Three years after its first debut to the world, the Kia Sorento has undergone through another transformation. Kia engineers have refreshed its entire look, components and engine to deliver a safer, comfortable and more luxury Sorento.
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| Kia Sorento |
Although it looks more or less the same as the outgoing model, it has numerous touches that make it distinct and stylish. Its overall length and width are similar to the outgoing model but it now sits 10mm lower to give a lower center of gravity that has further boosted its handling capabilities. It has a new front end with restyled headlamps, front grill and fog lamps. Front projection headlamps offer better illumination at night while daytime running lights help to improve the stylish front look.
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| Driver side mirror with blind spot monitor |
The front bumper has also been restyled to include the new fog lamp clusters and a larger lower air intake. The rear tailgate has been completely redesigned to give the rear a more majestic look. This is evident by the restyled rear LED lights, new body-coloured bumpers, restyled rear reflectors and a larger black underbody. It rides on new stylish 18-inch wheels that are 7.5 inches wide to increase the contact patch on the road for greater traction and turning capability. They also help to improve stopping power, which benefits further from the larger front brake discs now fitted to all models.
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| Restyled rear profile |
Under the bonnet it comes with an all new revised 2.2 litre CRDi turbodiesel engine. The engine is marred to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic that send power to all the front wheels. The engine has an output of 194hp and 422Nm or torque. 0 to 100km/h takes 9.4 seconds with a manual transmission or 9.5 seconds with an automatic transmission.
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| Restyled front |
The Sorento will then accelerate to a top speed of 197km/h. With a manual transmission the car will need 4.9 litres of fuel to cover 100km. With an automatic it will need 5.8 litres of fuel to cover 100km. All automatic versions come with an Active ECO feature that adjusts the operation of the engine and transmission in order to promote overall fuel efficiency.
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| Large panoramic roof |
Its suspension incorporates MacPherson struts at the front and an independent multi-link arrangement at the rear while a new H-shaped front subframe and an additional reinforcement at the rear have improved straight-line stability and ride comfort. New high-performance dampers at all four corners, larger suspension bushes and longer trailing arms ensure that occupants enjoy greater levels of comfort.
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| Side proportions remain unchanged |
The hydraulic power steering system found in the previous model has been replaced with electronic Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS). This not only improves fuel economy but also helps improve the car’s turning circle and agility. Kia Flex-Steer system, which allows the driver to choose between Normal, Sport and Comfort levels of assistance according to where and how the car is being driven is now available for the top of range model.
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| Large boot with two extra seats |
Every Sorento has anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) to allow drivers to steer and brake simultaneously in emergencies and to ensure the stopping effort is directed to the wheels with most grip. A flashing LED Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) is also fitted to warn following motorists if the driver has to brake rapidly or severely. It also comes with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) featuring Downhill Brake Control (DBC).
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| Front seats |
Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) connects to the ESC and steering system to automatically correct any tendency to under steer or over steer by braking individual wheels. DBC maintains a steady speed of 8km/h on steep descents. It also comes with Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) to prevent wheel-spin or roll-back when setting off on steep or slippery upslopes. Six airbags (twin front, side and side curtains) are fitted as standard. It also has active front headrests that prevent or minimise whiplash injuries should the Sorento be hit from behind. There are also front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters.
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| Redesigned rear LED lights |
Inside the Sorento has improved space for passengers in rows two and three without any increase in the car’s overall footprint or wheelbase. In the middle row there is an extra 30 mm of knee room and for occupants of the two rearmost seats an extra 9 mm of knee space. All occupants benefit from more luxurious surroundings, with notable improvements in the soft-touch materials used to trim the cabin and higher levels of equipment. The new Sorento is avaliable in four trim grades. There is the ‘KX-1’, ‘KX-2’, ‘KX-2 Sat-Nav’ and ‘KX-3’. Leather is used to trim the steering wheel of every model, the door pillars (except ‘KX-1’) and extendable sun visors are cloth-lined and chrome has been applied around the cabin as a garnish.
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| Illuminated door slits |
‘KX-1’ and ‘KX-2’ trim levels get wood grain finish on dash and door trims. The ‘KX-3’ trim level gets metal inserts in place of the wood grain finish. All versions apart from ‘KX-1’ have ambient lighting in the front centre console and door trims. The ‘KX-2’ and ‘KX-2 Sat-Nav trim versions get aluminium door sills plates while the ‘KX-3’ trim level gets an illuminated front door slits. In ‘KX-3’ the standard three-dial instrument cluster has been replaced by a 7-inch TFT LCD multi-function high-definition display. In all models dual-zone automatic climate control with rear-seat air ventilation is fitted, allowing all occupants to fine-tune the temperature in their area of the cabin.
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| New 18-inch alloy wheels |
The new front centre console features flexible cup holders with a sliding cover, while the re-designed gearshifters leave more space for storing small items. ‘KX-2’ versions additionally now have rain-sensing front wipers, a leather-trimmed instrument panel and a 4.3-inch LCD colour touch-screen with reversing sensors. The ‘KX-2 Sat-Nav’ version adds a seven inch touch-screen navigation system while the ‘KX-3’ model also has the panoramic sunroof, Xenon adaptive front lighting with automatic levelling, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and a four-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a multi-function full colour display and the Flex-Steer. The navigation system found in the ‘KX-2 Sat-Nav’ and ‘KX-3’ model is combined to a 10-speaker premium audio system delivering 495 watts of power. It includes a central speaker, external amplifier, sub-woofer and an 11-channel DSP amplifier for maximum surround-sound quality.
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| New infotainment system |
Other additional standard equipment on all versions includes body-coloured bumpers, chrome exterior door handles, aero blade-type front wipers, projection headlamps with cornering lights, electrically folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors, chrome interior garnish, rear air ventilation, LED daytime running lamps, cruise control, extendable sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors and a ticket pocket, reversing sensors, high-performance dampers and MDPS steering. Its towing capacity still remains at 2,500kg which is suitable for a caravan or trailer. Prices for the new Kia Sorento will be unveiled soon.