with the Prestige Package, which retails for $46,390. In fact, many dealerships couldn't keep the top Telluride trim in stock and charged markups to customers who wanted to jump the line for one. The Telluride proved to be a huge boon for Kia's sales, so much so that the company lovingly refers to it as the "Selluride."

The 2021 Kia Sorento is the follow-up to the successful Telluride, offering a new in-between size for buyers who need something larger than a compact but smaller than a full three-row SUV. This new crossover arrived in dealers back in November 2020, and in its short time on sale, Kia is already learning that the Sorento doesn't fall far from the Telluride tree.

"The recently launched all-new 2021 Sorento, similar to the start of sales for Telluride and Seltos, has hit the ground running," said James Hope, Kia National Product Communications Manager. "Sales of the capable SUV are turning in just 18 days on average."

Much like its big brother, the Telluride, buyers are flocking to the Sorento's top trim level. Hope told CarBuzz, "The high-end X-Line [accounts] for 25% of total Sorento sales."

That means one in four Sorento buyers opt for the most expensive trim package available with the larger 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. As a reminder, the X-Line Package is only available on the top SX-Prestige trim level, which starts at $40,590. The X-Line Package adds $2,000 to the price, totaling $42,590. A base Sorento LX starts at $29,390, meaning 25% of buyers are spending a $13,000 premium to get the X-Line.

The X-Line Package is a tremendous bargain for $2,000 as it automatically adds all-wheel-drive, which is a $1,800 option on other Sorento trim levels. This package also changes up the Sorento's exterior styling with grey wheels, unique bumpers, roof racks, a one-inch height increase, X-Line badging, and an exclusive Aruba Green color option. It isn't hard to see why buyers are falling in love with the X-Line and are willing to plunk down more cash for it.