Road TestCar reviews - Kia - Sorento - SLi CRDi 5-dr wagon rangeKia modelsOverviewKia’s popular mid-sized SUV switches direction as a seven-seater crossover4 Jun 2010 IF YOU don’t think the Koreans are serious about beating the Japanese in Australia, then take a long, hard look at the second-generation Sorento. This is the sort of vehicle that does exactly what you expect it to do – from accommodating seven people in reasonable comfort and security, to offering plenty of features for the money. But Kia is doing things differently these days, thanks to a renewed emphasis on quality, design, and safety, while the R-series CRDi diesel under the pretty bonnet is an absolute corker of an engine. Only a few minor hiccups taint what is otherwise an impressive and affordable seven-seater SUV package. Model release date: 1 October 2009 to 1 September 2012 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelSAID to originally have been the replacement for the long-lived (and 1980s Mitsubishi Mk1 Pajero-based) Terracan until Hyundai ‘gave’ it to the then-floundering Kia to help boost sales as well as its profile, the handsome first-generation Sorento was released in early 2003 boasting real off-road ability, thanks to that Terracan connection which ensured a ladder-frame chassis and low-range gearbox. The original engine was a 145kW/295Nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol, using a part-time 4WD system and transferring torque via a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual gearbox. An upgrade from October 2004 added another ratio to the auto. A Series II facelift from 2007 saw the 3.5-litre binned for two petrol V6 engines – a 180kW/309Nm 3.3-litre and a 196kW/353Nm 3.8-litre, and both tied to a five-speed automatic, while a 125kW/392Nm 2.5-litre CRDi four-cylinder turbo-diesel with the five-speed auto was also introduced at that time. The Series II variants were LX, EX and EX-L. All up about 9000 BL Sorentos found homes in Australia. |
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