Kia Sorento

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2010 Kia Sorento

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Interior of the 2010 Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento is a mid-size SUV. It was first launched in 2003, launched alongside competitors Nissan Murano and Honda Pilot. Sales of the Sorento have been strong, becoming Kia's best-selling model in the United States.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Kia Sorento Review.

Recent Changes

• On February 18, 2009, Kia leaked a teaser for the second generation Kia Sorento, which is slated for an official debut at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. [1]
  UPDATE: On Feb 26, 2009, Kia has released two rendering of the upcoming Sorento, internally codenamed XM.

Update: On April 2, 2009, Kia unveiled the next generation Sorento at the Seoul Motor Show. The Peter Schreyer handiwork now sits on a unibody platform and expands in size enough to fit seven. Underhood, the new Sorento will get motivation from a choice between a 163 hp 2.7-liter V6 running on LPG, a 194 hp 2.2-liter four-pot diesel producing 320 lb-ft of torque and a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine chucking out 173 hp and 166 lb-ft. The latter, along with another, more powerful V6 are the only ones that will be available for the US market. Other goodies are technological alphabet soups you would have never expected to find in a Kia a few years ago such as DBC (Down-hill Brake Control) and HAC (Hill-start Assist Control). There is no word on the pricing yet but we will post the information as soon as it comes out. [2][3]

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While remaining on the same platform it debuted on in 2003, the Sorento undergoes several updates for the 2007 model year. The grille and exterior lights have been redesigned along with other exterior accents along the body, and certain trims have received new interior seating trims. The engine and suspension have been upgraded, and interior options have improved as well.

Styles and Major Options

The 2007 Sorento comes available in three trims: the Base Model, LX, and EX. They all share the same 3.8L 262hp V6 engine and 5-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission w/OD. While rear wheel drive is standard on the Base Model, the LX and EX have optional part-time four wheel drive available as well. See the Safety section below for a list of standard safety features on the Sorento. Other standout features include:

Base Model

• 16" silver alloy wheels
• 8-way driver/4-way passenger front bucket seats
• Cloth seating and door trim
• No air conditioning
• 10-speaker AM/FM/MP3/CD audio system
• 4 power outlets
• First aid kit
• Power windows, locks, and mirrors

LX

Adds to or replaces Base features with:

• Roll-up cargo cover
• Manual front air conditioning
• Cruise control
• Limited slip differential

EX

Adds to or replaces LX features with:

• 16" machined alloy wheels
• 8-way power driver's seat
• Premium cloth seating and cloth door trim
• Roof rack
• Cargo net
• Steering wheel audio controls
• HomeLink wireless control system
• Compass, ext. temp. monitor, trip computer
• Leather/metal-look steering wheel

Pricing

Today's actual prices for the Kia Sorento can be found at CarsDirect.

Sorento Trims
Base Model 2WD	LX 2WD	EX 2WD	LX 4WD	EX 4WD
MSRP
$19,995	$22,595	$24,295	$24,595	$26,195
Invoice
$19,050	$21,420	$22,620	$23,270	$24,370

Gas Mileage

As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Trim
3.3L V6 auto 2WD	3.8L V6 auto 2WD	3.3L V6 auto 4WD	3.8L V6 auto 4WD
MPG
18/24	17/23	17/23	17/22

Reliability

Long-term reliability information is yet unavailable for the newest Sorento, but the 2004 model received all around Green ratings from Automotive Information Systems, indicating minimal problems in all categories.

Safety

In safety tests carried out by the NHTSA, the 2007 Sorento performed very well. Although no tests for rollover were scored, the Sorento received the highest 5-Star rating for all front- and side-impact crash tests. Some of the standard safety equipment on the Sorento includes:

• ABS & driveline traction control
• Electronic stability control
• Front and rear anti-roll bars
• Four wheel anti-lock brakes
• Daytime running lights
• Driver/passenger front-impact airbags
• 1st/2nd row overhead airbags
• Driver knee airbag

Photos

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Colors

Available colors will vary by trim, and a complete list is viewable at CarsDirect.com. Some of the possible combinations include:

Exterior

• Alpine Gray
• Black
• Ice Blue
• Radiant Red
• Silver
• Spark Blue
• White

Interior

• Beige
• Black
• Gray

Main Competitors

• Honda Pilot
• Volkswagen Touareg
• Nissan Murano
• Ford Explorer
• Chevrolet TrailBlazer
• Toyota Highlander
• Jeep Commander
• Mercury Mountaineer
• Nissan Pathfinder

Hybrid Models

There are currently no hybrid models of the Sorento in production.

Resale Values

According to Kelley Blue Book, "the Sorento is expected to hold about the same resale value as its closest competitors, at or just a few percentage points below the values projected for the Jeep Liberty, Hummer H3 and Nissan Xterra. With an expected 53 percent value retention rate at 24 months, the Sorento beats the Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Explorer and Mitsubishi Endeavor in resale value."

Criticisms

• "The ride is okay, based on our few-hour drive, though in 2wd the rear tires got skittish on gravelly curves at modest speed." - AutoWeek
• "The EX has splashes of 'woodgrain' trim, which is plastic doing a poor job imitating wood." - New Car Test Drive
• "The two-wheel drive Sorento models are powered by their rear wheels and don't offer the level of traction in ice, snow or mud provided by the front-wheel drive competitors. The V6 performs well but is only mediocre on fuel economy." - Kelley Blue Book

Current Generation: (2010–Present)

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The Kia Sorento will be redesigned for the 2010 model year, and it is possible it might be a rebadged Hyundai Santa Fe on the Sonata platform.

First Generation/Origins (2003-2009)

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The Sorento has two transmission options: a 5-speed manual or 4/5-speed automatic transmission (pre-2005 models have a 4 speed automatic, whilst 2005 Sorentos come with a 5 speed tip-tronic style automatic transmission). Sorentos are equipped with a Hyundai-manufactured 3.5L 24-valve DOHC V6 producing 192 Horsepower at 5500 rpm, producing 217 ft·lbf of torque @ 3,000 rpm. The Sorento is very capable off-road, with an automatic 4-wheel drive system featuring low range gearing. A sport package is available for the LX base model which adds a 5 speed manual transmission, fog lamps, alloy wheels, step bars, a leather wrapped steering wheel, a roof rack and remote keyless entry. All American Sorentos also come with dual front airbags and dual side-curtain airbags in the front and rear. The 4x4 system is a shift-on-the-fly nob located usually on the lower panel to the left of the steering column. Three modes available are Two-Wheel Drive, Four-High, and Four-Low. On-dash indicators show when the Four Wheel Drive System is active.

Common features of the Sorento family are 4 wheel disc brakes (standard on all models) Optional ABS Braking System, and a 21.1-gallon fuel tank. Also standard is a battery saving feature which prevents wearing out the battery by leaving your headlights turned on (a shutoff engages when the key is removed from the ignition, even if the lights were left turned on). The chassis of the vehicle is also based on a ladder frame design which is more often used in building trucks. This lends a rigidity to the Sorento that other vehicles in its class lack, even at the same price point. (See Also: unibody)

Dimensions information from the Kia Motors Website:

DIMENSIONS	LX and EX
Wheelbase	106.7 in.
Track, front / rear	62.2
Length	179.8 in.
Width	73.3 in. (LX) 74.2 in. (EX)
Height	68.1 in. (LX) 71.3 in. (EX)
Ground clearance	8.2 in.
Approach angle	28.4 degrees
Departure angle	26.7 degrees
Head room (front/rear)	39.7/39.5 in. 38.3/38 in. (sunroof)
Shoulder room (front/rear)	58.9/58.4 in.
Leg room (front/rear)	42.6/36.1 in.
Hip room (front/rear)	55.3/58 in.
SAE volume, interior	138.4 cu. ft.
SAE volume, front seat	57.6 cu. ft.
SAE volume, rear seat	49.4 cu. ft.
SAE volume, cargo	31.4 cu. ft.
SAE volume, rear seat folded down	66.4 cu. ft.

See also

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	KIA
	Hyundai Motor Company Hyundai | Kia Current: Sedona · Sorento · Sportage · Rondo · Optima · Rio · Borrego · Forte · Forte Koup · Soul · Cadenza Current (Europe and Asia): Picanto · Cee'd · Pro cee'd · Cerato · Venga · Magentis Historic: Pride · Spectra · Amanti Concept: KCV-III · KCD-I Slice · Sport · KCV4 Mojave · Soul Concept · Multi-S Crossover · KCD-II · Kue · Cee'd · Pro cee'd · Kia Rondo SX · Ex cee'd Cabrio · KND-4 4x4 · Kee Sports Coupe Concept · Eco cee'd Concept · SOUL Concepts · SOUL Burner Concept · SOUL Diva Concept · SOUL Searcher Concept · Koup Concept · Soul Hybrid Concept · Borrego Limited Concept · SOULster Concept · MPV Concept · №3 Concept · KND-5 Concept · Ray PHEV Concept · Venga EV Concept · POP EV Concept · Sportage Antenna "Work" Concept · Sportage Antenna "Play" Concept · Forte Koup Type R Concept · KV7 Concept Racing: Forte Koup Grand-Am Koni Challenge Kia Motors Europe · Doongpung Ywieda Kia · Kia Motors America · Asia Motors, Ltd · Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company
name of founder/s	Corporate website	A subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Company

References

• http://www.internetautoguide.com/reviews/45-int/sport-utility-vehicles/kia/sorento/2004/
• http://www.autobuyguide.com/2005/09-aut/kia/sorento/

External links

• Kia Sorento Official Website

News & References

• 2010 Kia Sorento teased ahead of Seoul Motor Show
• Seoul Motor Show: 2010 Kia Sorento crosses over for Korea debut

Community Sites & Online Forums

• Kia Sorento Forum
• Sorentosite.com - The Kia Sorento Community

This page uses content from Wikipedia; see Kia Sorento, which includes these contributors.