Can the Sorento satisfy a hurried, petrolhead mother-of-two?

Two new Kia Sorentos have been spending some time at the office and beyond, doing what  family cars do best. My colleague tested the entry-level Sorento 2.4 LS, while I got to drive the flagship model, the Sorento 2.2 CRDi SX AWD. Can the Sorento satisfy a hurried, petrolhead mother-of-two? What is it that people want from the family SUV?

It must be easy on the eyes

How cars look, is important, otherwise panelbeaters would be out of business. A sexy-looking SUV has become quite the status symbol, but it has to be practical too. The Sorento is understatedly elegant, yet I find the rear end very generic. From the front, the picture looks more appealing - the gently sloping nose ending in Kia’s signature tiger nose grille, looks every bit as stylish as its German counterparts. Upon closer inspection, the Sorento’s outer shell bears the look and feel of a high-quality product.

It must have a functional interior

Since most of your time will be spent inside the Sorento, and not outside, admiring it, the cabin should be user-friendly with all buttons and controls within the driver’s easy reach. The Sorento’s black leather interior (standard in this flagship model) is top notch, and there was no hunting for switches or ports. Everything is marked clearly and the ergonomics are good. The centre console is deep and large, with a removable shallow dish for a phone or change. Neatly arranged above the automatic gear box, you’ll find USB and AUX ports, as well as two 12V power sockets. Above that, there’s the neat switchgear for the air-conditioning and buttons to heat or ventilate the seats (standard in this derivative). In the middle is the unfortunately sized touch-screen which gets lost in the expansive dashboard. It is way too small, but the graphics are clear and bright. Those with sausage-sized fingers can operate it via the buttons on either side, or with the satellite controls on the steering wheel. In the US, the Sorento’s touch screen is a much more acceptable 8 inches.

This variant features smart-key entry, so as long as the key is in your pocket, the doors will unlock when it senses your immediate proximity. Doors can be locked again by pressing the button on the two front doors. The tailgate is electric, and is supposed to start beeping and open all on its own when you’re within 700 mm of the rear, but somehow it never worked with me. (Other testers didn’t seem to have this problem! Perhaps it’s my magnetic field.)
The carpets underneath your feet are plush and make bare feet feel pampered. The Sorento’s cabin is a classy and user-friendly (if not terribly exciting) one. An added bonus is the panoramic moonroof, a standard feature on the SX-derivative.

It should be fun to drive, but easy on juice

If there’s anything that frustrates me, it’s driving a big, slow, cumbersome car. If it’s big, it must have some oomph, otherwise it just adds to the daily stress. I’d even be willing to forego my fantasies of a car that won’t induce tears when it’s time for a fill-up, if it performed decently. But the Sorento’s refined 2.2 liter diesel pot ticks both of my desired boxes. Yes, it has power: 147 kW and 440 Nm of torque. And yes, it is easy on diesel too. Town driving never quite passed the 10.2 liter per 100 km mark, and my trips ‘over the mountain’ averaged about 8 litres per 100 km. Driven sensibly, a figure of 7.7 l / 100km is not out of reach. (This makes it the perfect car for the annual exodus out of the city, because it’s really spacious too.)

The ride itself is very comfortable, and the Sorento’s hefty body is not prone to body roll. Press the Drive Mode button to select Sport, and the electrically assisted steering is immediately stiffer. It never really left Sport mode after that, except when I parallel-parked in town once or twice - and this is where the standard rear-view camera and parking sensors really helped. (There are front parking sensors as well.) Sport mode didn’t impact my fuel economy too negatively either - when I gave the Sorento back there was still so much fuel left, that I was tempted to siphon it out with a pipe. The brakes felt quite soft, but I have to add that I had a Mini JCW the week before.The All-Wheel Drive Sorento with centre diff lock instills confidence if you’re a regular dirt-road rider, but a serious off-roader, it is not.

There should be space for kids and all their...stuff

This Sorento seats seven people (the two rear seats are standard in the SX variant), and even with the third row up, there’s a fair amount of boot space. Keep the third row folded flat, and there’s space for huge inflatable pool toys. I used the Sorento for my Grade R child’s car boot sale, and my son actually sold his cupcakes from where he was sitting on a blanket inside the rubber-covered boot. The reason for all this space is the clever stowage of the spare wheel underneath the Sorento itself. If the little ones are on the middle row, they can plug in their devices into the additional 12V socket and USB port underneath the air vents in the rear.

It should keep all family members safe & sound

I’d hate to have the protection of an airbag in front, if my kids in the back didn’t also enjoy the same privilege. The Sorento is equipped with plenty of safety kit such as a roll cage from high tensile steel and 6 airbags. Its crash rating is five stars. Other safety kit (in all Sorentos except the entry-level variant) include ESC (Electronic Stability Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Control) and Hill-Start Assist Control.

If I don’t go for the Sorento, what else can I buy in this price range?

At R670 995 the flagship Sorento is not a budget option anymore (for that we have the weak Rand to blame), and almost places you in Land Rover league.  If you have some cash to spare, you can buy the Land Rover Discovery Sport 2.2 SD4 HSE with real off-road ability, which is priced from R692 300. In July we did a 3000 km road trip in one, and what a pleasure it was. The boot is considerably smaller, but fuel economy is not much different. There’s also the Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi 4WD Elite at R645 900.

But if I want a Sorento - what do the other derivatives cost?

The entry-level Sorento 2.4 LS will cost you R 407 995 but only has a driver & passenger airbag, unlike the others with 6 each. Then there’s the Sorento 2.2 CRDi LX (R 532 995), and Sorento 2.2 CRDi EX AWD (R 635 995). Go to www.kia.co.za/vehicles/sorento for all the specifications of each.

So, is the Sorento worth considering?

Yes, absolutely. Did we mention that it’s a COTY 2016 finalist as well?

Facts & Figures:

Price	: R 670 995
Engine	: 2.2 litre turbodiesel
Transmission	: 6-speed auto
Power	: 147 kW
Torque	: 440 Nm
Top Speed	: 203 km/h
0-100 km/h	: 9.6 sec
Ground clearance	: 185 mm
Boot size	: 1662 / 605 / 142 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: 7.8 - 10.2 l/100 km
Warranty	: 5-year / 150 000 km
Service Plan	: 5-year / 100 000 km
Roadside Assist	: 3-year / unlimited km