The new halo SUV in the South Korean manufacturers arsenal is as easy on the eyes as the experience behind the wheel is plush. Today, we dive into the details of the base-spec Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDI EX+ AWD to determine if it is good value for money in the premium category.
This isn’t our first outing in South Korea’s answer to the premium German SUV. Earlier this year, we got to grips with the halo newcomer over a long journey along the Garden Route and into the Western Cape. Read more about our time with the top-spec Sorento SXL here. This time around, the SUV was put through its paces puttering around town with the occasional open road stint.
It’s hard not to take notice of the bold looking exterior, one that exudes the proportional presence of a diminutive Kia Telluride. The front end has cohesively been put together, with horizontal headlights flowing into the now iconic tiger nose grille with LED daytime running lights subtly feeding onto its lower flanks. Two pentagonal LED front fog lights are nestled neatly within each side of the lower grille which has a small skid plate beneath.
18-inch alloy wheels sit on all four corners with the bodywork propped 176 mm above the ground. The wheels are the only noticeable differentiation from this base spec EX+ to the SX and the top spec SXL which both wear 19-inch alloys all round. The Sorento range can be finished in a selection of 10 different pearlescent, metallic or solid exterior colours with the test unit being painted in Clear White.
The rear includes a split vertical tail light configuration and a concealed rear windscreen wiper which continues the clean and cohesive design language that is present on the rest of the exterior.
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The voluminous boot can be automatically accessed with the use of the key fob while the bottom portion of the rear bumper houses the reverse and fog lights above a pair of fake exhaust vents and a skid plate mimicked from the front.
Considering the Sorento is intended as a family hauling SUV, many of the niceties exist in the interior – a place with moderate amounts of tech and copious amounts of comfort. The driver’s seating position doesn’t feel unnecessarily high, nor does the entire profile of the car for that matter. Behind the multifunction steering wheel with Bluetooth commands is a hybrid display consisting of an analog tachometer and speedometer with a digital TFT cluster sandwiched between. Higher specification levels include a fully digitised and customisable 4,2-inch Supervision LCD driver cluster but we’re still not adverse to old fashioned dials.
The crafted centre console, with symmetrical air vents directed in low and high directions includes HVAC controls which are displayed via a screen but still make use of buttons and knobs which flank it. Above this sits an 8-inch infotainment system which offers screen mirroring to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through cable. Both higher specification levels include a 10,25-inch display instead that comes with built-in navigation but phone apps are always our preferred choice anyway.
Shared between all models are the two rotary dials aside the armrest; the conventional gear shifter has been replaced by the larger of the dials while the smaller can select the driving and terrain modes, this is a capable all-wheel-drive SUV after all. Positioned around the smaller rotary dial are the buttons for the parking brake, hill descent control, reverse camera and park distance control – all of which are standard equipment on the base EX+ too.
The second and third rows are equally filled with technology and comfort to keep back-seat passengers satisfied during journeys and improve general ease-of-use. The capacious second row boast plenty of legroom, even when in their most forward position. Accessing the boot can be achieved with a simple push of a button, which folds and moves the rear seats forward. The sixth and seventh seats in the boot have access to 12V ports while another button located to the side can fold the seats in front with ease.
Starting at R809 905 for the EX+ and R849 995 for the AWD EX+ as tested, it competes in a hotly contested segment that now has the likes of the impossibly affordable Chinese brands to contend with too. Although the new Smartstream 2,2-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel unit coupled with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission was smooth and efficient, yielding some impressive fuel economy numbers that would be difficult to beat with the aforementioned rivals. We managed to achieve varied fuel efficiency ranging between 6-9L/100 km during our time with the model.
For more outlay between the middle range SX and the top range SXL (a model that flirts with a million Rand price tag), buyers can also receive a raft of driver assists and other luxuries but we like the fact that Kia has simply divided their range into three levels of specifications without the debilitating process of going through a dozen pages of optional extras. See the full catalogue here. The price also includes an impressive six-year/90 000 km maintenance plan and five-year/unlimited km warranty.
