Kia softens up second Sorento

KIA revealed the production version of its new mid-size Sorento SUV at the Seoul motor show, with the longer, wider but lower wagon shedding its ladder chassis in favour of a unitary design and gaining a third row of seats and new drivetrains.

The Sorento, due here in either December this year or January 2010 (during Kia’s sponsorship of the Australian Open tennis), will arrive with a diesel engine and either a 2.4-litre four-cylinder or 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine.

The new Sorento’s front styling shares much with the new Cerato, with the now-signature Schreyer grille in between swept-back light clusters.

The tail treatment appears similar to the current Mitsubishi Outlander, while the side profile is dominated by emphatic, squared off wheel arches with plastic surrounds, similar to the Volkswagen Tiguan.

The new 4685mm-long, 1710mm-tall Sorento is much bigger inside than the existing model, with headroom increased by 64mm (to 906mm) and legroom by 102mm (to 795mm). The cargo area has also grown in capacity by 15 per cent, largely by increasing floor length by almost 70mm.

Kia says NVH reduction was a key focus during development. It has increased body stiffness to help achieve this, with the amount of high-tensile strength steel increasing on the new model from 40 per cent to 70 per cent.

Inside, the quality of materials and design has taken a significant step up over the current Sorento, which saw an interior refresh in 2007 on architecture that dates back to 2002.

The new dashboard binnacle has traces of Volkswagen about it, but the jagged edge around the audio buttons, steering wheel and triple-cluster instruments are shared design elements with the just-released Kia Soul.

The new Sorento will incorporate new features such as engine start button, reversing camera built into the rear-vision mirror, built-in sat-nav and glass sunroof.

According to Kia Motors Australia product manager Nick Reid, the sat-nav may not make it into local cars because of local mapping compatibility, while the engine stop-start button feature may only appear on top-spec models so that Kia can achieve “a sharp entry-level price”.

Kia will take the reversing camera option, possibly in a similar fashion to the just-released Soul Cubed, as a packaged option with a sunroof.

The new Sorento will be offered with a six, eight or 10-speaker audio system, with MP3 and iPod connectivity, plus built-in or external amplifier and remote control on the steering wheel.

Engine choice for Australia will be decided next month when KMA executives go to Korea to drive the different models.

Top: Kia Soul. Below: Kia Cerato.

While Sorento’s global press release announces only a V6 petrol for Australia, KMA’s Nick Reid confirmed that the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel would be a priority for the Australian market given the popularity of the current diesel variant.

Mr Reid also said the 2.4-litre in-line four-cylinder petrol engine would also be up for consideration for Australia. A 2.7-litre LPI (LPG) 121kW V6 Korean market engine is an unlikely candidate for Australia.

The new R2.2 turbo-diesel is a 2.2-litre complying with Euro V emissions standards, and has a third-generation common-rail fuel system. The R2.2 generates 145kW at 3800rpm and 435Nm between 1800rpm and 2500rpm.

The petrol V6 is an all-new ‘Lambda 2’ 3.5-litre quad-cam continuously variable valve timing engine that develops 206kW at 6300rpm and 335Nm at 5000rpm.

The 2.4-litre ‘Theta II’ petrol four-cylinder develops 129kW of power at 6000rpm and 225Nm of torque at 3750rpm.

Transmission choice will be a new six-speed auto for the V6, while the turbo-diesel will have the six-speed auto and possibly a five-speed or six-speed manual.

Kia says its all-new single-range six-speed transmission (no dual-range transmission is offered on the XM series) is a regular automatic, but it incorporates a ‘flat’ torque converter that allows the unit to be 54mm shorter, has 62 fewer parts (than a five-speed unit), weighs 12kg less and boosts fuel economy by up to 12 per cent over a traditional automatic.

A 2WD is offered globally and for Australia this “is definitely on the radar”, says Nick Reid, although again the final decision rests with the upcoming visit to Kia HQ.

The AWD system is on-demand, with 100 per cent of drive going to the front wheels until slip is detected, while a dash switch will manually lock the system 50/50 for speeds up to 40km/h.

Towing capacity is quoted at 2500kg. It is unknown at this stage if KMA will offer an upgraded towing capacity of 2800kg as it did locally with the BG Sorento in 2007.

The new XM series will have Hill-start Assist Control to prevent the vehicle slipping back on an incline, and Down-hill Brake Control to keep the vehicle speed to 8km/h – too fast to be effective on steep declines.

The off-road approach angle is 25.1 degrees, while departure angle is 23.1 degrees. Ground clearance is 184mm. The fuel tank capacity is 70 litres.

Wheel sizes vary from the entry-level 16-inch steel rims with 235/70R16 tyres to alloy wheels in 16-inch with 235/70 R16 tyres, 17-inch with 235/65 R17 tyres or 18-inch with 235/60 R18 tyres.

The suspension has been lowered 10mm, and centre of gravity has been lowered 54mm, mainly due to the XM’s monocoque frame, which replaces the BL series’ ladder frame chassis.

The new model’s strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension are revised versions from the BL model, while steering is now more direct with fewer turns lock-to-lock.

Steering is conventional hydraulic power rack and pinion steering, with three turns lock-to-lock and a 10.9-metre turning circle.

Anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and electronic stability control (ESC) are also features of the new XM series.

A tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is offered overseas on XM, but this will not be offered on the Australian model, as local buyers do not consider it a priority.

Kia says that the new Sorento bodyshell is designed to achieve five-star safety rating in Europe’s Euro NCAP and US NHTSA crash tests.

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