ON TEST: 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
26 | December 2020 | Company Car & Van
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
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