VIDEO: Wendy reviews the Kia Sorento
Wendy Knowler puts the Kia Sorento through its paces, including some fun off-road driving. Find out more and watch the video review here.
Another Korean this week, this time a Kia, and an SUV. It's the Sportage’s big sister, the Sorento, which was first launched in SA 10 years ago, and has proved to be a big seller for the brand.
Big it most certainly is...a seven-seater, most likely to appeal to those parents whose children outnumber them - and who like the image and rugged-ness of an SUV.
This model has some new bits and bobs on the outside, a re-engineered bodyshell, tweaked engine, improved handling and more legroom and luxury on the inside.
There’s a 4x4 as well as a front-wheel-drive model, but happily I got the AWD on test which mean we could have some fun in the soft stuff...
Looks
This is another tweaked or facelifted model, as opposed to an all-new vehicle. New are front and back bumpers, the front grille, headlights with LEDs, and a new tailgate with reshaped lights.
It looks particularly different from the old model at the back.
But the front is where the real beauty of the Kia models lie these days. Ex-Audi designer turned Kia/Hyundai designer and now Kia president, Peter Schreyer - the man who gave us the sublime TT - said back in 2007 that he had to do something about Kia’s neutral image at the time. Bland, the cars were.
And so he created what he calls the Tiger Nose, a very powerful visual signal, which has become the face of all Kias, making them easy to spot from a distance. According to Schreyer, “tigers are powerful, yet kind of friendly”.
This AWD model comes with the option of a two-part glass panoramic roof. You can usually tell models apart from the wheels - the FWD gets 18 inch alloys and the AWD these 10-spoke 19-inchers.
The drive
Driving the Sorento is a 2.2 litre turbo charged diesel engine, mated with a six-speed auto gearbox, which provides good acceleration from pull-off, which is what you want - plenty of get up and go. It’s very responsive indeed - not the quietest of diesels, I have to say, but the cabin is super well insulated so you’re barely aware you’re in a diesel. There’s a bit of body roll in the corners, and it can become a bit unsettled when driven hard, but it’s a very big vehicle, so to an extent that comes with the territory.
The AWD is an on demand system that transfers torque to the back wheels when slip is detected. The system can also be locked in a 50/50 torque split on more demanding surfaces.
Interior
Very spacious and comfy. This revised model has slightly more legroom in the middle and third rows. Standard features - love that about the Korean models, most things are standard - include automatic dual-zone climate control, cruise control, front and rear park assist, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, radio/CD player with MP3 compatibility and AUX/USB connectivity, Bluetooth hands-free system.
Oh, and a driver’s seat which is both powered and heated. Fabulous.
The big new interior feature is the centre stack with colour touch screen display, featuring the rear view camera view, another new feature.
The 2WD model only comes with a five-seat layout, while the AWD comes with the two extra seats, which collapse into the floor.
It seems to me there are many families who want the seven seats but don’t need or want to pay an extra R80 000 for the AWD capability, so I think those two extra seats should be an option on the FWD too.
Safety
Enough for it to score the top five star Euro NCAP safety rating - all standard features - six airbags Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS), Traction Control (TC), Roll-over Protection (ROP), active head restraints and ISOFIX child seat anchors.
Warranty
Five year or 150 000km warranty, and a five year or 100 000km maintenance plan.
It’s no Discovery or Q7 in terms of ride, capability or poshness, but it’s big, capable, lovely to look at and reasonably priced.
Other seven-seater diesel SUVs in this price range - both slightly cheaper - are the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Chev Captiva.
Also in this price range are the seven-seater SUVs based on bakkie formats - the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Chev Trailblazer, and Ford Everest.
The numbers
Price: R479 995
Engine: 2,2-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 147 kW at 3 800 r/min
Torque: 436 N.m at 1 800 r/min
0-100 km/h: 9,9 seconds
Maintenance plan: 5 years/100 000 km
- Wendy Knowler