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First look: Kia Sorento XM

  • By Neil McDonald
  • Herald Sun
image Kia's Sorento XM is looking more muscular than ever before. Photo Gallery

Kia's No3 show car for next week's Geneva motor show is all but done and dusted.

Now the Korean carmaker is focusing on April's Seoul Motor Show, where it will unveil the new Sorento off-roader, codenamed XM.

Probably the biggest news about the new Sorento is that it will move from a traditional body-on-frame construction to a unit-body design borrowed from the Hyundai Veracruz, which is sold in North America.

Visually it is clear the Sorento has grown up, with a more refined and car-like design to distance itself from the more agricultural current model.

The new look is more muscular, following some of the same themes as the contemporary looking Cerato, also design by Kia chief designer, Peter Schreyer.

The off-roader is expected to have both turbo-diesel and petrol engines.

Its engine line-up is expected to include the next-generation 150kW/435Nm 2.2-litre R-diesel engine delivering an impressive 7.0 litre/100km, a 2.4-litre Theta II petrol four cylinder and a 200kW 3.8-litre in-line petrol six.

Engines will be coupled to a new six-speed automatic transmission.

 

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