Irish Car & Travel Magazine carandtravel.ie April 9 2010

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A PLACE IN YOUR DRIVE?

We put the new Kia Sorento through its paces

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Kia's flagship car here is now the Sorento, which in a brand new generation has shifted from traditional SUV to the driveways as a large family car, at the upper end of the spectrum. I've been driving it recently, and I've come to the conclusion, not for the first time, that this configuration of car really got an undeserved raw deal over recent years. If a family needs, and can afford, a car that is tough, safe, and can carry up to seven occupants, it should be available to them without undue regulatory or moral criticism. To the business, though. The new Sorento has a sleeker look than its rather lumpy predecessor. It is longer, lighter, more frugal, cleaner and drives in a manner that suits well its position in the Kia range. The designers took out a fresh pad to get this one onto the road. The old ladder-frame underpinnings were dumped, as was the powertrain. Style was brought into the second decade of the 21st century, though not in a way that will date it quickly. And although there's plenty of modern technology around, the new Sorento has a nice traditional feel to it. When you think about it, that last is really quite important when you're asking someone to fork out some €40,000 for a car. Which figure causes pause for thought. These days you can buy brand new Mercedes-Benz or BMW cars for money in that territory. Would you consider a Kia, however good, against them? Hmm. It's a question you'll have to consider for yourself. Despite the sleeker look, the latest Sorento is a more comfortable place to be in terms of room. That there is more legroom and headroom, and even the luggage space is increasd by 15 percent, is a credit to some clever interior design. The review car, which was the manual GSE 2WD, came with a level of specification that left nothing else required. Especially welcome was the front seat heaters for the leather seats that come in this version. Larger alloys, rear spoiler and automatic lights control about summed up the balance of the goodies that come with the GSE, so you can see that there's not much missing from the basic model either.

The three-pod instruments design is part of Kia's current interior styling, and offered very smart and clear information. The wheel mounted controls for audio and cruise control are easily thumb-operated. There are sockets for iPod and other auxiliary entertainment thingies, uncluding USB sticks. The rear pair of seats are decently sized and pop up with a very light lift, still leaving some space behind. But it's the overall sense of strength and the excellent finish that make the best impression. This one is as well done as they come. In general, European interiors are better than those from other parts of the world, but in this case the Koreans are right up to what is produced on this continent. The car is powered by a new 2.2 diesel, with 197hp and a sub-10 seconds 0-100 km/h. I would match it against the best from BMW or Mercedes-Benz for refinement, and it is so quiet that the road noise of the big tyres is more intrusive than it would otherwise be. For tax purposes the new Sorento is Band E here, but only by a single gramme of CO2, which is a real shame. The 6-speed manual clicks well through the gears, and though there's an autobox available I never hankered after it. The rather rougher ride of the predecessor car has been left behind with all round independent suspension. I drove the car on some of my county's most deteriorating roads and it didn't cause a whit of discomfort. The new Sorento is a big car, make no mistake about it. It's best for those with a big family workload and who don't feel uncomfortable punting a large vehicle about in tighter places. So it isn't for everybody. But then, no car is. That's the point, isn't it? That we should be allowed choices to suit our needs. Well, though it isn't PC in some circles to say so, in my opinion there's plenty of space in Ireland's motoring ownership for this one.

There's a place for us

Brian Byrne reviews the new Kia Sorento