ALL-NEW KIA SORENTO COMES PLUSH AND POWERFUL

Kia’s bold new design is certainly raising eyebrows. At the South African launch of the all-new Kia Sorento, Kia chief designer Peter Schreyer explained his and his company’s new design philosophy as “simplicity, less is more, clear vision”. That certainly holds true for the Sorento and for other recent Kia cars like the current Cerato. The design language is new and young, reflected by the fact that Schreyer was previously at Audi and Volkswagen. He’s the guy that designed the original ground-breaking TT and the VW Concept R.

The Sorento’s new front grille is referred to as the “tiger nose” in South Korea. It is the basis of the new Kia design core and will be seen in future vehicles from the manufacturer. Next year we’ll see it on the launch of the new Magentis sedan and Sportage compact SUV. It looks good on the Sorento which is actually a vast improvement on its predecessor. I actually reckon the car has moved a class higher than previously.

Sitting in the cockpit I felt cocooned and comfortable thanks to high quality materials and improved build quality. Although not of German standard yet, the quality is among the best in its class. Features include leather-covered steering wheel with some satellite controls, CD player with 6 speakers, a USB/iPod connection, dual-zone climatic control and a start/stop button for the engine. Not very Kia is it? That’s probably the aim; creating cars that the world can fall in love with and drive with pride and confidence.

With heavy rains splashing across the windscreen I felt these sensations down in the Durban/ Pietermaritzburg area. Whereas with an older generation Sorento I never really felt rooted on the ground, this new car is steady even at high speeds. A highly-refined and exceptionally torquey aluminium 2.2-litre “R family” common rail turbo diesel motor is at the heart of things.

The 16 valve motor generates 147kW at 3800rpm and massive torque of 422Nm (436Nm for the automatic) between 1800rpm and 2500rpm. We had the smooth 6-speed automatic mated to the AWD system for good mechanical grip on all surfaces. The torque is on tap throughout and helps it go uphill easily with not much effort. This is one creamy motor, world-class stuff. Kia claims a 0 – 100km/h time of 9.6 seconds for the manual and 10 seconds flat for the automatic, with top speed pegged at 190km/h.  

Combined fuel consumption figures are said to be 6.6 and 7.4 litres per 100km for the manual and automatic respectively. C02 emissions as a result are 174 and 194g/km respectively.

With the upgrading of the ride quality came a downgrade of the off-road capabilities and as such the Sorento is not for serious bundu bashing. Not that many owners will buy it for that anyways; on gravel it’s steady and planted and on tar it’s plush. The suspension system features McPherson struts up front and fully independent by subframe-mounted multi-links at the rear. There’s also a self-levelling system in the 7-seater. The Hill-start Assist Control is fitted to help when going downhill or taking off from a steep position. Standard wheels and tyres for the 5-seater are 17 in x 7.0J alloys with 235/65 R17 tyres while the 7-seater sports 18 in x 7.0J wheels and 235/60 R18 tyres.

Speaking of which, Kia said its 7-seat option really is for seven adult people. The seats can be configured for different needs, depending on whether people or goods or both are being ferried. Being 4.7 metres long, 1.9m wide, 1.7m high and with a wheelbase of 2.7m the Sorento has really grown up.

Kia has reduced its legendary 10 year warranty because it says customers were not taking advantage of it thanks to the fact that claims against it were minimal. Therefore a 5 year/ 100 000km maintenance plan, 5 year/ 100 000km warranty and 3 year / unlimited km roadside assistance are included in the package.

The new Kia Sorento is not only a marked advancement on its predecessor, its also a step up for the whole segment which includes vehicles like the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Chevrolet Captiva, Jeep Cherokee, Ford Everest, Volkswagen Tiguan and Hyundai Santa Fe.

Kia Sorento Pricing

Sorento 2.2 CRDI (R339 995)
Sorento 2.2 CRDI auto (R349 995)
Sorento 2.2 CRDI 4x4 (R359 995)
Sorento 2.2 CRDI 4x4 auto (R369 995)
Sorento 2.2 CRDI 4x4 7-seat (R389 995)
Sorento 2.2 CRDI 4x4 auto 7-seat (R399 995)
Sorento 3.5 petrol 4x4 auto 7-seat (R399 995)