MOTORING
New Sorento hits the road
Now in its third generation, Kia’s latest Sorento is a country-mile better than its comparatively agricultural grandparent. Motoring journalist NICK JONES found the latest iteration to be a tempting proposition.
Kia’s Sorento, as a model range, is now over 13 years old. To be honest, although Kia would argue to the contrary, it was born to a life in the country, to lugging sheep and fodder across fields and looking enviously at the likes of Range Rovers and BMW Xs. For seven years, the Korean car maker continued to
make the first generation. It wasn’t until 2010 – when it started production in America – that the Sorento began to show green shoots of the car it has blossomed into for 2016. Kia has long been seen as a budget brand with
upmarket aspirations. Indeed, the marque has been knocking on the door of premium status for some time. It’s time the door opened. Yes, the latest Sorento is that good. Visually it can hold its own with the premium brands,
internally it offers everything a premium-sector buyer would expect and its road manners are superb. While it would be possible still to lug a sheep or
fodder across a field in a new Sorento, most sold in the UK are unlikely to go any farther off-road than the pavement outside school gates. So what’s changed? At the front there is a larger,
more pronounced, diamond-patterned grill with neat fog lamp housings. The front sweeps into the same long bonnet profile
of previous models but the cabin is more streamlined, with a lower roofline and neat rump. Internally, the quality is very good. It feels wider, and
more spacious than before and the quality of the materials has stepped up a gear, achieved by clever use of leather and soft-touch plastics. One might say ‘plush’.
48 business network February 2016 There is an additional 8cms in the wheelbase and a
third row of seats now, too. Both rear seat sets are split-fold (40:20:40 in the middle and 50:50 in the rear) giving heaps of flexibility in a luggage space already 20% up on the previous model. There are currently only four specifications but they
are an easy to remember KX1, 2, 3 and 4. The KX4 was the one I drove on test and, to be fair, it comes with everything as standard. Power comes from a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine,
which meets EU6 emission requirements. It produces just shy of 200bhp and smoothly delivers a top speed of almost 120mph.
FACTFILE
MODEL Kia Sorento 2.2 CRD KX4
PRICE £28,795 - £41,000
PERFORMANCE Power: 197bhp Top speed: 118mph
CO2 EMISSIONS 49 – 177g/km
FUEL CONSUMPTION 44.6mpg on combined cycle
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