•Mark Musutu Kia Motors Corporation, also known as KMC, was founded in 1944 – it’s Korea’s oldest motor manufacturer and is only second to Hyundai in terms of sales. KMC is now a subsidiary of Hyundai.
Before I did my homework, brands like Kia or Hyundai seemed to be very new. In my memory, they only date back as far as the 90s. I justify this perception by the fact that I have never seen an oldie Kia or Hyundai. They do exist, though we only got know about the brands recently in this part of the world.
With the advent of Korean companies taking global centre stage, for example Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motors and Posco Iron and Steel, it’s only right that Kia to follows suit or goes with the status quo. At this moment in time, Kia is certainly repositioning itself, scaling up and setting sights on greater heights in the auto industry – with the Sorento.
A major highlight of the Sorento is that it has third-row seating, allowing it to be positioned as a mid-sized SUV and a more affordable alternative to the class. The Sorento is the peak of Kia’s offering and it and seems to offer more for less. Gunning against the likes of the BMW X5, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee or and the Mercedes GLE, it has most of their talents and is a cheeky competitor to any mid-sized SUV, though the Sorento seems just a little shy because it has got one foot in this segment and one foot in the segment of the smaller Kia Sportage, Mercedes GLC and BMW X3. Simply put, it’s a cross-over.
The 2017 Sorento is mainly German designed with input from Kia’s Korea and US studios; it has more of an American orientation in design and styling as it resembles similar-sized Fords and Chevrolets. It has a pinch of Asian and little to no European styling traces. Kia has design studios all around the globe but the Sorento definitely has its American studio’s signature.
The interior is a two colour theme of black and red leather, it feels very sporty as well thanks to a small steering wheel which makes it feel very easy to manoeuvre.
The seats take on a sporty design which is further enhanced by the colour coding; at the same time they are very comfortable. You will find nothing to fault in the second row seats but like most cars, third row seats are best for younger occupants. The dash is very simple and easy on the eye with most features clustered on the upper centre. For the love of the weekend, it has a panoramic roof speaking of its outdoor intent.
The interior is for certain an elegant full house. It has a 180mm colour touch screen with integrated satellite navigation as standard, as well as a rear-view parking camera, ‘smart’ key that unfolds the mirrors, and switches on the interior and door-handle lights when you bring it within 1,7 metres of the car, and opens the power-operated tailgate if you bring it close to the back.
The Sorento is loaded with state-of-the-art infotainment and connectivity including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Kia also offers the third generation of its UVO system and a Harman/Kardon eight-speaker audio system with eight gigabytes of storage. Also packaged is a wireless charging station which activates automatically when you put a compatible mobile device in it, showing charge level in the instrument cluster, even warning you if forget it.
Other packages include: Two USB charging points, one up front and one in the rear, as standard; heated seats; heated steering; heated cup holders and a host of other necessary goodies.
Kia’s mantra states “the power to surprise”. Indeed I was caught off-guard when I sat in the driver’s seat and asked where the ignition button was thinking it was off, when it was actually on. That’s the level of refinement in the Sorento. You can set the driving mode to either Sport, Comfy or Eco.
Three engines are available: A 185-hp 2,4-litre I-4 with 178 lb-ft of torque which is only available in the L and LX trims; a 3,3-litre V-6 rated at 290-hp and 252 lb-ft and a 2,0-litre turbo-four making 240 hp and 260 lb-ft. The turbo-four is only available in the EX and Limited grades while the V-6 is standard on the SX and available on the LX, EX, and Limited models. A silky smooth six-speed automatic is the only transmission on all models.
The Sorento sits on a suspension that keeps a firm, composed ride, and an all-new body structure that is very stiff, and on high-strength steel. Altogether, the Sorento has exactly what Kia set out to achieve – a vault-like German-style ride with a more confident feel in general, even though it has lost some weight as it has evolved. The Sorento is refined; I last felt such a level of refinement in a Range Rover, it’s just that good.
Standard safety features include dual front advanced air bags, dual front seat-mounted side airbags, first and second-row curtain airbags, a rollover sensor, active driver aids, blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and lane departure warning. It also has autonomous braking.
The Kia Sorento is a car that you may want to think is average, but within minutes you’ll know it’s way above that – I feel it’s only got a reputation missing, when it comes to function, performance and quality, it is certainly among the best. With the onset of the S Class challenger Hyundai Genesis, it seems the Koreans are gunning for global top in the auto industry and they are well on their way there.
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