Car: Kia Sorento range
Prices: £22,000–£28,000 - on the road [est] INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-14 [est]
Emissions: 171-208g/km
Performance: [2.2D 4WD] 0-62mph 11.1s / Max Speed 118mph
Fuel Consumption: [2.2D 4WD] (combined) 42.8mpg
Safety: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE? Length/Width/Height, 4685/1885/1710mm
Sorento: Crossover toe Quality
Our Rating: No Rating Available
For a decent part of the late 1990s and the early 2000s people were all a twitter across the world wanting SUVs. Roads in the UK were jam packed with the large fuel consuming vehicles. Then the price of petrol starting rising and the world suddenly looked down their noses at SUVs that ate away the world's supply of fossil fuels. Car makers all over the world didn't' know what do until someone decided to start calling these things CUV, cross utility vehicle. Essentially they are the same thing as an SUV, but most auto makers revamped them to make them a little more economically friendly.
When Kia re-launched their popular Sorento this year they as well rebranded it a CUV and took away the standard 4x4 driver train. The Sorento is still available in a 4x4 for those people who need it, but to be honest most people really only want these types of vehicles for the larger cargo space and higher driving profile.
To make the Kia Sorento even friendlier for daily drives in the city it has equipped the CUV with MacPherson struts at the front and a rear suspension made up of the multi-link style. Kia has also lowered the Sorento by 10mm which lowers the center of gravity. Lowering the car and adding a much better suspension as made the Sorento drive quality much better overall. The Kia design team has also stiffened up the steering column to ensure a much more responsive turn.
Kia is offering the Sorento with two different engine choices under the bonnet. All the engine choices are diesel and start with the 2.0-litre CRDi that drives with 147bph at 4,000 rpm and comes with a 6-speen manual transmission that gets from 0-60mph in 10.5 seconds. The 2.0-litre is only available in the 2-wheel drive version of the CUV. The other engine choice can be had in the 4x4 version or the 2WD version. Again it is a diesel powered 2.2-litre CRDi that delivers 194bhp at 3,800rpms. This engine comes with a choice of 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.
As is the trend with the new Kia the Sorento comes standard with a very impressive array of equipment that includes; air conditioning, alloy wheels, Keyless entry on the central locking system, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start assist, dual front airbags, RDS Radio, CD player with MP3 and active head restraints. Premium upgrades included cruise control, automatic light control, auto-dimming rearview mirrors, cabin mood lighting and luggage net.
The Kia Sorento is an upscale CUV that will please people looking for a vehicle that offers an easy ride and a comfortable style. Kia has certainly take a turn for the better with their updated line-up of vehicles. Kia is also backing the Sorento and most of their other new vehicles with a seven year warranty that covers almost everything that can go wrong with a car. If I were another car maker executive right now I would be very nervous that Kia has gone from a wannabe to a trend setter.
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