New Sorento: more crossover than cross-country

Has Kia sacrificed the Sorento's offroad mojo in favour of marketing a more civilised vehicle with broader appeal? No it hasn't -- mostly -- the company says, declaring that it has brought the Sorento into the 21st century for comfort, practicality and efficiency.

Employing yet another acronym, Kia refers to the new Sorento unveiled this week in South Korea as a CUV -- Crossover Utility Vehicle. As the classification suggests, the new vehicle will be focused on broader design criteria and it will offer wider appeal.

For global markets, the Sorento CUV will be offered with three engines, but we'll most likely see just two, the new 'R Series' 2.2-litre turbodiesel that replaces the current car's 2.5-litre engine and a 3.5-litre petrol V6 to replace the current 3.8-litre powerplant.

The 2.4-litre 'Theta II' engine option will likely be a non-starter for this country, Kia Australia says. Customers will be offered front or four-wheel drive options and the new Sorento foregoes the current model's full chassis for a monocoque construction. [Ed: the current car is essentially a traditional rear/four-wheel-drive offroader with links to Hyundai's old Terracan mechanicals]

So will the Sorento lose customers for being lighter, more fuel efficient, better mannered generally? The new model has been fashioned for the American market where traditional 'body-on-frame' SUVs are on the nose, but sales of crossovers are on the rise. Whether that translates to the Australian market in the same way, and leaves the way open for Sorento to expand its customer base here remains open to question.

Recent history (Captiva, Territory and Kluger) suggests there's no shortage of customers willing to consider a two-wheel drive SUV because they want the high seating and the packaging, not Birdsville Track offroad capability.

"We can't ignore the market opportunity that exists for things like Territory, Captiva -- the urban offroader," explains Kia Australia's Jonathan Fletcher.

"Clearly, the new Sorento heavily targets the US market, where seven seats, plenty of space, some -- but not necessarily stump-pulling mountain-climbing four-wheel drive capability -- is the norm. That's what it has been designed to address," he stated.

According to Kia, the new Sorento represents a substantial improvement on the model it replaces. Coefficient of drag is down from 0.425Cd to 0.38Cd; weight is down by as much as 215kg across equivalent variants; packaging is improved;, fuel efficiency is better and the manufacturer is aiming for a five-star ANCAP rating -- something the superseded model couldn't hope to replicate. To achieve this, Kia has started with a modified version of Hyundai's Santa Fe platform, itself a vehicle sold in Australia in front and all-wheel drive variants.

The Sorento's R Series diesel is a heavily-modified version of the four-cylinder engine powering the Hyundai Grandeur and Santa Fe models. It is, according to Kia, different enough to warrant being called a new engine and the Sorento is its first application.

The range of powerplants will, in due course, power various models in the Hyundai and Kia product portfolios. Fletcher believes it will shortly find its way into the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Peak power and torque figures for this engine are 145kW at 3800rpm and 421Nm between 1800 and 2500rpm. Fuel consumption is 6.6L/100km for the 4x4 model with (six-speed) manual transmission. With the six-speed automatic, the figure is 7.4L/100km. Two wheel drives achieve combined-cycle consumption of 6.5L/100km (manual) and 7.2L/100km (auto). CO2 emissions are rated at 174g/km (4x4 manual), 194g/km (4x4 auto), 171g/km (4x2 manual) and 189g/km (4x2 auto).

The 3.5-litre petrol V6, coded 'Lambda II', is an all-alloy engine developing 206kW at 6300rpm and 335Nm at 5000rpm. Kia is yet to provide fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures for this engine, which is only available with six-speed automatic.

Running gear for the new Sorento comprises MacPherson struts at the front, a multi-link independent rear suspension system, hydraulically-assisted rack and pinion steering, ventilated front disc brakes and solid rear disc brakes.

The difference in weight between front- and four-wheel drive models is 60kg, with the lightest variant, the 4x2 Sorento 3.5 V6 starting at 1695kg and the heaviest the 4x4 Sorento diesel auto at 1810kg. Kerb weights indicate that the diesel engine weighs around 50kg more than the petrol V6.

Different markets will take delivery of the Sorento in different specifications, but the model walk  for the new model will be composed of base grade Sorento LX and high grade Sorento EX. The former provisionally comes with the following standard features: 17-inch alloy wheels, 235/65 R17 tyres, electric windows/mirrors, 60/40 splitfold second-row seat, 50/50 splitfold third-row seat, auxiliary power outlets in centre console/luggage compartment, manual air conditioning, auto-locking doors, three-spoke steering wheel, tilt-adjustable steering, trip computer, woodgrain decorative trim, six-speaker audio, dual front airbags and three-point seatbelts for all seven seats.

The high-spec EX adds reach-adjustable steering, electrically-heated door mirrors, leather-bound steering wheel and front fog lights.

It's uncertain at this stage whether Australian buyers will be offered the Sorento in just one level of trim and whether that vehicle will also be fitted as standard with such features as 18-inch alloys, leather seat trim, electrically-adjustable driver's seat, dual-zone climate control and MP3-compatible audio with USB connectivity, remote audio controls, cruise control, keyless entry, side impact airbags, side curtain head airbags, stability control and auto-on/off headlights.

All these features listed are currently 'options' in other markets, but it's unlikely that Kia will bring the Sorento to market in Australia without stability control and side curtain bags at the very least.

The new Sorento is set to arrive in Australia around January 2010 and Kia will reveal pricing closer to that date.

In the meantime, watch out for our review.

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