What's the news?
Kia will unveil the new Sorento at the Paris Motor Show on 27th September. It is built on a new platform and gets updated engines. Thanks to high tensile steel and extra bracing the new shell is claimed to be 18% more rigid. The Sorento will go on sale later this year in most markets.
Exterior
Reflecting the model's new structure is a fresh look, with larger areas of body colour surface. At the front there is a new grille, vertical fog lamps and new head lamps. The tailgate is restyled too, as are the LED tail lights. Overall the new body has a lower drag coefficient of 0.34.
Interior
Lowering the floor has increased legroom and made entry and exit easier. Customers can choose either black or beige trim in cloth or leather. More soft-touch surfaces are used and satin chrome has been applied to the door handles, air vent surrounds and switches. The instrument display is a new LCD design and the centre stack incorporates a seven-inch display screen.
Mechanicals
Globally Kia will offer a range of petrol and diesel engines with power outputs from 150- to 280hp. The lower power output comes from a 2.0-litre petrol unit for the European market. A 2.2-litre turbodiesel with 197hp and 421Nm (436Nm when automatic transmission is fitted) and CO2 emissions of 153g/km will be offered in Ireland. Both manual and automatic transmissions are six-speed and the two- and four-wheel drive systems are carried over from the previous model.
Anything else?
New sub-frames and high performance dampers are said to reduce NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) while improving ride and handling. Steering has been made more direct at 2.95 turns lock-to-lock and FlexSteer variable assistance will be available as an option.
The new-look Kia Sorento goes on sale in Ireland in January 2013.