Stylish and spacious Sorento is firm’s flagship SUV
revolution started by Peter Schreyer in 2006.”
That is the moment drivers began to sit up and take notice of this lovely big car and the Schreyer influences in the new 2020 model are noticeable. The signature tiger nose grille has been refined and elongated into an elegant front with headlights at either end.
The lines are more angular but the stance is strong and confident with a choice of alloys up to 20in depending on which model you opt for.
Starting from the entry level, the model line-lineup is KX-KX1,
KX-2, GT-Line, KX-3 and GT-Line S. All have seven seats with a 40/20/40 split in the middle row and a 50/50 split in the rear. That gives you about 605 litres of boot space with the back seats down. There will be two drivetrains for the UK, a 2.2-litre turbo diesel paired for the most part with an eight- speed automatic gearbox but it will be offered as a six-speed manual in KX-1, KS-2 and KX-3 versions.
And there will be a 1.6-litre petrol matched with a 44.2kW electric motor self-charged from a 1.49kWh battery. The Sorento will also come with Dynamax, Kia’s all- wheel drive system, syste which throws 100 per cent of engengine torque to the front wheels unless unle the car realises it needs to adadjust that when it will do it automatically. auto
For Fo real off- roading, drivers can manually select to lock the wheels, wh which throws equal amounts amo of power to the front and the rear at speeds of up to 25mph. ManualM versions of the new SorentoSor can haul a braked trailer ofofuup to 2500kg, while automatics can tow up to 2000kg. All versions can tow an unbraked trailer of up to 750kg.
In line with Kia’s ethos of simplicity, all versions deliver 197PS and have a top speed of 127mph. The manuals get from 0- 62mph in 8.7 seconds and the automatics in 9.1.
CO2 ranges from 1779/m to196g/km, with mileage from 37.7 to 41.5mph depending on the model.
The self- charging hybrid delivers 226PS with 158g/ km of CO2, offering 40.9mpg. It can also tow a braked trailer of up to 1650kg.
A 265PS plug-in hybrid version is expected on the forecourts early next year.
As is usual with Kia, each car is packed with technology and safety features including – and I really like this – a camera on the side mirror, which will pick up whatever is in your blind spot, a cyclist for example, and projects it on to the screen in front of you.
Prices start at £38,845 and all vehicles come with Kia’s seven- year and 100,000-mile warranty.