Building on the success of the outgoing model with a unique blend of style, practicality, and technology, the all-new Kia Sorento went on sale recently with an entry level price of €38,995. The very impressive new SUV is smoother with a swept-back profile and more sculpted surfaces. The third-generation model delivers a premium look and feel, with more space in a much improved interior and numerous innovative features.
The designers of the third-generation Kia Sorento named their inspiration for the new car as Streetwolf. Although the styling changes are evolutionary, they subtly alter the character of the new Sorento, highlighting its sleek, sinuous, profile, as well as its class-leading style, ensuring the new model has a bolder on-the-road presence.
The front of the new Sorento incorporates long, wrap-around headlamps and more prominent fog-lamps, as well as a larger, more upright tiger-nose grille, with a distinctive three-dimensional diamond pattern, first featured on the 2013 Kia Cross GT concept.
The sleeker look of the new Sorento is enhanced by its increased length, reduced height, and extra width.
The all-new Sorento is targeting the bigger selling Hyundai Santa Fe with which it shares a platform and of course in the bigger scheme of things, Hyundai owns Kia, although here in Ireland Hyundai is imported by an independently owned distributor and Kia Motors Ireland is a subsidiary of Kia Europe.
The Santa Fe is actually priced about €700 lower than the Sorento, but Kia says that it offers circa €2,500 worth of additional specification including Sat-Nav, a panoramic roof, LED lights, and six-way electric driver’s seat.
Kia Motors Ireland is offering two AWD variants of the new car - the EX at €38,995 and the expected volume model the Platinum at €43,995. The entry level model is a five-seater with a generous level of spec that includes 17” alloys, rear privacy glass, super vision instrument cluster, and 7-inch screen including Sat-Nav with reversing camera.
The Platinum as the name suggests is a seven-seater with a luxury spec that included the above plus panoramic sunroof, xenon lights, leather and heated (front and second row rear ) seats, heated steering wheel, and an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat.
The Platinum automatic version at €49,500 adds 18” wheels and an electronic parking brake.
Power continues to come from the Kia 2.2 litre 197 hp, Euro V1 diesel unit, which sees a drop in CO2 from 155 to 149 for the MT still remaining in Band C (and €390 a year ) for road tax purposes.
Kia expects to sell up to 300 Sorento units in the remainder of this year.
“The Sorento is one of the most recognizable model names associated with the brand since Kia Motors Ireland entered this market just over 10 years ago,” James Brooks, managing director of Kia Motors Ireland told the Advertiser.
“In this time Sorento has evolved from a traditional 4x4 to a more refined urban SUV. The new Sorento reflects everything the Kia brand now stands for in terms of styling, engineering, technology, and quality. And it clearly shows that we are able to compete in one of the most demanding car segments where consumers demand this level of exterior styling and a premium refined and quality interior. We are confident that Irish customers in the market for a D segment SUV will take to the Sorento in the same way that C segment SUV customers have taken to the Sportage and that this model will add both sales and brand enhancement for the Kia brand in Ireland.”
