What is it?
Kia’s new top-spec Sorento costs in excess of £42,000, some £42,610 to be exact. The previous range-topper before this recent facelift, the KX-4, did, too. Passed me by that, I must admit; the new Kia Stinger has not been the first £40,000 Kia.
It’s quite a story that the vast upturn in quality of Kia’s cars over the past decade and a bit has now reached the point where people will part with more than 40 grand for one. And people really do; almost a quarter of the roughly 3300 Sorentos or so sold each year have been the top-spec model, with dealers reporting customers even chopping in the likes of Audi Q5s, BMW X5s and even Mercedes-Benz E-Classes to get one.
And now the Sorento has had a minor nip and tuck, just shy of three years into its life, Kia being known for its short five-year product cycles.
The KX-4 trim is no more, replaced with a new GT-Line S trim, with a GT-Line trim offered lower down the range. It’s more of the same really - think loads of kit, and then a bit more on top for only a few quid more - but made sportier-looking, Kia being all about GTs and the like now, as the ‘sporty’ side of the Hyundai-Kia group.
You can only get one engine no matter what Sorento trim you go for, a 2.2-litre diesel with 197bhp and 325 lb ft. It’s the same engine as before, but it’s hooked up to a new eight-speed automatic gearbox, driving all through wheels in a chassis that’s unchanged.
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what's going on with that
what's going on with that front end? Looks like the DS7 and could be anything really. It's like Kia's scond difficult album.
Sensible choice
This is really aimed at families and when viewed in that context, sensible running costs and a 7 year warranty have real merit compared to 'premium' rivals. And yet it still manages to look smart and do most of the basics well. I have to agree that the sweet spot in the range is nearer the bottom than the top.