KIA NAILS IT YET AGAIN
Korean brand lives up to its long history of hitting the right chord with savvy buyers
Crossovers account for almost 50 per cent of all new vehicle sales, and it's the compact and mid-size units that make up roughly 60 per cent of that share. With this in mind, getting the fourth-generation Sorento wrong was not an option for Kia — the outgoing model wasn't the fanciest or fastest, but it was highly regarded and ticked the right boxes for a lot of buyers.
The all-new, fourth-generation 2021 Kia Sorento takes everything and moves it forward. From the new platform with more space and perkier performance to a swanky cabin and a full suite of active safety aids, it's a solid contender. It's also a bit different, as it plays in both the compact and mid-size segments.
The rework has a sleeker, squared-off style, fronted by expressive LED lighting. This bolder approach is underscored by the X-line and SX models, but for different reasons. The former jacks up the body to give it a more rugged off-road look; the latter is a fully loaded sophisticate with no options other than paint colour.
The SX'S rich aspect is found in the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that changes its look according to the driving mode and inserts a camera-based view to the left or right of the vehicle into the gauge cluster whenever the turn signal is used. Next to that is a 10.25-inch touch-screen infotainment display that houses the navigation, 360-degree camera, Apple Carplay, and Android Auto — the use of old-fashioned radio vacuum tube graphics to house the station numbers is a neat effect. The layout and proximity of the two screens gives the impression of one large panel that brings easy access to all functions through clear icons and hard buttons.
The shift to a more upscale look and feel is supported by the comfortable heated and cooled leather front seats, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, and a full-spectrum heads-up display which includes everything from blind-spot warnings to turn-byturn navigation instructions.
The array of safety aids now rivals many far more expensive crossovers. The Sorento SX has forward-collision mitigation with automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, drowsy-driver detection, safe exit, and automatic high beams. It also has a highway-driving assist feature that uses adaptive cruise control and steering to keep itself centred in the lane and at a driver-adjustable distance from the car ahead. New is a junction turn function: if the driver begins to make a left in front of an oncoming vehicle the system can apply the brakes to prevent a potential collision.
The back half of the Sorento has more room, including 93 mm more legroom in the middle row. The middle captain's seats also slide, which can maximize legroom or add more cargo space as needed. Three-row seating is standard, although the rear seats are best left to younger riders.
There are 357 litres of cargo space behind the third row, and 1,090 with it folded. Dropping the middle row opens up 2,139 L — but the captain's chairs leave a large hole in the load floor.
While the base Sorento LX+ arrives with a 191-horsepower, 2.5-L four-cylinder engine that works with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the better choice is the 2.5-L turbo-four. This engine develops a healthy 281 hp and 311 pound-feet of torque, and works with a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters.
This new gearbox also promotes performance by delivering faster shifts that don't interrupt the flow of power; a low first gear and the early 1,700 rpm entry of peak torque brings a solid launch off the line. All-wheel drive is standard. The system sends 95 per cent of the drive to the front wheels and five to the rear under normal driving conditions.
Cabin aside, the area seeing the most significant improvement is the ride quality and overall quietness at highway speeds.
The stronger platform gives the suspension a solid base, bringing ride comfort without allowing the body to roll into a fast corner — and this is when wearing the large P255/45R20 tires. The steering is also nicely weighted when Sport mode is selected, though it's just a little too aggressive for everyday city driving.
Selecting Comfort for the transmission and all-wheel drive would give the Sorento an easy city driving demeanour, and picking Sport for the engine and steering would add sharper reflexes and better steering feel.
The 2021 Sorento is arriving at dealers now, starting with the roomy, comfortable, and nicely equipped LX+ at a sensible $33,995. At the top end is the content-rich SX at $47,495. Between those two are four other models, including the more rugged $39,495 X-line.