New Kia Sorento showcases Korean carmaker’s evolution

These days, some of the buzz words around the automotive industry include “Chinese cars”.

When someone enquires over the merits of these machines, I like to present the example of Korean cars. How many of those did you see on our roads 25 years ago?

Yet today, Kia and Hyundai sit at the top table after proving themselves over decades by virtue of good, quality products. Case in point is the fourth-generation Kia Sorento, which was rolled out locally this year.

The seven-seater SUV has made huge strides since its first appearance in 2002 as what the carmaker refers to a “utilitarian all-terrain vehicle”. Today, the Sorento is the proud figurehead of Kia’s extensive SUV line-up, which also includes the Sportage, Seltos and Sonet.

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As important it is for Kia to have volume sellers like the Picanto, Rio and smaller SUVs, having a proper flag bearer, jam-packed with the latest technologies, is important to showcase the brand’s evolution.

Evolution

“The Sorento’s evolution over the last two decades echoes that of the Kia brand as a whole. The fourth-generation Sorento has been transformed into something altogether more desirable, and representing the perfect balance between premium quality features and value for money,” says Gary Scott, chief executive of Kia South Africa.

We recently had the Kia Sorento in top-spec SXL guise, priced at R988 995, as a house guest for a week and were keen to experience the Korean carmaker’s modern marvel ourselves.

As far as the design goes, the new Kia Sorento is the first car based on Kia’s new-generation large SUV N3 platform. Featuring a 35-millimetre longer wheelbase, 2 815mm, it incorporates a bigger body to ensure more interior space and comprehensive suspension upgrades.

On the outside, it features sharper lines than before, with a distinctive wider version of Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille. In fact, the new Sorento is more catty than ever. Underneath the integrated headlamps on either side of the grille there are new LED daytime running lights referred to as the “tiger eyeline” depicting the lines around a tiger’s eyes.

The rear features new vertical tail lights which wrap around the sides, said to be inspired by the imposing Kia Telluride, which is not available locally. The 19-inch alloy wheels and dual tailpipes provide additional street cred.

Premium cabin

Inside the cabin, the new Kia Sorento is all about space, premium finishes and modern digitalisation.
Offered in single-tone black leather trim, the plushness of the interior is the result of the combination of metal, leather and embossed satin-effect surfaces.

A 12.3-inch digital instrument two-dial cluster displays offer real-time footage taken from the blind spot camera in the appropriate direction when activating the indicator.

The new Sorento’s 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system features navigation, smartphone connectivity and a 12-speaker Bose surround sound system.

The SXL comes standard with ambient lighting beneath the dashboard and door trim, wireless smartphone charger, heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats, heads-up display, adaptive cruise control and panoramic sunroof.

The second and third-row seating in the new Kia Sorento offers two basic options. Fold the third row flat for seating for five adults and as much as 821 litres boot space. Or engage the third row at the touch of a boot-mounted button to seat seven adults and have acceptable boot space of 187 litres.

The increased space on offer means more head, leg and shoulder room, with the second row sliding an additional 45mm forward to ease entry and exit from the third row.

How much power?

The heartbeat is again provided by a four-cylinder 2.2-litre diesel engine, this time much more advanced. It features a new aluminium block which contributes 19.5kg of the overall weight reduction of 38.2kg from the previous version.

The mill sends 148kW of power and 440Nm of torque to all four wheels via a new eight-speed wet double-clutch transmission, which according to Kia, enhances fuel efficiency over a conventional eight-speed auto box.

During our week in the Kia Sorento, our fuel consumption was 9.7L / 100km over 568km, which consisted largely of daily city traffic. In our opinion this is a good number for such a big car, weighing just shy of two tons.

And it’s no slouch either. Acceleration has little turbo lag, with the new box impressing with its slickness. The sport setting in drive mode provides more responsiveness should you need it for overtaking, but normal and smart – in addition to eco – is suitable for all-day cruising.

A comprehensive safety package includes six airbags, vehicle stability management, electronic stability control, forward collision-avoidance assist and blind spot collision avoidance assist.

Conclusion

As far as Kia has come, a price tag touching seven-figures might be hard to comprehend for some.
But the million rand threshold has become more the norm than the exception and what will not get you very far in other brands gets you the whole shebang in the Kia stable.

If buyers can overcome their brand snobbery, offerings like these should sell like hot cakes.

The Kia Sorento comes standard with an unlimited kilometre/five-year warranty and six-year/90 000km maintenance plan.

For more information on the new Kia Sorento, click here.