Recently Kia released the new Sorento onto the Australian market after some delays apparently due to unprecidented demand overseas, mainly in the Korean homeland.

I have to say I've been quite eager to get to know the Sorento better and to put it as a serious contender on my own shopping list when its time to
upgrade our other car.  Well the reactions are mixed to say the least with both acclaim and criticism being showered upon Kia's newcomer and I guess I'd have to say the jury is still out as far as the motoring critics are concerned.  

There has always been a stigma attached to most 'first release' new models when they appear on the marketplace.  Sure people will race out and want to be the first to buy one but years later can't unload them anywhere near a reasonable price.  Remember the EA Falcon or VN Commodore.

To top it off there are often copyrights in place on spare parts so prices are typically inflated with no aftermarket alternative.  Secondly accessories are typically none existant for the first couple of years so if a set of side steps, nudge bar, cargo barrier etc are definitely off the shopping list which can be good from the family budget point of view but little else.
The Sorento is still touted as a 'real' 4x4 featuring the ladder chassis and low range, as does its little bother the Sportage.  The part time four wheel drive system is engaged via a fairly obscure pushbutton rather than a second gearstick.  It's longer and wider than say a Mazda Tribute and weighs in just over a hefty 2000 kg.  The cargo area is a decent size and the spare wheel hidden underneath.

The engine is ex-Mitsubishi 3.5 litre V6 as fitted to its blood relative, Hyundai Terracan.  For those who weren't aware, Hyundai owns Kia and many componants are shared between the companies.  The V6 pushes out 145kW and and 295Nm which oddly is 7Nm less than the identical Terracan motor.  Both use a 4 speed automatic transmission.

While the Sorento looks far better than the ugly box-head Terracan, the Sorento certainly suffers from very poor dynamics in many ways.  The suspension is bad.  I mean really bad.  It scuttles and shakes and jumps all over the place as soon as you find any sort of pothole or uneven surface which can't be a good thing for a 4x4.  The poor damping means that if you do actually get off the bitumen, the Sorento 'kangaroo hops' with very
little rebound control which results in very tedious driving even on moderate tracks.  A suspension refit is definitely a 'to do' when an aftermarket system is made available.  Eventually.  The basic features are there for a decent set up as the rear suspension is still a solid axle that should allow excellent wheel travel, with an independent front which is far more limited but better on road.  At least with decent shocks and springs anyway.

To have any sort of control on a relatively high speed loose surface you really have to engage 4WD high to find any sort of confidence with the steering and handling; its all over the place otherwise and is can be quite off putting.  Add the scuttle and shake then it becomes a chore to drive.
On the bitumen it was fine but the engine was laboured particularly off the mark and overtaking; you really do have to plan ahead.  The auto and relatively smooth engine makes it feel more relaxing to drive than the Sportage which has to be worked a bit to perform but the numbers show its not particularly quick. 

My Sportage (albeit with a slightly modified engine) out accelerated the Sorento in both 100km/h sprint and 400m though the Sorento is certainly quieter and more relaxed about the whole thing.  Until theres a corner thrown into the equation then its bodyroll plus and the cheap and nasty Hankook tyres didn't instill confidence either.  At least they're easily tossed and replaced though at a premium.

The V6 is very thirsty which isn't surprising because its been a constant criticism in the earlier model Pajero it was fitted to and the Terracan; with 2+tonnes to lug around the 80 litre fuel tank will require frequent filling, specially with the slushbox behind it.  Speaking of which its not a bad transmission though does hunt through the gears for no apparent reason at the oddest times.  Official figures indicated around 15l/100km which in real world means more like 18l/100km.  On the highway it showed fairly economical cruising providing there was minimal overtaking and conservative driving but quickly diminished when worked or even around town in any sort of traffic.

The interior isn't bad at all with a well laid out central console though theres a huge amount of plastic about which is quite unattractive until you get used to it.  However the dials and controls are easy to reach and to see therefore functional.  The exterior looks very European and is one of the best features of the Sorento; take the Kia badges off and a lot of people would be fooled.  The list of features including cruise, ABS, fast glass and options such as leather trim and sunroof make the Sorento, on paper at least, a bargain buy.
My biggest concern is build quality.  A recent experience saw a range of problems in a dealer demo vehicle and is worrying for a new 'luxury' vehicle.  Drama's included a transmission that would hunt though 3 gears at a time and shift erratically with the Kia having to be pulled over to the side of the road before being able to continue.  A noticable noise from the differential was apparent as were brakes that faded quicly and pulled to one side quite severely as well as a slight oil leak from the back of the engine or the transmission.  The 'check engine' light also flickered several times (though briefly) and the motor seemed unusually sluggish at times.  We're not sure if this was because of the transmission couldn't find a gear it liked or whether there was an engine problem but it wasn't 'normal' even on a motor with only 3000 km on the clock.  The exhaust rattled (for whatever reason) and the windscreen washers refused to work and yes, there was fluid in the reservoir.

When 4WD was engaged...well it didn't.  There was an annoying squeak in the dash and there were already scuff marks on interior trims that were marking quite noticably.  Oh yes, the interior light stopped working probably in sympathy with the 4WD system.  The audio system was good though one speaker in the back wouldn't work for whatever reason but otherwide sounded good for a factory system.  One very disappointing omission is a lap/sash centre seatbelt in the back; it should be outlawed on all vehicles with the lap only belt potentially inflicting severe injuries in a collision.  My next car will have lap/sash as I don't feel comfortable with three kids in the back of the car with only two properly restrained. 

Now being a dealer demo you would think that everything would work; it didn't and excuses like 'it'll be sorted in the showroom models' and 'its only a dealer evaluation car' weren't convincing and can't help feel that the Sorento will be subject to 'first model' faults.  I for one would run a mile from the Sorento at least as far as the first model cycle is concerned and hope that all the wrinkles are ironed out in time and perform as well as it looks.
The alternatives to the Sorento are abundant; the $40000 list price (on the road) is a lot of money even though there is a fair bit of fruit on board though add another $3000 for leather and sunroof.  A decent set of tyres and new shocks and springs will see you over $45000 fairly quickly and you're straight away into Prado, Pajero, Frontera, Jackaroo, Outback (etc) territory. 

The point I think here is that its a far more difficult choice to pick a Sorento due to the range of proven, quality competition within striking distance in terms of pricing.  The Sportage is also far from perfect but has the advantage of being a proven marque (the first models were atrocious !) and having a massive price advantage over anything comparable.  Lets face it; a Sportage with $5000 worth of accessories make it a very capable beasty and still coming in far cheaper than anything with similar capability.

A Sorento in this family ?  Hmmm certainly not this time around but lets see what the future holds.  If the gradual evolution of the Sportage is an
indication of how Kia develops its product then the Sorento will have its day in years to come.  I hope.
Kia Sorento