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By
ALISTAIR KENNEDY
9 April 2007
First sold here in 2003 Sorento is the larger of two Kia SUV
vehicles, the smaller Sportage having been one of the first offerings
when the Korean car-maker arrived in Australia in 1996.
For 2007, Kia has given Sorento a mild facelift, and more
performance courtesy of a larger engine, now 3.8 litres instead of
the 3.5-litre unit used in the original vehicle. Now with
Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) the big Korean SUV
generates 196 kW of power at 6000 rpm and peak torque of 353 Nm at
4500 revs. This is well up on the 145kW and 295 Nm of the 3.5 so
there’s significantly more on-road grunt than before resulting
in a braked trailer towing capacity of 2800kg, significantly
greater than almost all of its competitors.
And if it’s torque that you want, then there’s even more on
the way with the 392Nm Sorento CRDi 2.5-litre turbo diesel due
here mid-year.
Previously available with manual transmission the 3.8-litre
Sorento now only comes as a five-speed automatic with tiptronic-style
manual override.
We’ve always liked the exterior appearance of Sorento. It’s
neat, understated and contemporary and to our eyes is as
attractive as any SUV on our roads.
Importantly for ‘real’ 4WD drivers Sorento provides genuine
off-road capability while keeping the suburban runners happy with
the the sort of flowing lines that hide the fact it’s a true
old-style 4WD. Having said that, it’s not a full-on bush-basher,
but it will go just about anywhere the adventurous weekend family
desires.
Sorento is a five-seater with good interior space for four
full-sized adults or three children up to their mid-teens. As part
of the 2007 upgrade the front seatbacks have been reshaped to
provide extra legroom for rear seat passengers.
The rear storage area is large and practical with a number of
sizeable stowage areas, including one hidden under the boot floor.
While this allows for items to be hidden from prying eyes the
downside (literally) is that the spare tyre is mounted underneath
the vehicle making tyre changing an awkward and messy procedure.
A two-range transfer case is operated by a dash-mounted knob.
You can select high-4WD at speeds up to 80 km/h. Four-wheel drive
can't be used on sealed surfaces, but can be selected for safer
driving on unmade roads.
Interestingly, Kia also builds the Sorento with rear-wheel
drive as well as with four-wheel drive. While both Ford and
Hyundai have been successful with their two-wheel drive Territory
and Tucson variants no other car companies have followed their
lead mainly because our tariffs favour 4WDs.
On-road the Sorento is quiet and comfortable and is almost
car-like to ride in. Handling is OK for a vehicle of this type and
price. Off-road the ride is a little bouncy at times but back off
the throttle and it’s not too bad.
Equipment levels are reasonable including air conditioning, ABS
brakes, dual front airbags, cruise control, and eight-speaker
audio system with single disc, MP3-compatible CD player.
Prices start at $36,990 for the Sorento EX. The EX-L sells for
$39,790 and the EX-P for $39,990.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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