Kia's 2011 Sorento leaves truck past behind

Brand new sport-cute enters burgeoning segment for compact to mid-size crossovers

Jan 29, 2010

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Special to the Star

PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga.–You in the market for a $30,000 compact-to-mid-size crossover, a.k.a. soft-roader, sport-cute, station wagon?

Might as well take the 20 or so model names, toss them in a hat, and pick one.

Buying any new car is hard enough, what with comparing features, specs, price, warranty, reliability records, etc., then test-driving your short list.

This segment is particularly tough because there are so many good entries.

Perennial market leaders like Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Critical faves like Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester. Value leaders like the Dodge Journey. Impressive newcomers like the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Mitsubishi's new Outlander and Volkswagen's Tiguan.

To make your choice even more difficult, Kia has just introduced its second-generation 2011 Sorento, which has evolved from an SUV into a friendlier-in-all-respects unibody crossover.

Sorento will be built in Kia's new factory in the wilds of rural Georgia.

With two trim levels, two engines, two transmissions, front- or full-time four-wheel drive, two- or three-row seating, and with most permutations and combinations thereof available, your task gets tougher still.

Prices range from $23,995 for a well-equipped LX four-cylinder manual front-driver, to $39,395 for a loaded EX V6 auto 4WD with leather and SatNav.

As with all its models, Kia is stressing value and features on Sorento. Standard equipment includes Electronic Stability Control and active head-restraints – my top two safety musts – as well as four-channel ABS four-wheel disc brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, and airbags galore.

Plus air-con, heated seats, cruise, multi-media sound system including three months of Sirius satellite radio service, power windows and locks with remote keyless entry, and extendable sunvisors.

Also standard are luxury items generally not found in this class, such as alloy wheels, automatic headlamps, body-colour heated exterior rear-view mirrors with LED turn signals, steering wheel audio/cruise controls, Bluetooth connectivity, hill holder, downhill speed regulation, and, sadly, the dreaded fog lamps.

That, folks, is a lot of kit for 24 grand.

The new Sorento is actually a bit longer, wider and taller than the old (although wheelbase is 10 mm shorter) which puts it near the top end size-wise of the competitive set.

Ditto interior space.

Sorento is also one of the few vehicles in this class to offer third-row seating, although it's pretty much a "beats walking home in the rain but only just" proposition.

The base four-cylinder Theta engine is shared with parent company Hyundai and joint venture partner Mitsubishi.

In this application, the 2.4-litre twin cam develops a competitive if not dominating 175 horsepower and 169 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,750 rpm.

This is the only engine available with the six-speed manual, and is available only with front-wheel drive.

The optional six-speed automatic, Hyundai's own design, which will be built alongside Sorento at the Georgia assembly facility, sports manual toggle shifting via the console-mounted lever.

The one-up 3.5 L V6 (276 hp, 248 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm) is also a Hyundai design, manufactured at Hyundai's plant about an hour west across the Chattahoochee River near Montgomery, Ala. Kia claims this is class-leading V6 power and torque, tied with Hyundai Santa Fe, for the very good reason that it uses the same engine.

Transport Canada fuel consumption ratings for the four-cylinder fall toward the back of the pack; the V6 does relatively better.

The V6 consumption is also only marginally worse than the four; if those ratings are borne out in the real world, you might as well go for the six if you can afford it.

The Sorento is a handsome uncluttered design, although not radical in any way. Probably just as well; this customer class tends to be a conservative clientele.

Kia (and Hyundai) has made great strides in a short period of time in interior design, fit and finish. The Sorento won't be mistaken for an Audi but the interior is well designed, ergonomically laid out, and seemingly carefully assembled from materials that appear to be durable and of high quality.

The front seats are large enough to accommodate typically big American butts and decently comfortable.

Oddly, there was significantly less legroom in the power-seat equipped V6 EX than in the manual-seat LX I tried.

The V6 is predictably quicker, notably quieter and more refined than the four. It does get a bit raucous at higher revs, mostly from intake roar, but the ample bottom- and mid-range torque mean you don't have to go there very often.

Some colleagues found the four-cylinder too weak and raspy, but I don't think it's much worse than others in the class. It just doesn't save enough fuel to be worth it.

The automatic transmission shifts very nicely. I did try massaging the gears with the lever on some twisty roads, which gives you a shade more control.

The MacStrut front and multi-link rear suspensions deliver a decent ride, neither harsh nor wallowy, to the extent we could tell on the mostly-smooth roads we encountered. Some rougher stretches of washboard cottage-type road proved the rear end stays well planted.

We didn't have much opportunity to test the four-wheel drive system, despite a torrential downpour. Due to the now-transverse engine layout, the new Sorento loses the low-range transfer case, but few-to-no customers in this segment are expected to miss it, especially when it accounted for a big percentage of the nearly 200 kg they've carved from the old model.

The new 4x4 system normally sends all torque to the front wheels. An electronic coupling diverts varying degrees of torque rearward should front wheel slip be detected. A dash-mounted switch can lock that coupling for slippery surfaces. It automatically disengages if speed exceeds 30 km/h.

The quick (three turns lock-to-lock) hydraulic steering feels suitably direct and precise.

Sorento is also commendably quiet inside, with minimal wind noise.

And if you like to bring the outdoors indoors, the huge panoramic glass sunroof, the front half of which rolls back, should be checked on your order form.

As always, the best value in today's vehicles, especially ones as well-equipped as Sorento, is to be found at the lower end of the price spectrum. Sort of like buying the cheapest house in a good neighbourhood.

That $23,995 entry-level vehicle has a lot going for it.

I suspect most Sorento intenders would aim for the LX V6 AWD seven-seater, at $32,195. This way you dodge the leather upholstery (why, people, why?), that sunroof (I never open them) and you can get a Garmin or TomTom to replace the missing SatNav.

I mean, if you're going to go full-boat to that loaded $39,195 variant, you might as well pony up a couple extra grand and get a Mercedes-Benz GLK.

There are still some buyers out there who are not familiar with the Kia name.

But the Sorento, like the Rondo, Forte, Koup and Soul before it, is a well worked-out entry with few major flaws and an excellent cost/value relationship.

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