Kia Sorento
Seven-seater has helped take Korean brand into premium territory. We see if it’s still a contender
MODEL TESTED: Kia Sorento KX-3 auto PRICE: £37,550 ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 197bhp
ALTHOUGH our pictures show a top-spec KX-4, the £37,550 Kia Sorento KX-3 automatic tested here has its work cut out against cheaper rivals that come just as well equipped. However, we know from past tests that the Sorento is an excellent contender in the seven-seat SUV sector, offering plenty of space and practicality, and a strong engine.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
THE Sorento has been instrumental in Kia’s charge upmarket. When it launched in 2015 it offered a big leap in quality and refinement over its predecessor, so this third generation moved into a sector occupied by more upmarket brands like Land Rover.
Yet this also means it’s increased in price to the point where this KX-3 auto, which isn’t even the flagship, costs a steep £37,550. That’s £1,200 and £2,655 more than the Land Rover and Skoda respectively.
Underneath the Sorento’s chunky body, the platform has an extended wheelbase, providing additional room for the third row of seats.
The engine line-up (limited to a single 2. 2-litre turbodiesel) has been revised to meet the latest Euro 6 emissions regulations, while the automatic version we tested here was updated with stop/start technology when the Sorento launched.
The Kia’s steady increase in size and price is at least reflected when you climb aboard, as it has a better-quality feel than before. But when lined up against the high-class cabins of the Kodiaq and Discovery Sport, it doesn’t stand out particularly.
Instead, it’s acceptable, with soft-touch materials covering the dash and comfortable leather seats helping make the Sorento a refined cruiser.
DRIVING
THIS feeling is reinforced once you get under way. The suspension is soft, and although it can struggle to control the Kia’s 1,953kg kerbweight, the damping allows plenty of wheel travel and takes the edge off bumps.
The drawback is that on faster roads the Kia doesn’t feel anywhere near as controlled or composed as the Skoda or Land Rover. Whereas the Discovery Sport gets better the faster you drive at the expense of some low-speed ride comfort, and the Kodiaq’s adaptive dampers can be configured to offer decent compliance or tauter body control, the Sorento’s chassis feels one-dimensional and less capable.
Still, big seven-seat SUVS are about comfort, so at least the Kia offers a fairly refined ride where it counts.
Not so impressive is the engine’s refinement. While the 2. 2-litre offers decent pace, with 197bhp and 441Nm of torque to call upon, it’s a little noisy.
At the test track the Sorento sprinted from 0-60mph in nine seconds exactly, which placed it between the Kodiaq and Discovery Sport in terms of straight-line performance. However, it can’t match either for handling or composure.
When you start to carry more speed through corners, you can feel the Kia’s extra mass over its competitors here. There’s more roll and less control, while the steering isn’t as accurate or fast, so the car feels sluggish to change direction and isn’t as precise on turn-in. The six-speed auto isn’t as sharp to shift as either the dual-clutch set-up in the Kodiaq or the conventional auto in the Discovery Sport, and feels like it saps power. It slurs between gears more, and although this means progress is smooth on the road, it’s no smoother or more refined than the transmissions in its rivals, plus the car loses out when it comes to performance through the gears.
PRACTICALITY
IN seven-seat form the Sorento serves up 142 litres of luggage space, and while most people won’t be looking to carry a full complement of passengers and lots of luggage, the car still isn’t as versatile as the Kodiaq.
Even in five-seat form the Kia can’t compete with the Skoda, and although the middle bench slides, a quoted 605 litres of load space isn’t as impressive. This is only 45 litres larger than the Kodiaq in its smallest configuration, but trails by 160 litres with the Skoda’s middle row slid forward. The maximum 1,622-litre boot is very big, but smaller than the Kodiaq’s in the same configuration.
Accessing the rear seats is a bit tougher. The middle row of seats doesn’t fold and slide as far forward, and the door aperture also isn’t as big. There’s plenty of room in the rear once you’re sat there, though.
OWNERSHIP
KIA finished mid table in our Driver Power 2016 survey, coming 14th, and its seven-year/100,000-mile warranty gives peace of mind. The Sorento also scores well on safety, having been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. Lane departure warning and trailer stability assist are standard, but blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert are only available on pricier KX-4 models, while AEB isn’t even offered as an option.
RUNNING COSTS
THE Sorento’s relative lack of efficiency on paper was backed up by its returns on test; we achieved 35.6mpg. This was still just ahead of the Land Rover’s 34.8mpg, but the lighter Skoda recorded 39.3mpg in our hands.
It means Kodiaq owners will spend £1,618 in fuel over an average year’s motoring, whereas those running the Kia will pay out £168 more and the Land Rover another £209 on top of the Skoda.
All three cars will be relatively cheap to run as the manufacturers offer competitive maintenance deals. Kia’s three-service package costs £349, while Skoda’s two-service deal is £249. However, Land Rover’s five-year offering works out better value, at £499.