Kia Sorento 2003 Review

The handsome Kia Sorento is, at $37,950, a wagon of some ability and comfort. It also points to a maturing Korean industry with good fit and finish, good build quality and continued value.

The Sorento is arguably the best Korean machine landed here to date.

It sits 4.5m long on a wheelbase that's longer and wider than most rivals. This gives the Sorento a strong road presence of some character.

This uncluttered approach to style also runs through the Kia's interior. The surfaces are flat and serviceable, the instruments and controls legible and logical.

KIA SORENTO Price: $37,950 Engine: 3.5-litre V6 Power: 145kW @ 5000rpm Torque: 295Nm @ 3000rpm Transmission: Four-speed automatic, two-speed transfer case Wheels/tyres: 16-inch alloy; 245/70 R16 Length/width/height: 4.5m/1.86m/1.7m Weight: 2027kg Fuel tank: 80 litres Ground clearance: 203mm Towing capacity: 2300kg

It has a high-class European-style ambience, even if the materials may here and there fall a little short of luxury standards.

And the Sorento's interior is stacked with all the gear – from CD player, airbags, cargo screens and carpet to useful cup holders and cubby holes.

Airconditioning is standard, as are electric windows and mirrors plus cruise control. Options are limited to leather trim, electrically operated seats, sunroof and wood trim dashboard.

The back seat offers excellent space for three, with good head and leg room. Indeed, Kia claims more cabin space than many rivals.

The rear cargo area is said to offer 900 litres of space yet appears a little shallow, if wide and deep. The back seats split 60:40, the tailgate window can be opened independently of the door and there's a convenient grab handle to bring the tailgate down, plus a cargo.

A fair bit of thought has gone into the workings of the interior, right down to simple, easy-to-follow ventilation controls.

Pity then that Kia opted for one of those kiddies' stereo controls, the buttons dangerously small and the CD slot behind the stereo face.

It is, all up, a very useful and tidy cabin layout with generous space and comfort features.

The driver sits up with good visibility over a sloping nose and the Sorento is fluent among the traffic or among the trees.

Out on the highway, the Sorento's V6 pushes along nicely, helped by a reasonably smooth four-speed automatic transmission.

It may not be a fireball for there's just on 2 tonne of vehicle to haul along but there's a smoothness to the combination plus the impression that the 3.5-litre engine will free up with more kilometres.

It is a solid and safe package on the road and off. While a little lower gearing and a little more engine braking on steep off-road descents would be appreciated, the Kia does have a mighty handy low range (engaged with a dashboard knob) that's not offered by some rivals at this price.

Off-road ability is compromised by the highway-biased, big and meaty Hankook tyres but there's also a full ladder frame chassis, a useful engineering approach if looking to do a bit of semi-serious work in the scrub or a touch of towing.

The Sorento steers well, with nice weight to the wheel. It could do with a tad more life at the straight ahead and the wagon will drift a little wide through turns but the Kia's handling scores reasonably well for this class of vehicle.

The suspension – double wishbone with coil springs up front, five-link and springs at the rear – works hard.

The wagon is fine on big bumps and hollows, feeling solid and durable. But when the road turns to sharp little ripples, when the gravel turns to corrugations, the suspension gets a bit busy and there is a little sharpness coming back through the steering wheel.

The beefy Hankooks run on 35psi and the problem, if minor, could be with those tyres not supplying enough damping. Or maybe there is just not the right type of damping for this smaller stuff.

There is no question of the Sorento losing grip but this little bit of skatiness is the wagon's only blemish in a well-designed and well-built four-wheel-drive of some ability.

Initially there may be some hypothetical questions about this Kia's durability and resale value further down the track.

If the first is under control, the second question will look after itself and don't be surprised if this Sorento heralds a major shift in the perception of Kia vehicles.