Kia Sorento Car Review

HerCar Rating Safety Styling Family Friendly Value Eco Friendly Overall Model Reviewed: Kia Sorento 4WD Platinum 2.2 litre Diesel 6 speed auto 7 Seater $48,990*   Other models priced from: Si 2.4 litre petrol 6 speed automatic $36,490* HerCar 3 word summary Roomy, Functional, Smooth

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Why You’d Buy It

7 seats, easy to drive, flexible seating, fuel economy, standard safety features

Why You Wouldn’t

SLi, Platinum a little over priced

Kia has just launched their new Sorento. There have been great improvements in styling and quality but the big news is that it comes with 7 seats as standard; there are 2 brand new engines, a petrol and a diesel; and there has been shift towards urban buyers by offering a 2WD version.

There is plenty of choice in the range with manual and auto transmissions, 2WD or 4WD and differing levels of comfort and features. Towing capacity has been reduced slightly which may reduce sales to the adventurers, but Kia believe what they may lose in sales to this market they will pick up in the city family market by being able to offer a competitively priced SUV.

We test drove the top of the line Platinum which comes with a panoramic sunroof, a more comprehensive audio package and a push button start and smart entry key. These features cost an extra $3k over the SLi model. The Si auto 2WD is the best value for money at $36,490 plus on road costs.

Driver’s View

The new Sorento is a really pleasant car to drive. It’s easy to see out of, has smooth acceleration and a good amount of power. The new auto diesel engine is a vast improvement over the previous one, with seamless gear changes and reduced engine noise. Parking can always be a bit trickier in a larger car, but the SLi and Platinum models have rear parking sensors and a rear view camera. Unlike other cars, the rear image is seen on the left hand side of the rear view mirror. When you’re not in reverse it disappears. A bit difficult to explain so don’t forget to check it our when you take it for a test drive.

There are leather seats throughout with a leather steering wheel and gear knob. The driver’s seat is power adjustable 8 ways and offers a lumbar support for extra comfort. The steering wheel has a “truckesque” feel and is it slightly over sized, something that I picked up on but my male driving partner didn’t until I pointed it out. He said “yeh you’re right”, but it didn’t bother him.

The dash layout and instrumentations have a modern stylish feel and are easy to reach and use. Cruise control and audio controls are mounted on the steering wheel for added convenience.

We drove the car inland from Noosa up to picturesque Maleny. We took it through creeks, along dirt roads, through the suburbs of Noosa and cruised along the freeway. It performed really well in all road conditions. We opened the panoramic sunroom and let the sun shine in as well belted out the tunes on my iPod. High School Musical didn’t go down well with my mid 20s male companion, but I earned some real cred with him when The Dandy Warhols and The Herd did their thing. You’re only as old as you feel, right?

Safety

The Sorento has been awarded a 4 star (out of 5) ANCAP safety rating. Models arriving in the country from December will be awarded 5 stars, as they will be fitted with a seat belt warning chime on the passenger seat. So ignoring this omission, the Sorento has all the latest safety gear including 6 airbags, ABS brakes, Electronic Brake Distribution, Electronic Stability Control, with Traction Control. It doesn’t matter which model you buy, all of these features as standard.

Another feature I like is the Hill Start Assist Control. This stops the car from rolling backwards when you take your foot off the brake on a steep incline.

Storage

The Sorento boats 25 different types of storage compartments including cup holders for all rows of seats, bottle holders in each doors, large glove box and centre console box, sunglasses holder and storage pockets on the back of the front seats.

Family Friendly

Having 7 seats is a big plus for families. You only need to have 2 kids and a couple of their friends and the third row of seats come in really handy. There’s good head and shoulder room in the third row, but the leg room is a bit limited for adults.

It’s really easy to get kids in and out of child seats in the second row, thanks to the high seating positions. The kids have good visibility out of the second row as the seats are reasonably high and the windows are low.

It’s easy to get into the third row as the seats in the second row split folds and rolls providing sufficient room to climb in.

There’s not much space in the boot when all 3 rows are being used. But this is the case with most 7 seater SUVs. There are however really flexible seating arrangements to maximise how much stuff you can carry as well as passengers. Both the second and third row of seats are split fold and the 3rd row folds completely flat.

There are 3 point seat belts throughout the car, some cars still fit a lap sash to the middle seat. There are child locks on the rear doors, to prevent them from opening them themselves.

There are also 3 child seat anchorage points located on the rear of the second row of seats.

EcoFriendly

For a 7 seater SUV, the fuel efficiency is pretty good, consuming 7.4 litres per 100kms combined cycle. The manual diesel is the most fuel efficient model in the range consuming 6.7 litres per 100kms. It has a greenhouse rating of 6.5 start out of 10 and carbon emissions of 194 grams per km.

Overall View

The new Sorento is difficult to fault. It does what it is designed to do; appeal to families and adventurers. It’s easy to drive, seats 7 people comfortably and has sufficient grunt under the bonnet. The quality is very good as is the list of features. If anything, the SLi and Platinum models are slightly over priced as the Kia brand still strives to win the hearts of Australians. All in all, it is a step up in quality and style for Kia.

Test Drive Tips

1. It has a push start/stop, so no need to insert and turn a key.

2. Check out the electro chromatic mirror when reversing

If you’re considering buying this car you might also consider the Mazda CX-9, Ford Territory, Holden Captiva, Hyundai Santa Fe.

Features of Model Reviewed

Seats:	7
Airbags:	6 airbags
ABS:	Yes
EBD:	Yes
Dynamic Stability Control:	Yes
Driver visibility:
Storage compartments:
Drink holders:	9
CD player:	CD stack CD player with MP3 & iPod compatibility, AUX & USB input
Air conditioning:	Yes, climate control
Power windows:	Yes
Power door mirrors:	Yes
Child restraint anchorage points:	3
Transmission:	6 speed auto
Engine:	2.2 litre
Fuel type:	Diesel
Fuel consumption (combined cycle):	7.4 litres/100 kms
CO2 Emission:	194gms/km
Greenhouse rating#:	6.5/10 (10=best)
Green Vehicle Guide rating:
ANCAP rating:
Towing capacity:	2,100kgs braked trailer
Warranty:	5 year unlimited km warranty
Price:	$48,990*

 

*Manufacturer’s list price. Excludes dealer delivery, insurance and statutory government charges.

# All new vehicles sold in Australia (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) are tested to determine the level of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Greenhouse rating), which are displayed on the fuel consumption label attached to the windscreen of the car. The Green Vehicle Guide rating combines the Greenhouse Rating and Air Pollution Rating and awards a star. 5 stars is the best rating.  For more information, click here.
Information is correct at the time of the review. Please check with your local Kia dealer for the most recent information.

Review Date: October 2009

Reviewed By: Melissa Pye