If you love beaches, Jacksonville, Florida is the best tourist spot in the state for you! With miles of white sandy coastline, sparkling Atlantic Ocean waters, boating docks, and family parks, you can’t ask for a more paradisiacal spot for your next vacation. 

The good news about Jacksonville, though, is there isn’t just one spot where you can enjoy ocean vistas and bum it up in the sand. There are beaches aplenty for everyone, and our top 5 list of best beaches in Jacksonville, FL are all under an hour away from the city by driving.

1. North Beach

North Beach is our top pick for the real beach lover, the one who can’t get enough of the water, the fresh sea air, and the fun outdoor activities that you can only enjoy at the beach. 

This area is around twenty minutes away from Jacksonville by driving, a short trip that is well worth your while. Here, at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, you can swim and surf in the ocean, stretch your legs on hiking trails, or test your kayaking skills in nearby the creeks and bays. 

For a real taste of the natural beauty of the Jacksonville area as well as the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find no better beach destination than North Beach. 

2. Jacksonville Beach

Jacksonville Beach is the ultimate beach getaway. It’s its own little resort town, with hotels, water parks, and a gorgeous boardwalk that acts as a vantage point for some incredible seaside photos. 

But the real star is, of course, the beach itself, which you can access in Hanna Park. Watch the sun rise in the east in the morning, squish your toes in the warm sand, and bask in the heat of a stunning Florida beach day. The best part? Your hotel and all the amenities of a beautiful resort are a short walk away. 

3. Neptune Beach

Neptune Beach is a sweet small town situated right on the Florida coast. The drive from Jacksonville clocks in at around 20-30 minutes, traffic permitting. There’s not much to do here except go to the beach, which is perfect for vacationers longing to catch those deep blue waves without a ton of other people around. You will find a nice park nearby with playground equipment and a lake, for those families with active kids. 

4. Atlantic Beach

Around half an hour’s drive from Jacksonville is Atlantic Beach. This town is all about the sun, the sand, and the surf. With its stunning white beachfront and parks with walking trails, playground equipment, and lakes, it’s ideally suited for vacationers who love the outdoors. 

If, on the other hand, you feel like relaxing – it is a vacation, after all – look no further than the nearby One Ocean Resort and Spa. Still, there’s no stress reliever quite like lying on the beach with the warm Atlantic waves lapping at your toes.

5. Ponte Vedra Beach

Ponte Vedra Beach is the destination for you if you want to make the most of your seaside visit. Not only does is feature a beautiful beach, but it’s also home to famous resorts such as the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. Golf lovers will appreciate this area, as they can get both their beach fix and their putting fix all in one swing! 

Family Kia

Thanks for reading our article exploring the “Best Beaches Near Jacksonville, FL.” Family Kia is proud to offer new and used vehicles for sale to customers near Jacksonville. We’d love to know which beaches in Jacksonville, FL are you adding to your vacation itinerary?

The 2022 Kia EV6 ticks all the important boxes for an electric vehicle

Kia is not new to electric vehicles. It is the same brand that gave us the Soul EV and e-Niro, which were decent options. So with the Kia EV6, expectations are high. Does the EV6 deliver the goods? Read on for all the details you need to know about the 2022 Kia EV6!

Exterior

This is what you see first about a car, so Kia has paid attention to what the EV6 looks like. The carmaker settled for a design that combines a sedan and an SUV in a single body. It is based on Kia’s new design philosophy tagged Opposites United.

At the front, the EV6 has a sloping hood that spots the new Kia logo and angled windshield glass for better aerodynamic performance.

On the sides, flushed door handles give you access to the cabin. Alloy wheel sizes are 19, 20, and 21 inches.

Battery, Range, and Charging Time

One of the most critical features of an electric vehicle is the driving range. In this aspect, the Kia EV6 does not disappoint. Both trims of the EV get more than 300 miles comfortably on a single charge, with 328 miles on the cheaper version, while the more powerful trim sacrifices about 14 miles. These figures handily beat the 280 miles you can squeeze out of the Ioniq 5, which the EV6 shares the same E-GMP electric platform.

Charging the 77.4 kWh usable battery is blazingly fast with what Kia calls the first multistage battery charging system. It takes about 18 minutes to go from 10 to 80 percent on a DC charger! Or 62 miles in just five minutes! At home, it will take 7.5 hours on Level 2, which means you can wake up to a full battery every day!

Kia provides an app that will help you find charging spots in the US and remotely monitor the charging. However, if you pair your Apple Watch through the Kia Connect app, you can communicate with your EV6 from your wrist.

That’s not all about the battery, as you can charge or power other cars or items using the V2L (vehicle-to-load) feature. It will power your house or your electronic items on a camping trip, for instance. So lug your microwave or TV to even the remotest locations with confidence

Electric Motor/Performance

Kia offers the EV6 as either a rear-mounted single motor setup that produces 226 bhp or a double-motor setup with 321 bhp for all-wheel-drive. Because the two trims use the same battery size, the all-wheel-drive gets less range, but the reduced range won’t matter if performance is important to you.

Top speed is 114 mph for both trims, but there is a difference in the acceleration. The single motor will move from 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, which is fast enough for everyday driving. However, if you want something faster, the all-wheel drive will take 5.2 seconds. You won’t even notice the difference, and you will be reminded this is not a performance car. Still, if you must have it fast, Kia has promised a GT version that produces 580 hp and takes just 3.5 seconds for 0 to 60 mph.

The Kia EV6 can tow up to 2,000 pounds behind it.

Interior/Technology

Kia has not cut any corners in appointing the EV6 interior. The theme is heavy on black or dark, but it is tastefully done.

The seats are comfortable and will take three with no issues at the back. They also fold flat, letting you increase the boot space when necessary from 530 liters to 1300 liters. There is more storage space under the hood, excellent for things like chargers. The front seats can recline electronically, useful for when you have to wait inside the car.

The dashboard spots two 12.3 inch curved displays powered by basically the same software as in the Hyundai’s. One serves as the instrument cluster, while the other is the center console. Other internal features include wireless charging pads, heated and ventilated front seats, augmented reality head-up display to viewing routes without taking your eyes off the road, etc.

Instead of a heater, Kia has included a more energy-efficient heat pump for when you need to warm up the cabin.

You will also notice the steering wheel with two spokes and physical buttons.

Other Features

The Kia EV6 comes with safety features and driver-assist tech like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic assist, intelligent speed limit assist, reverse parking collision avoidance assist, remote smart parking, etc.

Kia offers a 10-year battery warranty.

Driving Experience

The Kia EV6 drives nicely, and you will appreciate the new damper design that adapts to the road surface because it takes the edges off bouncing from speed bumps and other sharp objects.

Driving modes include Eco, which reduces performance to save the battery. You can also use one-pedal driving to top up the battery during braking.

Other Information

The Kia EV6 will start shipping in January 2022. Prices should start around $45,000 in the US.

2022 Kia EV6 at Family Kia

Thanks for reading our article on the 2022 Kia EV6. Family Kia is proud to offer the 2022 Kia EV6 for sale to customers in Florida. Our Kia Sales Specialists are standing by to help answer any questions you have regarding your purchasing decision. Call, click or stop by our Kia dealership in Florida today!

The Kia Sorento has been a staple in Kia’s line up since 2002 as a great family all-rounder. Offering four-wheel drive capabilities and engine options of up to a 3.8L V8, it certainly was a strong model for the brand right from the start. It is fair to say that the Sorento has come a long way from its 2002 variant with the new 2022 model taking on a completely new look and feel.

So, if you’re a die-hard fan of the Sorento or are in the market for a new family SUV you may be wanting to know more about what the 2022 model has to offer. Kia is known for offering a range of trim levels designed to reduce the amount of additional optional extras and allow for a more ‘complete’ car at a more affordable price point. The 2022 Kia Sorento is no different, there are eight main trim levels to choose from ranging at a starting price of $29,490 for the entry level ‘LX’ trim to $43,090 for the highest ‘X-Line SX Prestige AWD’ trim.

Before we get into how each trim level varies one thing that is consistent with all trims is the dimensions of the car. The Sorento is 189in long and 74.8in wide, other than the S, EX, SX, and SX Prestige which are an additional 0.4in longer. All trims have a wheelbase of 110.8in and a ground clearance of 6.9in as FWD and 8.2in in AWD. The total interior volume of all the trim levels is 121.3 cu ft. For those of you looking to tow the Sorento has a towing capacity of 2,000lb for the lower trim levels (LX, S and X-Line S) or 3.500Ib for the higher trim levels (EX, X-Line EX, SX, SX Prestige, and X-Line SX Prestige).

Sorento LX

This is the first option trim available starting at $29,490, an 8-speed automatic, 2.5L 4-cylinder engine pushing 191 BHP, 182lb.ft of torque, and an estimated combined 26 MPG. While this trim is predominantly FWD there is an AWD option available with the Torque-vectoring AWD drive system or ‘Snow mode’. There are six exterior colours to choose from with the standard black cloth seat trim interior.

The LX is the ‘entry level’ so offers the smaller 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with rear view monitor and dynamic parking guidance, Android Auto/ Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth hands-free, and 6 speaker radio system. As expected, the Kia Sportage offers full steering wheel mounted controls and various USB charging outlets on all trim levels as well as several 12-volt power outlets, so you have plenty of places to keep all your devices charged up.

As expected, Kia have provided a whole list of safety features on every trim level on the Sorento including Collision-Avoidance, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Rear occupant Alert, Electronic Stability Control, Anti-Lock Braking (ABS), Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Hill Start Assist, Traction Control, High beam assist, and of course full airbag safety throughout the car.

While this is the ‘Entry level’ trim you are still getting a large list of great features and should be a real contender if you don’t need the additional luxuries provided in the higher trim levels.

Sorento S and X-Line S

Starting at $32,290 the S offers similar performance but has a ‘sportier’ look with the Sport Body Styling. Majority of the features are very similar to that provided with the LX trim however, there is the option to add a panoramic sunroof, LED interior and Map Lighting, you have an extra exterior colour to choose from and either the black or grey SynTex interior.

The S provided mostly aesthetic ‘upgrades’ to the LX, with gloss black accents across the car, privacy glass, slightly larger 18-inch alloy machine finished wheels, and leather interior finishes. You also get heated seats and dual-zone climate control (not included on the LX trim), smart key with push button and remote start, and the additional Safe Exit Assist has been added.

The S trims is great for those who like a ‘sportier’ look with a few extra luxuries without a huge price tag.

The X-Line S trim starts at $34,290 again most of the main features are the same as the previous trim levels but the main feature of this trim is that it is AWD. Also boasting the ‘X-line’ styling, high-utility roof rails, powered driver’s seat, and the larger 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation. There is also an additional ‘Aruba Green’ exterior colour option and because it is AWD you have the 1-inch increased ride height.

Sorento EX and X-Line EX

This trim gives us a jump in performance as the 2.5l engine is turbocharged therefore, this Sorento is now pushing 281 BHP with 311lb.ft of torque and starts from $35,390. The EX also provides the 8-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission, smart power liftgate, wireless phone charging, enhanced auto emergency braking, navigation-based smart cruise control, sport body styling, roof rails, front fog lights, and electronic parking brake with auto-hold.

Again, the X-line offers some additional styling changes and is the AWD option starting at $39,090. This trim is the first in the line-up that includes the panoramic sunroof and LED interior with map lighting and comes with 20-inch alloy wheels.

Sorento SX, SX Prestige and X-Line Prestige

Starting at $38,190 the SX offers much the same as the X-Line EX without the X-line styling or AWD. Providing you with what have been optional extras (sunroof and LED interior lighting) at a lower price point than the X-Line EX. Again, offering the sport body styling and gloss black accents for a ‘sportier’ look and feel the SX also offered LED daytime running lights with LED projector headlights.

The SX Prestige ups the ‘luxury factor’, starting at $41,090 it is the first trim offering leather seating with driver memory electric controls, heated front and 2^nd row seats, ventilated front seats, and heated steering wheel. The SX Prestige also boasts a Bose premium audio system, surround view monitor, blind-spot monitor, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Last but by no means least is the X-Line SX Prestige, the top trim level AWD version of the 2022 Kia Sorento. Starting at $43,090 the X-Line has all the luxury features from the SX Prestige but with the X-Line exterior styling.

Kia have yet again provided a brilliant trim line to choose from with their new 2022 Sorento, catering for a range drivers and style tastes, the new Sorento is sure to be a continuing success for the brand. Not forgetting, Kia now offers an industry-leading 10 year/ 100,000 miles warranty on the Sorento, an incredible feat and great piece of mind for all customers. 

2022 Kia Sorento at Family Kia

Thanks for reading our article on the 2022 Kia Sorento Trim Levels. Family Kia is proud to offer the 2022 Kia Sorento for sale to customers in Florida. Our Kia Sales Specialists are standing by to help answer any questions you have regarding your purchasing decision. Call, click or stop by our Kia dealership near Jacksonville today!