10 minute read
Motoring
The Kia Sorento Hybrid model can be distinguished with reworked front end and unique designer alloy wheels POWER PLAY FOR KIA QUIET ACHIEVER
By DEREK OGDEN
The Sorento has been a major part of the Kia playbook for two decades, with the fourth generation seeing the light of day in 2020 in petrol and diesel variants. Now the range has been topped up with petrol / electric hybrids.
Kia’s only seven-seat sports utility vehicle comes in the top GT-Line specifcation only, the straight hybrid version in front or all-wheel drive guise, while the hero model is a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle.
The common-or-garden hybrid Sorento kicks off the range with the front-wheel-drive variant selling for $66,750 before on-road costs. The all-wheel-drive version carries a $3000 premium, pushing the price up to $69,750. The plug-in hybrid Sorento is on sale from $80,330 before onroads.
More spacious, more versatile with classleading innovations wrapped in fnely tailored style, says the maker, the new Sorento not only is the most high-tech Kia car ever made, but also leads the way in SUV design.
STYLING
While retaining much of the Sorento family physical features, the Hybrid has evolved with a new interpretation of the trademark ‘tiger nose’ grille, with a wider shape wrapping around the integrated LED headlights on each side. This assertive nose is complemented by a wider lower air intake, incorporating wingshaped air curtains to channel air around the car.
INTERIOR
Quilted Nappa leather appointed seats (front heated and ventilated) set the theme for a cabin of quality materials and craftsmanship. Threestage climate control air-conditioning means comfort all round for occupants, while a panoramic sunroof lets in light, while keeping heat at bay with a blind Finding a long journey on the boring side? Take time out to choose one of the 64 colours that bathes the cabin in ambient light, pick something from the Sounds of Nature soundscape, or just switch off entirely with the quiet of the passenger talk in-car intercom.
INFOTAINMENT
Connectivity is front and centre with a 10.25inch colour multimedia touchscreen linked to
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 7-inch LCD instrument display carries range of system info.
The position of the touch screen on the centre dash of the test car had its problems, with air-con controls underneath easy to catch accidentally while resting the palm on working the screen.
Audio is handled by a six-speaker system, while dual-zone airconditioning keeps occupants in relative comfort.
Customising is the name of the game with a 10.25-inch full colour touchscreen atop the centre console, plus a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster directly in front of the driver who also has a colour head-up display, including speedo and speed limits on the windscreen.
The touchscreen comes up with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, satellite navigation details, including a sharp map display, and access to the 12-speaker Bose audio.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The Sorento Hybrid is powered by Kia’s 132 kW / 265 Nm four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine combined with a 44 kW / 264 Nm electric motor, charging a 1kWh lithiumion battery situated under the boot foor.
Power is put to ground via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission and constant all-wheel drive.
SAFETY
The Sorento gained a
fve-star safety rating in 2020 and includes autonomous emergency braking with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction assist, lane-keep assist, lane follow assist (centring), blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffc alert, parking collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control with stop and / go, front and rear parking sensors, driver attention alert, multi-collision braking and safe exit assist
As well as 360-degree view of the vehicle when parking and blind-spot assist, on activation of a turn indicator, the wide-angle surround view monitors will display live footage of other vehicles in your blind spots on the instrument cluster. It also helps wheels keep their distance from scuffng the sidewalk.
Passive safety is taken care of with seven airbags, including frontcentre side.
DRIVING
“Children should be seen and not heard,’ as the
saying goes (or went until the Baby Boomers were born). The Kia Sorento Hybrid has slipped quietly (literally) into Australia, harking back to those salad days.
And this well-bred youngster has brought a new purpose to the Sorento family, thanks to a sophisticated powertrain and some of Kia’s most advanced technology.
Setting off is under the auspices of the electric motor alone producing maximum torque on tap instantly. The petrol engine joins in tandem only when needed for added acceleration or under load.
These switches back and forth are so smooth as to undetectable to the driver. Indeed, the only indication that the car is acting only as an electric vehicle is by the letters EV displayed on the instrument panel. It is not possible to control these actions manually; they are automatic powertrain decisions.
Drive modes, such as ECO, Normal, Sport
and Smart can be dialled up by means of a centre-console knob. I found Smart worked well for me. Kia claims a combined urban / highway patrol consumption of 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres. The test vehicle recorded 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the CBD and suburbs and 5.2 litres per 100 kilometres when let loose on the open road.
Anxiety about where the next battery charge is going to be is none existent as the engine and regenerative braking do that automatically. There is a petrol price premium here as opposed to the cheaper charging of the fully electric, or plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Terrain Select is also on offer to help take care of tricky conditions off road in sand, mud, snow etc.
By activating the turn signal, the wide-angle surround view monitors will display live footage of other vehicles in your blind spots on the instrument cluster.
Loading is made easy by the hands-free smart power tailgate, which can be brought into operation by the key holder pausing behind the vehicle for three seconds for the tailgate to automatically open. There’s 187 litres of cargo space behind the third-row.
Fold these seats fat to increase space to 616 litres. With the secondrow seats folded fat 2011 litres of space is freed up.
SUMMARY
The Kia Sorento Hybrid may be a quiet achiever but it states a compelling case for being one of the best large seven-seat sports utility vehicles around.
MODEL LINE-UP
S petrol $47,650 Sport petrol $50,270 S diesel $50,650 Sport diesel $53,270 Sport+ petrol $54,850 Sport+ diesel $57,850 GT-Line petrol $62,070 GT-Line diesel $65,070 GT-Line Hybrid FWD $66,750 GT-Line Hybrid AWD $69,750 GT-Line PHEV $80,330 Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Kia dealer for drive-away prices. SPECIFICATIONS (Kia Sorento GT-Line Hybrid 1.6L turbocharged, 4-cylinder petrol engine / electric motor, 1kWh lithium-ion battery, 6sp automatic, AWD SUV)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.597 litres Confguration: Four cylinders inline Maximum Power: 132 kW Maximum Torque: 265 Nm Fuel Type: Regular unleaded petrol Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 5.8 L/100km CO2 emissions: 133g/km Electric motor: 44kW / 264 Nm Combine Total: 169 kW / 265 Nm
DRIVELINE: Six-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
New GR86 builds on Toyota’s motorsport heritage making it worthy of the Gazoo Racing badge TOYOTA GR86 JOINS THE WILD BUNCH
By CHRIS RILEY
Toyota’s iconic 86 sports car has joined the growing GR stable of cars with the launch of the new GR86 coupe.
The GR86 becomes the third model from Toyota Gazoo Racing and sits alongside GR Supra and GR Yaris (not counting the C-HR GR Sport or the GR Corolla coming next year).
New GR86 builds on this heritage with improvements that take its motorsport roots to new levels, making it worthy of a Gazoo Racing badge.
Power comes from a new 2.4-litre fourcylinder boxer engine that produces 174kW of power and 250Nm of torque, an increase of 22kW and 38Nm over the previous 2.0-litre engine.
The naturally aspirated engine provides linear throttle response with technologies including optimised D4-S direct injection helping to provide signifcantly more torque for better mid-range response.
It’s paired with a six-speed manual or sixspeed torque-converter automatic, with paddle shifters for the latter and a range of drive modes. A limited-slip Torsen rear diff is standard.
Straight-line acceleration has improved, with the manual able to sprint from zero to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds and the automatic in 6.8 seconds.
Those wanting to take their GR86 to the track can choose from fve different stability control settings ranging from full support to being completely switched off.
Offcial fuel consumption ranges from 8.7 L/100km for the GT automatic to 9.5 L/100km for the GTS manual with CO2 emissions from 199g/ km to 217g/km.
The car benefts from many improvements including suspension and steering components, largerdiameter front brakes and chassis reinforcements that signifcantly improve torsional and lateral rigidity.
Combined with a focus on weight reduction and a lower centre of gravity, they promise even sharper handling and responsiveness.
Exterior design cues are taken from some of Toyota’s sports cars of the past, such as the 2000GT and AE86 Corolla.
An evolutionary exterior design refects the outgoing model’s dynamic proportions and silhouette, while Gazoo Racing’s global motorsport experience has led to cooling and aerodynamic improvements that deliver a Cd of 0.276.
Slightly longer and lower than before the new GR86 features a long bonnet, sloping roofine with a tapered rear end and prominent lip spoiler giving the vehicle a low planted stance.
Dual tailpipes and GR badging complete the rear-end look, with 17-inch or black 18inch alloys available depending on grade.
Inside, designers have created a cockpit focused on pure driving, with a simple and ergonomic layout framed by a horizontally confgured instrument panel.
All variants feature an upgraded 8.0inch multimedia infotainment system that offers digital radio plus compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
A confgurable 7.0inch driver display shows Track Mode that provides real-time readouts of the most important information for circuit driving.
Six-speaker audio includes Active Sound Control (ASC) to enhance the sound of the engine.
GR86 GT is priced from $43,240 for either manual or automatic, while the range topping GTS manual and automatic are priced from $45,390.
By EWAN KENNEDY
Subaru Australia has opened the order books for the limitedrun Subaru BRZ 10th Anniversary Edition.
Just 150 examples will be produced for the Australian market, with frst deliveries anticipated to commence from February 2023.
The limited BRZ 10th Anniversary Edition will be available exclusively in Subaru’s signature WR Blue and will feature unique exterior and interior styling elements.
Each vehicle will also feature a numbered badge signifying the number of vehicles produced for the Australian market.
Subaru Australia’s Managing Director, Blair Read, commented: “We are thrilled to open the order books for this very special model, which celebrates a decade since the debut of the frst Subaru BRZ.
“For the BRZ 10th Anniversary Edition, the engineers have taken the same absolute attention to detail they did on creating the BRZ’s complete package and added exclusive commemorative touches to the interior and
exterior. This is sure to attract the attention of BRZ enthusiasts and car collectors alike.
Features specifc to the 10th Anniversary Edition include embossed commemorative 10th Anniversary logo on the door trim; blue stitching on the door armrest, steering wheel, shift boot, parking brake boot and seat trim; blue perforations in seat trim; black interior highlights on the AC dials and centre console buttons; black fnish 18inch alloy wheels; crystal black door mirror cap; black rear badge; and a numbered internal badge.
With only 150 examples produced for Australia, Subaru says customers are encouraged to place their pre-order quickly
as these models are anticipated to be rapidly snapped up.
Interested customers can pre-order their new BRZ 10th Anniversary Edition online via www.subaru.com.au/ confgure or through their local Subaru Retailer. The manual model is priced at $43,090 and the automatic at $46,890. On-road costs need to be added.
