Changes under familiar exterior
Kia’s well-regarded Sorento has just been facelifted – a mere couple of months before the brand’s sibling company Hyundai launches a new version of the same SUV, the Santa Fe. Rob Maetzig backgrounds
When two model brands are owned by the same company and share the same vehicle platforms, it’s a hard fact that when it comes to the timing of product launches, one will always run second to the other.
Such is the case with Kia, which is owned by fellow South Korean brand Hyundai.
Both brands operate to five-year model cycles, usually giving their vehicles a facelift in the middle of these cycles.
Hyundai is the dominant partner in the joint operation, which means that any vehicles that are the same but different – as in the Hyundai ix35/Kia Sportage, Hyundai i45/Kia Optima, or Hyundai i20/Kia Rio – will always see the Hyundai launched before the equivalent Kia.
This explains why at a time when Hyundai New Zealand is busy preparing for a January launch of a brand-new Santa Fe SUV, Kia New Zealand has only just received a facelifted version of its equivalent, the Sorento R.
There’s a good news/bad news scenario surrounding this.
The bad news is if the two brands indulged in one-upmanship, Kia must be frustrated that in terms of timing it has to play second-fiddle to the high-selling Hyundai.
But the good news is that facelifts invariably result in better product and value for consumers, certainly the case with the latest Kia.
Prices for the coming Santa Fe are yet to be announced but are understood to be a lot more than what they are now; meanwhile the facelifted Sorento R arrives with lowered prices but improved dynamics and specification.
‘‘We think our new Sorentos are extremely competitive given their increases in specification across the range,’’ said Kia New Zealand general manager Todd McDonald.
Pricing ranges from $46,990 for the entry petrol-powered frontdriven model to $66,190 for the Premium turbo diesel engined allwheel drive version. In almost every case their prices have been reduced by up to $1000.
Last week’s media conference was in many respects noteworthy for Kia New Zealand’s constant reference to this refreshed Sorento as a new fourthgeneration model. It’s not – even though it has undergone significant change that includes a new chassis, enhanced powertrains and revised suspension.
But this Sorento is still a facelifted version of the third-generation model, which is why its exterior hasn’t undergone much change. In fact, two journalists attending the launch drove from Auckland to a lunch stop near Cambridge before they realised they were in a pre-facelift version.
For the record, the vehicle has new headlights with LED daytime running lights, a new tailgate with changed combination lamps, new bumpers with vertical fog lights and an expanded choice of wheels that include larger 19-inch alloys.
The interior gets more tactile surfaces, a new LCD instrument cluster, new centre stack with 7-inch screen and a new centre console with a straight-gate gear selector.
Specification levels in all models are high with perhaps the only thing missing being satellite navigation in even the most expensive models.
A feature of the range is introduction of a luxurious new Premium model with standard features including a two-part panoramic sun roof and powered blind that runs almost the length of the roof, heated and ventilated front seats, and adaptive headlights that point in the same direction as the vehicle when it is turning.
Both the Premium and Limited models also now get Smart Park Assist which automatically parallel parks the Sorento R.
The vehicle’s most significant change to is that it is built on a new platform using a lot more high-tensile steel making it 18 per cent more rigid than before. The platform also features a re-shaped floor which, while reducing ground clearance to a car-like 185mm, has also resulted in 30mm and 9mm more leg room for passengers in the second and third rows.
The new platform has reduced vibrations through the cabin floor by 5 per cent and through the steering wheel by 4 per cent. Cabin noise at highway speeds has also been considerably reduced, making the Sorento R one of the quietest in its class.
There have been some key changes made to the suspension system, including new sub-frame mountings, larger bushes, higher-performance dampers and the replacement of the hydraulic power steering with a motor-driven system with stronger mountings. All of these combine to help offer excellent on-road ride and handling. And although the handling bias has shifted towards on-road motoring, this latest model is still capable off the road, particularly the all-wheel-drive versions.