Kia is sometimes the forgotten Korean,
the junior sibling to Hyundai. Its growth has been steady if not stellar,
particularly in light of the remarkable growth of its sister brand.
Yet in
many ways the Kia range offers
sharper, less conservative, styling. Models such as the Optima are arguably
better looking than the i40, with which they share the vast majority of parts.
The same can be said of the crossover Sportage when pitted against the iX35,
while Hyundai has nothing to match the funky looks and character of the Kia Soul.
Perhaps
they don’t match the strength of the Hyundai range when it comes to advertising
clout and therefore consumer recall, but Kia is a brand on the rise. The
latest figures from the Central Statistics Office shows it was the seventh most
popular brand on the Irish market, ahead of Opel, Renault and Peugeot.
The Sorento has come a long way in
the last two decade or so. When it first arrived here it was the only Kia anyone really knew, a cheap
workhorse SUV with rudimentary engineering. The boxy body sat upon a ladder
platform that shared the same fundamental engineering as the average New York
taxi from the 1980s.
This
latest Sorento is a world
apart and comes with a much-needed lure to family buyers: an optional
seven-seat format.
The
entry-price for the EX version is €38,995 and for your money you get a sturdy,
modern-looking SUV with credible off-road potential thanks to all-wheel drive
as standard. It’s not a rival to the Land Rover Defender but its “on demand”
format means that up to 50 per cent of the power is transferred to the rear
wheels when grip is compromised and there is also a lock mode.
It all
adds up to a car that’s a lot more sophisticated and better dressed than past
versions yet retaining some of those workhorse features that buyers actually
valued.
The
all-wheel drive system also pays off when you are marking your way along wet
and greasy back roads, something people seem to forget when they think of
four-wheel drive and associate it with muddy fields or boulder-covered
mountains.
Interior
For
your money you also get a good standard of equipment. The interior plastics are
not exactly premium but they are on a par with most rivals, particularly the
rather poor plastics Ford is now using inside.
And
there are little features such as ventilation fan controls for the middle and
rear-most passengers, touches you’d normally only find in the premium end of
the market.
Kia reckons most of
its Irish buyers will opt for the seven-seat Platinum version at €43,995, which
adds leather seats (heated up front), a panoramic sunroof, electric-powered
driver’s seat with six-way adjustment, rain-sensing wipers, rear privacy glass,
reversing camera and HID (high intensity headlamps).
Power
comes from an improved version of the 197bhp 2.2-litre diesel that is common in
the Korean range. It’s matched to a six-speed manual gearbox and while an
automatic option is available, the punitive impact of its higher emissions on
it motor tax is likely to limit its Irish appeal.
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The
2.2-litre is a strong performer, if not quite at the sporty end of the market.
The ride is also quite soft and the car tends to wallow slightly in corners if
you push it too hard.
Kia has faced an
uphill task in reinventing its image. Where once it was the discount workhorse,
it has successfully managed to add style, fuel-efficient engines and a tempting
seven-year warranty programmed to lure buyers to the brand.
It
delivered on its styling through the hiring of acclaimed designer Peter
Schreyer and in December it hired Albert Biermann, chief engineer for BMW’s M
performance cars, to develop performance cars and improve ride and handling on
both its Kia and Hyundai
brands.
Don’t
be surprised if its cars’ current weakness – uncommunicative handling – quickly
becomes a strength for the Koreans. Admittedly, the new Sorento is slightly
more expensive than its Santa Fe equivalent, and given the strength of the
Santa Fe model brand in Ireland – arguably as strong as Hyundai itself – it
will struggle to make an impact here. It’s also up against another newcomer
that’s likely to prove a hit amongst Irish buyers – the Land Rover Discovery
Sport.
However,
with its smart new look, its warranty offer and a good equipment package on
offer – along with all-wheel-drive as standard – the Sorento is worth a look for
family buyers in that market for something a little more rugged than your
typical people carrier.
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