2013 Kia Sorento

This is the all-new Kia Sorento, launched less than three years after the outgoing model went on sale. Despite using the same doors, roof, bonnet and windscreen, Kia says that this is otherwise an all-new car. 

The steel monocoque platform has been virtually completely re-engineered with a new floor and underfloor crash structure, a new front crash structure, a new upper structure and now also gets a full-size subframe at the front, which helps with both safety and refinement. Overall, the body is 18 per cent stiffer than before.

The rear, multi-link suspension has been upgraded (with longer trailing arms and a bigger sub-frame), partly to increase space in the rear. The steering has been switched to an electrically-assisted system, the track widened and the overall height has been dropped by 10mm. 

Much effort has gone into improving refinement, with upgraded insulation on the bulkhead and around the centre tunnel. In this new car, there’s 30mm more legroom for the second row of seats and and just 9mm extra for the third row: all UK-bound Sorentos will come as 7-seaters. Boot space is an impressive 660-litres with the third row of seats folded.

There will only be one engine on offer, Kia’s own 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, 194bhp turbo diesel unit, hooked up to either a six-speed manual or six-speed torque converter auto. With the manual box, the official combined economy figure is 49.9mpg, not bad for a 2510kg machine. Opt for the six-speed auto and the figure drops to 42.2mpg. All-wheel drive will also be standard on UK cars.

There will be three trim levels (KX-1, 2 and 3 and a KX-2 with Sat-Nav). Standard equipment includes dual zone climate control, bluetooth, cruise and reversing sensors.

The car also gets six airbags, an active bonnet, downhill brake control and hill start assist. KX-2 gets leather, self-levelling suspension, heated and electric seats, reversing camera. The top-line KX-3 gets a panoramic roof, Xenon lights, stop-start and keyless entry.

In one word: honest. It looks accomplished from the outside and practical on the inside. Compared to its rather ritzier Hyundai Santa Fe sister car, the Sorento has a more down to earth interior. The new dash design loses the pizazz of the previous Sorento, but the cabin is very wide and spacious and has masses of storage space.

The boot is huge (in five seat mode) and the carrying potential is impressive with all the rear seats folded. The Sorento is also a decent seven seater (though the rear seats are probably for pre-teens) in a body that’s a reasonable 4.7m long. 

Even in ideal conditions (an ambient 24 deg C), the diesel engine was a little thrumy from cold, but once warmed through, the drivetrain proved impressively smooth. The six-speed auto provides very well-integrated shifts, smooth enough to be hard to detect. It is also impressive seamless in manual mode (easy to work via the very well-shaped lever).

Although it is refined and slick, the drivetrain needed a significant prod to extract a reasonable turn of speed. It felt slower than the quoted 9.5sec 0-60mph time, despite the punchy 311lb ft of torque. On the motorway, once wound up, the Sorento was quiet, impressively stable and straight-running. There’s no doubt that Kia’s attempt to position the Sorento as a safe and secure all-weather machine have succeeded. With a full load of passengers, it would instil of sense of confidence, though brakes needed a real prod for swift stopping.