That's
just what Kia managed to do in a
tongue-in-cheek commercial featuring former 007, Pierce Brosnan, with the MI6
agent escaping to tell the heady tale.
There
was not a snow-capped mountain, an angry Russian or an exploding cabin in sight
when the latest Sorento
was launched in Australia this week, but the beautiful beaches of Port Douglas
and the Kuranda ranges still proved a lovely backdrop.
Comfort
The
interior of this new Sorento has a decidedly more upmarket feel with a sweeping
dash, textured soft touch plastics and stylish highlights irrespective of the
grade you choose.
Kia's generosity is apparent too
with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat nav and reverse
camera as standard.
Seats
are better bolstered and more supportive. All three rows sport good materials
and finishing touches.
A
longer, wider car translates into better interior space all round although the
third pew is still better suited to children.
There
are anchors for child seats in the second row only with access to the third row
limited if they are in use. The seats are easy to slide forward, lift and drop.
Cargo space is a useful 605 litres with only five on board.
There
are a large number of storage options in the cabin, including door bins that
are actually useful in the real world and cup holders that hold a large coffee
cup.
The
tailgate, powered in the SLi and Premium models, can be operated by a proximity
key.
On the road
The new
Sorento is quiet, almost
eerily so, and we had to check on more than one occasion the car had actually
been switched on.
It is
thanks in part to the use of new engine mounts, additional sound deadening
material and single-piece doors.
Buyers
have the option of either a reworked 2.2-litre turbo-diesel or a new 3.3-litre
petrol paired with an efficient six-speed automatic gearbox.
For us,
the former with its all-wheel-drive capability (petrols available in FWD only)
is probably the pick using its torque band with dexterity and extra weight for
a more planted field.
It
offers greater traction at lower speeds, is more comfortable on a variety of
surfaces and significantly more fuel efficient.
Not
that the petrol is a poor cousin. It responds well to instruction, is the more
eager of the two when asked for a burst of speed with smooth acceleration and
able road manners.
The
nose can feel a bit heavy in the corners if you brake too soon but it remains
composed with much less body roll than you would expect from a car of this
size.
Steering
in both variants is quite light and much more effective in Sports mode, which
offers a more enthusiastic ride.
This Sorento is a welcome recipient of
effective tuning for Australian conditions with engineers revising shock
absorbers, adding firmer springs and anti-roll bars at both ends as well as
damper and steering wheel tunes. The well-rounded effort has resulted in a car
that delivers a supple, comfy ride and maintains its feet and balance on unruly
surfaces.
What do you get?
Kia is never one to scrimp on
inclusions, and the entry-level Si gets nearly as many goodies as the
range-topping Platinum.
The Si
comes standard with 17-inch alloys, cloth trim, seven seats, seven-inch display
with sat nav and reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone
climate control auto headlights.
The SLi
adds 18-inch alloys, leather trim, eight-way powered driver seat, powered
hands-free tailgate and a seven-inch multi-info display in the instrument
cluster.
For an
additional $5000, the Premium brings ventilated or heated front seats, a heated
second row, panoramic sunroof, adaptive HID headlights, heated steering wheel,
19-inch alloys and 10-speaker audio.
The Sorento received an
incredible 36.62 out of a possible 37 ANCAP safety rating, a score anchored by
curtain airbags for all rows, ABS with traction and stability control, brake
assist, hill start assist and emergency stop signal.
The
Platinum also features blind-spot assist, lane departure warning, smart cruise
control and rear cross traffic alert.
Running costs
Bigger
and heavier, the Sorento is also slightly thirstier than the outgoing model.
Official figures for the petrol are 9.9l/100km with the diesel coming in at
7.8l/100km. We were closer to 12.5l and 9l respectively which is acceptable for
a seven-seater. The Sorento
is, of course, backed by Kia's seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Competition
Family
SUVs are an ever-expanding market and while some of these competitors don't
have seven seats or a diesel engine, the Sorento will still have to fight off
the Ford Territory (from $36,990), Nissan Pathfinder (from $39,990), Hyundai
Santa Fe ($38,490), Toyota Kluger (from $39,990) and Jeep Grand Cherokee (from
$45,190)
Practicality
From
its spacious interior, easy-fold seven seats, on-road manners and creature
comforts, this Sorento is
all about practicality.
There
are some nice touches like a second 12V plug and USB output in the middle row
and things that are sometimes overlooked, like air vents in the third row and
storage compartments that are large enough to be useful.
Funky Factor
Designers
have added interest with a larger tiger nose grille, wrap-around headlamps,
prominent fog lamps and a lower roofline.
The
lines are sweeping and the stance more muscular. Not enough to get the heart
racing but enough to keep a steady beat.
The lowdown
There
is no doubt the Sorento is an important vehicle for Kia and this latest edition with
its all-round performance, more luxurious interior and decent inclusions will
make greater inroads into a segment the Korean manufacturer is looking to
dominate.
What Matters Most
What we liked: Value-for-money
proposition, quiet comfortable drive, more upmarket interior.
What we'd like to see: Petrol AWD option,
child seat anchors in the third row, more steering feel.
Warranty and servicing: Seven-year
unlimited warranty with capped-price servicing and roadside assist.
Vital Statistics
Model: 2015 Kia Sorento.
Details: Five-door front-wheel drive or
all-wheel drive family SUV.
Engines: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
generating maximum power of 147kW @ 3800rpm and peak torque of 441Nm @ 1750rpm;
3.3-litre V6 petrol generating maximum power of 199kW @ 6400rpm and peak torque
of 318Nm @ 5000rpm.
Transmission: Six-speed
automatic.
Consumption: 7.8 litres/100km combined for diesel
and 9.9l/100km for the petrol.
CO2 emissions: 205g/km for diesel
and 230g/km for petrol.
Bottom line (before on-roads): From $40,990 (Si
2WD), $44,490 (Si AWD), $45,990 (SLi 2WD), $49,490 (SLi AWD), $55,990 (Platinum
AWD).
No comments:
Post a Comment