The history of Kia Motors South Africa dates back to 1998 when the brand had only but five models, 19 dealerships, seven head office staff and only 310 cars were sold during their first year in business.
The Pride, Sephia, Shuma, Sportage and Ceres were the models introduced to our market and some of these were axed along the way for not enjoying good sales.
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It is worth mentioning that the brand has not only significantly improved in styling and good offerings, but more importantly won over many local consumers.
According to Kia the tide changed in 2006 when the Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer joined the Korean company. Peter introduced the current corporate grille to create a recognisable “face” for the brand, known as the Tiger Nose. Ever since the company has been on the right track.
To celebrate Kia’s notable success, I recently headed to Cape Town for its 20-year celebration where I got to drive the refreshed Sorento and Grand Sedona.
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Sorento
I spent the whole Saturday behind the wheel of the facelifted Sorento, which gains a few cosmetic updates, a new eight-speed autobox and seven seats.
Before I get to the driving part, the Sorento continues to retain its SUV appeal and in my honest opinion, it will lure SUV buyers away from the norm.
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It gains a reworked front-end that incorporates what Kia says is a more artfully detailed radiator grille. There are new headlights and revised LED Daytime Running Lights on higher specification models.
Although it was difficult for me to notice, the front bumpers have been revamped and they now feature projection-type fog lamps.
The rear includes silkier tail lights and a somewhat tweaked tailgate.
Jump into the cabin and there is a new multi-functioning steering wheel, gearshift lever and a revised instrument cluster with improved graphics.
There is a new eight-inch infotainment system that was easy to use, from connecting smartphones to setting up the navigation.
For the record, Kia decided to scrap the entry-level LS model as well as the high-spec SX and SXL models. The Sorento range now comprises of a mid-spec LX and a mid-high-spec EX derivative.
You can either have it either in front-wheel drive or the Dynamax all-wheel drive system.
For the first time in Kia SUVs there is a new eight-speed automatic gearbox which Kia says has been designed in-house and launched in 2016. It is smooth and gear changes are almost unnoticeable – better than the outgoing gearbox.
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Space is nothing to worry about as the big boot managed to gulp up all our luggage with ease and we also had plenty of head and leg room.
Should you wish to travel alone, you can fold all the seats to increase boot space to 605 litres.
The 2.2 ‘R’ turbo diesel engine soldiers on with 147kW of power at 3 800 rpm and 440Nm of torque at 1 750 and 2 750 rpm.
The drive was mostly done in Comfort mode and the car performed well even when driven hard.
It did not disappoint even when you put your foot down with intent, yet I did not see the need to try the four driving modes, Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart.
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The 400km plus launch drive included a drive through mountainous terrain and to my surprise the nicely matched gearbox was able to handle even the most intent acceleration ploys.
The drive is smooth and quiet yet there is a small amount of wind noise coming into the cabin – evident when doing high speeds.
Price tag
KIA Sorento 2.2 CRDI LX R569, 995
KIA Sorento 2.2 CRDI LX AWD R609, 995
KIA Sorento 2.2 CRDI EX R599, 995
KIA Sorento 2.2 CRDI EX AWD R639, 995
Likes
– New seamless eight-speed gearbox drives smooth
– Comfortable
– Extra seats makes a huge difference
Dislikes
– Wind noise is evident at high speeds.
Verdict
The direction in which Kia is heading is promising and the Sorento is as good as it looks.
Grand Sedona
After a wonderful overnight stay at Fancourt in George, I got behind the wheel of the Grand Sedona.
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Under the same direction of Schreyer, the Kia Grand Sedona was launched at the New York Auto Show in 2014.
Yes it looks big, however, all that changes immediately when you jump inside – it does not give you the impression that you are driving a big car.
Like the Sorento, Kia has fiddled with the exterior and interior of the Grand Sedona to give it a fresh look.
The new eight-speed automatic transmission comes standard across the range plus there are new eight-seater variants.
The exterior now has a reworked front bumper complemented by the updated grille. There are restyled headlights that include LED daytime running lights on higher specification models.
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The rear bumper and rear lights have also been redesigned and there are new LEDs on higher specification models as well.
There is a new eight-inch infotainment system, three USB ports (one in front and two at the back), AUX input, smartphone wireless charging system.
Like the Sorento, Kia also axed the SX specification grade and added a new, feature-rich SXL specification to the line-up.
The Grand Sedona comprises of four versions, the EX 7-Seater, the EX+ 8-Seater, the SXL seven-seater and the EX 11-Seater which is only available on request.
The EX has a new seven-inch touchscreen integrating audio controls and the rearview camera plus multi-functioning steering wheel.
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The top-of-the-range SXL model which I got to drive has all the bells and whistles a family car should have from automatic dual zone air-conditioning, dual sunroof, electronic sears, auto-folding, heated side mirrors with integrated side indicators plus front and Rear Park distance control – which was a good thing to have in such a big car and is priced at R782 995.
There are sexy fog lights, glove box cooling and the steering wheel and gear lever are finished in leather.
It has a new eight-inch colour touchscreen with SATNAV and was easy to use during the entire journey.
On the road, the Grand Sedona takes care of its duties like it should.
With comfortable seats for the four of us, the ride was quiet although it can be jittery over poorly maintained roads.
The new eight-speed gearbox is nicely matched to the engine, even at high overtaking speeds, the Sedona has enough grunt to handle that business well.
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In terms of safety, there are Electric Parking Brake with Auto Hold Function, ABS, EBD, six airbags plus ISOFIX child seat anchors.
All models come with ESC and Hill-start Assist, Park Distance Control comes standard.
All Grand Sedona models come as standard with Kia’s industry-leading unlimited kilometre, five -ear warranty, as well as a standard five-year/100,000km service plan and five-years of roadside assistance.
KIA Grand Sedona 2.2 CRDI EX 7-Seater R599,995
KIA Grand Sedona 2.2 CRDI EX 11-Seater* R615,995
KIA Grand Sedona 2.2 CRDI EX+ 8-Seater R629,995
KIA Grand Sedona 2.2 CRDI SXL 7-Seater R782,995
Likes
– Spacious
– Comfortable
Dislikes
– Wind noise
Verdict
The Grand Sedona is such a great family car, ticking all the boxes. It should enjoy good sales in SA.
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