Kia Sorento road test
by Mark Walker
3rd February, 2013
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With SUV sales continuing to boom, we sample one of the popular mid-sized
models from Korea.
Test Car particulars
The vehicle driven is the Kia Sorento Platinum coloured Glittering Metal with Steel black trim.
Prices*
The new Sorento is available in three variants: Si, SLi and Platinum. The Si and SLi are both offered with a choice of
2WD or 4WD and petrol or diesel engines.
Pricing is currently being offered from $37,990** drive-away for 2012 plated entry level Si 2WD models. The Si 2WD is
fitted with the 204kW 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine and automatic transmission as standard. The normal price for the entry
level Si is $37,490* (plus on-road costs). Add $1,500 for the Si with 4WD, diesel engine and manual gearbox. Add another
$2,000 for the automatic gearbox.
The mid-range SLi adds a significant amount of equipment and some cosmetic extras over the Si. It’s priced from
$40,490* for the 2WD petrol automatic and $43,990* for the 4WD diesel automatic. It’s also available with integrated
satellite navigation for an extra $1,500*.
The top of the range Platinum like we drove is priced from $50,390*. The test vehicle had premium paint so add $595*
making the price, as tested, as $50,985*.
Model background
The Sorento was first sold in 2002, and has survived seven years and sales of almost 900,000 worldwide. The second
generation Sorento arrived in 2009 and was a major improvement in design, safety and quality although less capable
off-road.
The MY13 Sorento is effectively an upgraded version of the second generation vehicle.
From the outside, the changes aren’t obvious unless the lights are on. New for MY13 are LED daytime running lights at
the front and a fresh LED tail light clusters at the rear. It seems like all new models are jumping on the LED bandwagon
but these add a much needed touch of class to the big Kia.
The front and rear bumpers are also freshened to improve the overall appearance with the lower ride height and new
larger alloy wheels completing the new look. The interior is improved with a new look dash and increased equipment
levels.
The Sorento still shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Santa Fe, a car that has also been recently updated. The
Santa Fe is one of the Sorento’s close competitors, along with the Aussie built Ford Territory and Toyota’s petrol only
Kluger.
Driving the Sorento Platinum
The Platinum is only available with a 2.2 litre turbo-charged common rail direct injection diesel engine matched to a
six-speed automatic transmission and that suits us fine. You can have a bigger V6 petrol engine in the other variants
but it’s much thirstier on fuel, lacks the torque of the diesel and is only available in two-wheel drive.
It’s a little noisy but the diesel propels the big Sorento along very capably. Maximum power is a meagre 145 kW at
3,800 rpm although maximum torque is an impressive 436 Nm between 1,800 rpm 2,500 rpm. It’s not going to win many races -
the official time from strand still to 100 km/h time is claimed as 9.9 seconds. That’s still brisk enough around town and
it provides very comfortable motoring at freeway speeds, including some steep gradients which we encountered.
Some people may not appreciate the lack of feeling from the electric power steering. It’s got three modes to select
from: Comfort (very light), Normal (light) and Sport (heavy). After testing all three we stuck to Comfort mode mostly
thanks to its ability to make parking virtually effortless.
Living with the Sorento Platinum
Kia has been very generous in filling the Sorento with value. The convenience and comfort features on the MY13 Sorento
Platinum are everywhere.
Keyless entry allows you to unlock and lock the door without taking the key from your pocket/purse.
The Platinum gets leather seating as standard and this gives the cabin a premium feeling. The front seats could be
more supportive but are still comfortable and the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable. If you have two regular
drivers you will appreciate the fact there are two memory settings on the driver’s seat allowing prompt, precise
adjustment. The front seats are heated as standard in the Platinum which will be handy in winter. Not content with that,
Kia have also added ventilated cooling to the front seats to improve comfort in the summer. In-seat ventilation is an
excellent feature in leather seats which tend to get hot if your car is parked in the sun on a hot day. The ventilation
cools them promptly and also cools your body – arguably faster than the conventional climate control air conditioning.
Integrated, retractable sun blinds in the 2nd row of seating are a very good touch that will be appreciated by
families with young children. The 2nd row of seats can also be reclined for extra comfort. The 3rd row is a kids only
domain and they now also receive their very own air conditioning vent.
The inclusion of the massive panoramic sunroof helps fill the cabin with light and adds to the premium feel. The full
length blind is electrically controlled from a switch above the rear vision mirror. The front section of the sunroof can
be open horizontally or be tilted to suit.
Our test car had the excellent, integrated satellite navigation included. It’s a good system with a massive, centrally
mounted touch screen which doubles as the screen for the reversing camera. Bluetooth connection for telephone use and
audio streaming is standard kit and its easy to use too.
Storage space in Sorento is poor if all 3 rows of seats are upright however you’ll experience the same problem with
competitors in this segment. Drop the 3rd of seats and you have a generous 1,047 litres of storage space which can be
expanded further to a massive 2,052 litres if the second row of seats is also folded down.
Noise levels in the cabin are also slightly improved over the old model, helping add to the comfort. The diesel rattle
is still noticeable in the cabin at times – mostly when accelerating from stand still or from low speeds.
Overall, the interior comfort, quality and equipment levels in the Sorento Platinum are excellent – particularly so
given the price point.
Safety
The Sorento 2.2 litre diesel 4WD carries a five star safety rating, as awarded by Euro NCAP back in 2009 when the
previous all-new model was released. The new generation car retains the five star rating due to it providing comparable
occupant protection.
The big Kia Sorento brakes well thanks to new larger discs and support from anti-lock braking (ABS) with electronic
brake distribution and brake assist.
Other safety features include six airbags, traction control, and all Sorento’s are fitted with front and rear parking
sensors. The SLi and Platinum both have a rear view camera.
Fuel and emissions
Kia claim fuel consumption rating of just 7.3 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle which, for a vehicle of this size,
is very reasonable indeed. That compares very well indeed against the Toyota Kluger Grande AWD which is slightly larger,
slightly heavier, more powerful, petrol only and includes less luxury and convenience features. The Toyota guzzles 11.6
litres per 100 km on a combined cycle. That is a big difference over 100,000 kms.
A fuel tank of 64 litres on such a large vehicle seems small but thanks to the frugal diesel power plant, the
theoretical range on a single tank is well over 800 kms.
Let’s go back to the Toyota Kluger comparison and use the manufacturers claimed consumption figures for a partly
hypothetical scenario. Say you drive the same roads in the Kluger Grande AWD and the Sorento Platinum AWD for 100,000 km.
You’ll use 7,300 litres of diesel in the Kia and need to refuel at least 114 times assuming the tank is full to begin
with. Doesn’t mean much I suppose. But think about the Toyota. It will consume 11,600 litres of unleaded over the same
distance and need to be refuelled at least 161 times (it’s got a 72 litre tank capacity). So 59% more fuel or 4,300
litres on a quantity basis and 47 more trips to service stations – which is 41% more time – time which can be better
spent doing what you want to do. If you spend 15 minutes refuelling each time, that is almost 12 hours wasted over the
period. We’ll get to service intervals later where even more time is wasted.
Combined CO2 emissions are 192g per km from the Euro IV compliant engine.
The manual diesel is claimed to be more fuel efficient than the automatic. Kia claim fuel economy for the manual is
6.6 litres per 100km on a combined cycle as per the ADR 81/02 standard.
Dimensions
Length: 4,685 mm
Width: 1,885 mm (excluding side mirrors)
Height: 1,700 mm (including roof rails)
Wheelbase: 2,700 mm
Weight: 1,960 kg
Boot capacity: 258 litres with 7 seats up, 1,047 litres with 5 seats up, 2,052 with 2 seats up
Towing
The maximum towing capacity for a Sorento with automatic transmission is 2,000 kg with a braked trailer. Although a
Sorento diesel with manual transmission can tow a braked trailer up to 2,500kg. All Sorento models can tow an unbraked
trailer weighing up to 750kg.
After Sales
The Sorento is supported by an excellent warranty, protecting it subject to conditions for up to five years with no
limit on kilometres travelled for vehicles sold to retail buyers.
Service intervals are 15,000 km or every 12 months, whichever comes first. Kia has adopted a capped price servicing
scheme for new vehicles. The Sorento enjoys capped price service costs for the first five services, effectively locking
in service costs for up to 5 years or 75,000 km. This compares reasonably well to rival schemes. For example, although
the Toyota Service Advantage covers up to six services on a Kluger, you need to get that car serviced every 6 months
and the period of cover is a maximum of 3 years before you are at the mercy of your selected dealer and their chosen
labour rate and parts pricing structure. The cost of each Sorento capped price service varies but the average is less
than $400 per service.
Perhaps more compelling than the total cost over 5 years is the time saving and convenience of having the vehicle
serviced just once per year.
Conclusion
The Sorento is understandably winning widespread praise, mostly thanks to its excellent value and quality proposition.
We think it’s a good looking SUV too.
NOTE: * Manufacturer's List Price (MLP) excludes dealer delivery
fees and the numerous statutory charges (commonly known as on-road costs). Additionally, please note that all prices,
fees and charges are subject to change without notice, as are the specifications.
E&OE
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