Kia Sorento

Sorento has all the answers

Is the tide-turning against big SUVs? Not if they are as clever as Kia’s Sorento, says Andrew Walker

Despite climate change and the congestion charge, the popularity of large SUVs shows no sign of abating. KIA has just launched an all-new Sorento, a large SUV, but has done so with an eye on the future by adding a mildhybrid petrol with a full plug-in version coming later. For those who travel long distances or need to tow up to 2,500kg, there’s still a diesel Sorento, as the petrol version can’t match the diesel’s towing prowess at only 1,650kg.

CC&V went along to the UK launch of the Sorento and grabbed the opportunity to drive both petrol and diesel engines.

The new Sorento is offered in three specs: ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’, with a choice of a 2.2-litre CRDi ‘Smartstream’ diesel engine with 199bhp or a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with self-charging hybrid technology.

It’s an aggressive-looking car. The front features a much larger grille than the previous version, with new vertical tail lamps which wrap around the side of the body. The large D-pillars are still there, but it’s at the rear where you’ll notice the biggest changes. The rear tailgate offers twin rear light clusters which look very ‘Bentayga’.

KIA has added plenty of on-trend tech, improved kit across the range. Entry level ‘2’ comes with 17” alloys, seven seats, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, tinted glass, roof rails, five USB charge ports, a heated steering wheel and front seats, LED headlights, rear combination lights, daytime running lights, front and rear fog lights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8” touchscreen with DAB and a reversing camera.

Opt for ‘3’ and this adds 19” wheels, ambient interior lighting, electric leather seats with lumbar support, keyless entry, a powered tailgate, a larger 10.3” touchscreen and wireless phone charging. This is the only trim available with the diesel engine.

Move up to the range topping ‘4’ and you’ll find window blinds for the second row, a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof and ventilated front seats, but with an asking price of £46,945, it’s an expensive way to get into a Sorento.

All models get top-notch active safety: Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Multi-Collision Brake Assist (MCBA), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Downhill Brake Control (DBC), Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA), Lane Follow Assist (LFA)and Driver Attention Warning (DAW). Plus, you get the reassurance of Terrain Mode Select, choose from Mud, Snow or Sand, for on or off road driving.

We tried out the Kia Sorento ‘2’ 1.6 HEV T-GDi Auto AWD first, which costs £38,845 OTR. Unsurprisingly, the cabin is spacious and the dashboard cocoons the driver into a comfortable driving position. Nice design touches include four rhombus shaped air-vents, with smaller vents underneath and nice design detail above the glove box.

The centre arm rest, door pockets and glove box door are all solidly made and overall, the interior is finished to a very high quality. Storage comes in the form of large door pockets, space under the arm rest, two centre cup holders and a spot for your keys behind these.

The rear twin seats fold flat into the boot floor and in this configuration, the boot space offers customers 616 litres. Fold down all five rear seats and this increases to 2,011 litres, plenty big enough for most.

Our test car was powered by the 1.6-litre hybrid powertrain, which comprises a turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, a

small 1.49kWh battery and an electric motor. It offers a combined fuel economy of 40.9 mpg, with CO2 emission of 158 g/km. There’s a useful 226bhp on offer with 350Nm of torque, a 0-60mph time of 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 119mph.

For a large car it actually feels easy to drive. The steering is light and coupled with the 6-speed auto box, the petrol engine offers very quiet urban driving. The ride feels firm.

We also tried out the range-topping ‘4’ 1.6 HEV T-GDi Auto AWD, which costs £46,945 OTR. The ‘4’ comes with a lot more kit and because of this, offers slightly worse CO2 emissions of 169g/km and a combined economy of 38.2mpg. Driving this version the Sorento’s firmer set-up is even more noticeable, as it tended to crash around over the UK’s badly maintained roads. It does, though, offer plenty of stability and on the motorway feels very accomplished.

Finally, we spent some time with the diesel Sorento ‘3’ 2.2 CRDi DCT8 AWD, which cost’s £41,245 OTR. As soon as you pull away in this you notice how much heavier the diesel feels to its petrol brethren. It’s not terrible, just a reminder that petrol hybrids are getting better; after a few minutes, you soon get used to the heavier feel.

The diesel is the version to go for if you tow or drive big miles. It comes with a maximum torque of 440Nm, a 0-60mph time of 9.1 seconds and a top speed of 127mph. Combined fuel economy is 42.2mpg with CO2 emissions of 176g/km.

We have to say that although the diesel offers the slightly better mpg figure – the self-charging hybrid is capable of 40.9mpg on the WLTP combined economy cycle, with the diesel managing 42.2mpg – we preferred the feel of the self-charging hybrid.

The combination of its petrol engine, 44.2kW drive motor and the 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, makes for a lighter, more enjoyable ride and the lower CO2 emissions will also help reduce your company BIK.

Not for the first time we have been swayed by a petrol hybrid over a diesel and for company car drivers who need a large SUV, the petrol hybrid kitted out in ‘3’ spec is the one we’d recommend.

VERDICT

Hard to fault. Drives lighter than its size suggests, and CO2/ BIK figures will impress company car drivers.

CC&V RATING:

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