The Kia Sorento used to be a real truck with a rugged body-on-frame architecture. Now, however, this SUV comes out of the Korean automaker’s Georgia assembly plant totally redesigned and reoriented, with modern features and attributes that many rivals will envy. Yep, the all-new 2011 Sorento adds style, charisma and a surprising amount of fun to the equation.
Revamped design
Kia isn’t shy to admit that edging out the competition means taking inspiration from it. Here we have a Sorento which heavily borrows from the Toyota RAV4 yet adds a couple of unique elements, slightly different shapes and just enough chrome to project a classy look unlike any other.
The vehicle shares its unibody construction with the Hyundai Santa Fe and thus follows a trend among today’s SUVs and CUVs. While it did lose some of its truck-like capabilities in the process, the new Sorento feels understandably more civilized and refined.
The interior lives up to the new aspirations as well. Beyond the wide array of cool amenities in my EX-V6 tester (such as user-friendly Bluetooth connectivity and a decent navigation system), I was mostly attracted by the design and layout.
Take a seat and you’ll immediately get the impression of sitting in a much more expensive car. The two-tone leather buckets are perfectly suited for long-distance travel, the dashboard proves straightforward in both form and function, and material quality clearly exceeds that of many similarly-priced alternatives… at least with regard to overall appearance (we’re still talking about plastics).
Sadly, the dashboard materials aren’t so impressive once you touch them and they generate a fair amount of cracking noises when you ride on damaged pavement, making the driving experience a little less comfortable. It’s a shame because, other than that, the interior remains pretty quiet and relaxing.
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| While it did lose some of its truck-like capabilities in the process, the new Sorento feels understandably more civilized and refined. (Photo:Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Revamped design
Kia isn’t shy to admit that edging out the competition means taking inspiration from it. Here we have a Sorento which heavily borrows from the Toyota RAV4 yet adds a couple of unique elements, slightly different shapes and just enough chrome to project a classy look unlike any other.
The vehicle shares its unibody construction with the Hyundai Santa Fe and thus follows a trend among today’s SUVs and CUVs. While it did lose some of its truck-like capabilities in the process, the new Sorento feels understandably more civilized and refined.
The interior lives up to the new aspirations as well. Beyond the wide array of cool amenities in my EX-V6 tester (such as user-friendly Bluetooth connectivity and a decent navigation system), I was mostly attracted by the design and layout.
Take a seat and you’ll immediately get the impression of sitting in a much more expensive car. The two-tone leather buckets are perfectly suited for long-distance travel, the dashboard proves straightforward in both form and function, and material quality clearly exceeds that of many similarly-priced alternatives… at least with regard to overall appearance (we’re still talking about plastics).
Sadly, the dashboard materials aren’t so impressive once you touch them and they generate a fair amount of cracking noises when you ride on damaged pavement, making the driving experience a little less comfortable. It’s a shame because, other than that, the interior remains pretty quiet and relaxing.
 |
| Sadly, the dashboard materials aren’t so impressive once you touch them and they generate a fair amount of cracking noises when you ride on damaged pavement, making the driving experience a little less comfortable. (Photo:Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |