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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.
It 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. |
Future
The Kia Sorento will be redesigned for the 2008 model year, and it is possible it might be a rebadged Hyundai Santa Fe on the Sonata platform.
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
This page uses content from Wikipedia; see Kia Sorento, which includes these contributors.
