The original Kia Sorento was a proper no-frills SUV that shifted focus to become more of an MPV crossover with its 2nd generation, which we see here revised to remain competitive in this segment. Substance over aesthetics has been the key with these improvements with changes to the platform and engines. It’s now more spacious and more efficient. Perfect for anyone looking for an affordable family 7 seat 4×4.
The aesthetic of the 2nd generation Kia Sorento hasn’t changed much at all. It’s still smart, smooth and practically focused, but it is generally a bit sleeker and lower to add into the bargain. Projection headlights and daytime running LEDs stand either side of the now characteristic Kia tiger grille. The back bumper and tailgate have also been given a redesign to assist in a swisher appearance. Inside, as mentioned before this is a 7 seater with 3 rows. The 3rd row isn’t what you’d call roomy, but it should be comfy enough for a couple of kids, complete with their own vents and cup holders. The second row will feel the real benefit of an extra 30mm of space here which will ensure that there’s reasonable space for 3 people to travel in decent comfort. This is enhanced by individually reclining chairs. Up front, the Kia Sorento still fairly functional and basic, but Kia have at least made a visible effort to give it a more premium feel with lots of nice soft touch materials, chrome highlights and a redesigned centre console complete with 4.2” colour LCD touchscreen.
The chair and steering wheel on the Kia Sorento are both adjustable so you can find optimum comfort in your driving position. Right at the back, the boot space is understandably limited at 116ltrs if you have all 3 rows of seats in operation. There is a good underfloor storage compartment to ensure this isn’t too bad to deal with when you need to store stuff. If the 3rd row isn’t being used then it can be folded into the floor to reveal a decent 515ltrs, which can be extended to a vacuous 1530ltrs should you need to fold the 2nd row down for space too. The Kia engineers have made some major changes to the mechanics of the Sorento with shared Hyundai parts – primarily from the Hyundai Santa Fe. The chassis is much stiffer, it comes with electric power steering now and the brakes and suspension setups have been completely reworked. That being said, it’s still not what you’d pin as a particularly memorable drive.
Luckily people looking to buy one of these will probably be prioritising space and comfort over brilliant driving dynamics so it shouldn’t matter too much. It maintains near silence at higher speeds while the multi-link suspension works to keep the ride under control through all but the bumpiest road surfaces which makes for very good long distance comfort and refinement. The Sorento has been fitted with high performance dampers and it controls the body roll relatively well, but the bendy stuff is still not the most fun you’ll ever have in a car. Especially since the steering tends to feel pretty vague. Top of the range Kia Sorento models come with Kia’s Flex-Steer system which allows you to alter the style of the steering, but in general this veers too much to the extremes of either direction to really be anything more than a hindrance.
This is clearly not one to throw about the place, but if you take a more chilled out pace with the Kia Sorento then it will provide you with a pleasant drive. There is a single engine available to UK buyers – the 194bhp 2.2ltr CRDi diesel unit which has a great torque output of 422Nm, which is great for towing with a 2500kg tow limit. Ideal for trailers for a family holiday. It reaches 62mph from standing in 9.5 seconds up to an easy going top speed of 118mph. This new Kia Sorento is a very different machine from the original, which was geared towards off-roading. This new focus on MPV virtues has naturally lowered its ability as an off-road machine. It will be very useful for bad weather conditions and forest trails though. The all-wheel drive layout follows a standard FWD operation which will automatically kick the rear wheels into action should it detect any amount of slip. There is also a lock button to manually lock the configuration into 50/50 mode. It comes with some other off-road technology, but as it has 185mm of ground clearance it will keep you held back from the more adventurous stuff.
All in all, what’s the lowdown with the new Kia Sorento? Practical, strong and straightforward – this 2nd generation Sorento has been thoroughly revised in order to stay competitive in this segment where off-roading isn’t the focus at all. It is essentially a good compromise of space, efficiency and value for money that presents a more adventurous choice for those looking for a family orientated 4×4 with the added flexibility of 7 seats.
If you want to get hold of a new Kia Sorento then don’t hesitate to leave us a message on our contact us page or give us a call on 01903 538835 to find out about our Kia lease deals.
