Kia Sorento Reviews

Survival of the fittest and a natural process of subsequent generations being superior to their forebears are two clauses which suit the 4WD to a tee.Ever since the Land Rover pioneers, the brothers Wilkes, decided in the mid-1940s on a multi-purpose, all-wheel drive to bring relief to English farmers, there's a new species bred each year.One of the latest, however, takes a slight step backwards.Introduced as an automatic, the Kia Sorento now gets a clutch and five cogs beneath the floor to make us work a bit harder, and pay a little less. In fact, $2000 less.Given that the range of automatic 4WDs on the market is pretty damn good, the release of a manual transmission model seems pointless.But Kia insists some of you – not me – like manuals.However, I could be lured to the other side because the Sorento's clutch is light and the gear action smooth and positive. The 3.5-litre V6 is naturally torquey, so the vehicle is as easy to drive as some passenger cars.I'm a fan of a manual gearbox in a 4WD when climbing and descending – whether it be gravel-strewn hills, shale mountains or sand dunes.The manual can be held in a low gear to use engine braking when descending.In comparison, some autos let the engine run amok and it requires a lot of delicate braking to safely slow the vehicle.But on the beach and for general off-roading an auto takes the cake.I'd agree that a manual gearbox is also better for towing and, to split hairs, is likely to out-accelerate its automatic counterpart.Kia – and Hyundai – both use an electronic transfer case. It's controlled by a twist knob on the right side of the steering wheel and allows the driver to simply dial up the drive.Just hit the clutch and the switch from 2WD to 4WD High can be taken at up to 80km/h.For 4WD Low the vehicle has to be stationary – yet it's just as painless.This system is also used by Volkswagen and Nissan and will soon be used by other makers, including Suzuki.Other than the transmission swap, there's not much difference between this and the auto.There's not a lot – at least outwardly – that's wrong with the Sorento.It shares many mechanical components with the Hyundai Terracan, yet is a better vehicle. It looks sharper, sits higher and has a less fussy interior.On the road it has a well-sorted suspension that doesn't shiver on its tyres at low speeds.It works well in the dirt as well. But despite having a transfer case and full ladder chassis, the suspension has relatively small travel, so on rutted tracks it can get caught with its wheels in the air.Back on the bitumen, the Sorento will crank up to the speed limit with ease, sitting on 100km/h at modest engine revs in fifth gear, and return a reasonable fuel economy for a range of about 600km.It sits well on the road though its height and broad flanks easily capture side winds.The steering is light and while there's a lot of turns lock-to-lock, the turning circle is brilliant to make it an easy machine to punt around the city.Comfort rates high, with a supple suspension and seats which are cushy if not a little flat and unsupportive on the cushion.The Sorento even gets decent features such as CD player, electric windows and mirrors, airconditioning, two airbags, lots of Tupperware on the sides and big alloy wheels.Rear seats fold flat for storage, there's a handy curtain over the rear cargo area, lap/sash seatbelts all around and a couple of cup-holders in the back for kiddies.It's a very good all-round vehicle and the price is unbeatable. So what's the hitch?Well, now that Kia has got a good-looking product, it's about time it turned its attention to quality.There's been a few Kia products with minor hiccups that need to be addressed at the factory.Other than that, I rate the Sorento very highly and I suspect that the new Sportage will get similarly high reviews.

The chiselled Kia off roader has a sharp purchase price, strong engine and medium off road ability. Oh, and did I mention it's also well equipped.Earlier this year, the range was augmented with a five speed manual version supplementing the four speed auto.It's a good thing, retailing for $35,950.The manual is pretty well exactly the same as the auto except for the gearbox.It's powered by a 3.5-litre, V6 engine with 145 kW/295Nm.Sorento is built on a separate ladder chassis unlike the majority of so called "soft road" vehicles that use car-style monocoque chassis. A ladder chassis is favoured for heavy duty 4WDs.A shift on the fly 4WD system is standard with a full low ratio gearbox as well as high range 4WD and 2WD. Drive mode is selected by turning a knob on the dash. Underbody protection is provided for off road excursions.The extensive standard equipment includes alloy wheels, airconditioning and cruise control, power windows, locks and mirrors, CD player, cupholders front and rear, power points front and rear, twin airbags, digital temperature, compass and altimeter, 60/40 split fold rear seats, opening rear window and underfloor security storage area.Happily, Sorento's designers were mindful of the need for proper ventilation in a vehicle bound for Australia. A host of vents ensures comfort at all times.Suspension is by double wishbones up front and a five link system down the back. It is biased towards comfort and could do with a little firming up for sealed road work – at the expense of off road comfort. The four wheel disc brakes deliver strong stopping power thanks in part to twin piston calipers up front.Vents are also positioned under the front seats to cool rear seat passengers.The safety package includes ABS and dual front air bags that work in league with pre-tensioning front seat belts.The manual is handy to use and performance is brisk for such a weighty (1966kg) vehicle. It's competent off road too but likes a drink if you drive it hard.

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 starts with that smart body style, a clean and contemporary interpretation of today's family four-wheel-drive, and without unnecessary body creases or chrome.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.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.