BUY, LEASE OR FINANCE A KIA SORENTO FROM OSV: https://bit.ly/30LnjGY

The Sorento is Kia's largest SUV and this fourth generation model offers the kind of typically complete package we now expect from the brand. This enhanced design is embellished by electrified engine tech, smarter looks and advanced media connectivity. And as before, it sells in the upper part of the SUV 'D' segment, offering more space and 4x4 prowess than cheaper class contenders provide.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00​​​​ Introduction
00:38 Background
03:44 Driving Experience
12:18 Design & Build
25:09 Market & Model Range
38:30 Cost of Ownership
44:00 Summary

Background

Kia doesn't really adhere to the normal conventions of car manufacture. The South Korean company wants to get places fast, so its product planning is accelerated, compressed into Matrix-style bullet time. Cars are launched, facelifted and replaced in half the time of many manufacturers.

Take the Sorento. It first appeared way back in 2002 with a crude old ladder-framed chassis. The 2010 MK2 replacement car got with the programme, slicker to look at and based on the more car-like monocoque chassis that 'D'-segment SUV buyers by then wanted. It's 2015-era MK3 replacement refined that recipe, but it's this MK4 design that really takes it forward. Here, we're going to tell you how.

Driving Experience

Up until now, virtually all Sorento models have been sold here with diesel power, but Kia wants that to change. A conventional diesel engine is still offered in this MK4 model, an uprated 'Smartstream' version of the previous 2.2-litre four cylinder unit, this time with 202PS and 440Nm torque transmitted to the tarmac through an 8-speed auto transmission. The brand is hoping though, that a significant number of customers will consider the new alternative, a 'Smartstream' HEV hybrid electrified powertrain, pairing a 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol engine with a 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack and 44.2kW electric motor. The total output produced by this combination is 230PS with 350Nm torque and power is sent through a six-speed auto gearbox via a transmission-mounted electrical device, allowing the full power of the engine and motor to be transferred in parallel with minimal loss of energy. The result is immediacy in acceleration response at any speed, with direct access to available battery power at higher speeds. You can also ask your dealer about a Plug-in Hybrid petrol variant, which mates the 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol engine with a larger 90PS electric motor powered by a 13.8kWh battery pack, generating 270PS and a allowing this variant to offer WLTP-rated 35 mile pure electric driving range.

Kia has put a lot of work into this car's monocoque-based platform to improve refinement and lower body vibrations. There's also enhanced all-terrain capability thanks to a new Terrain Mode. Paired with the optional all-wheel drive system, Terrain Mode makes the Sorento more capable in mud, snow and sand.

Design and Build

Kia says the styling here was inspired by its huge US-market Telluride SUV: well it's been toned down a little for us Europeans but still looks more confident and assertive than previous generation models. The front of the Sorento evolves with a new interpretation of Kia's hallmark 'tiger nose' grille, displaying a wider shape which organically wraps around the integrated headlamps on each side. In profile, the new model is 10mm longer than its predecessor (now 4,810mm), yet it features shorter front and rear overhangs.

Inside, you get one of the highest quality interior spaces found in any Kia to-date, fitted with premium-quality materials and cutting-edge infotainment. The dash is based around twin digital displays, a 12.3-inch digital driver instrument cluster twinned with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system (in 8 or 10.25-inch sizes) at the centre of the fascia. Features like mood lighting, embossed satin-effect surfaces and a high-end BOSE surround audio system add to the premium feel.

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