It's been in the on-deck circle for about a year--and at last, the 2011 Kia Sorento arrives in our hands as the Korean automaker lets the first dozen journalists in the U.S. free with its new crossover.
The Sorento enters production later this year at a new factory in West Point, Georgia, and goes on sale early next year. It slots between the smaller Kia Sportage and the seven-seat Borrego sport-ute.
The new 2011 Sorento is a marked change from the outgoing vehicle, which was introduced in 2002 and updated significantly in 2005. The new version, for one, isn't built on frame rails. It's a car-like unibody as are all the crossovers in its general size class, from the Toyota RAV4 to the Honda CR-V and Honda Pilot--and you may as well throw in the next Ford Explorer, too.
On the outside, the biggest changes come in terms of proportion. The new Sorento is longer and sits shorter than its predecessor, and the new grille is definitely more appealing than the dated facade of the outgoing model. The new Sorento, Kia says, will offer more passenger room and seats than the previous five-seat model.
For world markets, Kia is offering the new Sorento with four engines. There's a 172-horsepower four-cylinder; a 270-hp, 3.5-liter V-6; and a smaller four-cylinder and a diesel engine. The U.S. version will likely stick with the V-6 and, perhaps, the four-cylinder. The new Sorento will offer better fuel economy than the 2010 model, Kia says. Buyers will also be able to choose between five and six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes, and front- or all-wheel drive.
Kia is also predicting five-star safety ratings in the European crash-test NCAP.
Features on the new vehicle are expected to include audio systems with MP3 and iPod connectivity; flexible third-row seating; and a navigation system with Bluetooth connectivity built in, along with a music and data hard drive
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