2010 Kia Sorento details
October 22, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Update: Kia Sorento Review.
CarAdvice is currently attending the launch of the new generation 2010 Kia Sorento. The Sorento which is one of Kia’s best selling models has been regarded as the ‘landmark’ vehicle which opened the eyes of many consumers to the Korean brand as more than just a small-car manufacturer.
Since its introduction in 2002 (January 2003 in Australia), the Sorento has sold nearly 900,000 units worldwide, with around 9,000 of those in Australia. The new generation Sorento is a little different however, it’s far more stylish, sophisticated and with a slightly different buyer in mind.
Kia’s research showed that only around 20% of all original Sorento buyers ever used their car for towing or serious off-roading, as a result, Kia decided to concentrate more on creating a car that suits the needs of 80% of its buyers rather than the 20%. That’s not to say the car is no longer off-road capable.
The Hyundai owned company decided to focus on five main areas during the development of the Sorento: class-leading performance; increased fuel economy and reduced emissions; improved on-road handling and more fun-to-drive responsiveness; greater cabin space and comfort; and enhanced overall crash safety.
Design chief Peter Schreyer, has done wonders for the Korean brand in the last few years and from the outside his work is obvious as the Sorento uses the new Schreyer ‘corporate grille’ look first introduced with the Cerato earlier this year.
The new more masculine looking Sorento is longer, lower, more powerful, more efficient and more practical than the out-going model. There will be two engines, a brand new class-leading 145kW ‘R2.2′ diesel engine with 436Nm of torque and a 128kW four-cylinder engine.
Kia says that given only one variant will be offered in Petrol, sales are expected to be 4:1 between diesel and petrol respectively.
A 6-speed manual is offered in the base Si variant whilst a brand new 6-speed automatic gearboxes, completely designed by Kia will be leading the charge. A 2WD system is offered in the lower spec variants but top-spec models are only available in 4WD.
As the first Sorento to be sold in Australia with 7-seats, it puts the Korean company into a whole new market. With three rows of seating, the new Sorento is more practical than ever before.
To fit the extra seats in the new model has a longer bodyshell, with repositioned A-pillars and dashboard (moved forwards) and extended tailgate (moved rearwards).
There are three models, Si, SLi and Platinum. Features include keyless entry, push button start, reversing safety camera and panoramic glass sunroof.
The new Sorento is a 5-star Euro NCAP vehicle however due to a technicality with Australian crash testing it’s scoring a 4-stars rating for now.
The reason is because current models that have already arrived in Australia don’t have a seatbelt reminder on the passenger side, disallowing the Sorento from scoring 5-stars on ANCAP. Fortunately Kia is addressing the issue with all Australian delivered models earning a 5-star ANCAP rating from December 2009.
As with every Kia, an unlimited kilometre 5-year warranty applies. The Sorento is currently produced at the Hwasung facility in Korea. Interestingly next year will see production start half way across the world at Kia’s new US plant at West Point, Georgia.
CarAdvice will bring you a comprehensive review of the new Sorento in the next 48 hours.
For now you can view the 2010 Kia Sorento specifications.
|
Fuel Consumption (L/100KM) |
CO2 |
||||
|
Comb. |
Urban |
Ex.Urban |
g/km |
||
|
2.4L Theta II |
2WD AUTO |
9.2 |
12.2 |
7.2 |
219 |
|
2.2 R CRDi |
4WD MANUAL |
6.7 |
8.7 |
5.5 |
177 |
|
4WD AUTO |
7.4 |
9.5 |
6.1 |
194 |
|
Interior Dimensions Comparison (mm)
| Next-generation Sorento | Difference | Previous Sorento | |
| Headroom | |||
| Row 1 | 996 | - 12 | 1008 |
| Row 2 | 995 | + 1 | 994 |
| Row 3 | 906 | —- | —- |
| Legroom | |||
| Row 1 | 1048 | - 34 | 1082 |
| Row 2 | 955 | + 27 | 928 |
| Row 3 | 795 | —- | —- |
| Shoulder room | |||
| Row 1 | 1506 | + 10 | 1496 |
| Row 2 | 1491 | + 7 | 1484 |
| Row 3 | 1366 | —- | —- |
| Hip room | |||
| Row 1 | 1431 | —- | —- |
| Row 2 | 1421 | —- | —- |
| Row 3 | 1128 | —- | —- |
| Trim level |
Engine |
Transmission (6-speed) |
Drivetrain |
Seating |
Price $ (RRP) |
|
Si |
2.4L petrol |
A/T |
2WD |
7-seat |
36,490 |
|
2.2L diesel |
M/T |
4WD |
7-seat |
39,990 |
|
|
A/T |
7-seat |
41,990 |
|||
|
SLi |
2.2L diesel |
A/T |
7-seat |
45,990 |
|
|
Platinum |
2.2L diesel |
A/T |
7-seat |
48,990 |
Print it: 
hmmm front end = Lexus’ish, side profile = Vw’ish , rear end = Landcruiser?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… Japan did it in the 60’s and 70’s trying to break into the mighty US market. Design ‘trends’ are a product of this. If the worst you can say about a vehicle is that it looks like others, who happen to be market leaders, then it can only be a good thing.
Hmm let’s see. Old model Sorento = 3.3L V6 for $33,990. New model = 2.4L 4-cyl for $36,490. Who the hell wants extra seats if you’re single? And a $5500 premium just for a diesel engine?? PASS.
Hold on Mark,
Why are we jumping to conclusions without seeing or driving this car?
The diesel engine is alooooot better then the 3.3L v6 engine used previously. It gives you more power and also alot better fuel consumption.
The top of the range platnium is feature packed! The only thing that is missing on the platnium is sat nav, other then that – engine start stop, xenon headlights, moon roof, dual zone climate control, upgraded audio, night vision rear view mirror, leather seats, auto wash headlights, auto folding mirrors… The list just goes on, if there was a Honda or Toyota badge on this car – 80k + easily
Mark, seriously, you think when you pay more $$ all you should get is more cubes?
c’mon.
$40,000++ for a basic Korean Car is a bit much. Plus, where the hell is Bluetooth communication and Sat Nav? The US gets bluetooth as standard and voice activated gps as an option, what about AUS? You don’t even get bluetooth on TOP Range Platinum. Again a top of the range Sorento only costs about AUD$35,000, Why does it cost more than this price to get a BASIC model in Aus? C’mon!!
Keyword: KIA
“As the first Kia to be sold in Australia with 7-seats, it puts the Korean company into a whole new market. With three rows of seating, the new Sorento is more practical than ever before.” – Are we forgetting the Kia Rondo? Or was this sentence supposed to read “as the first Sorento to be sold with 7 seats”.
I dont really see any design cues from other vehicles in the new sorento. The only thing that i can sort of pick up is the Accord Euro styled headlights.
Great reporting again…..just like the word “passanger”. Happens fairly consistent!
It says “As the first Sorento to be sold in Australia with 7-seats” which it is. KIA is not mentioned which cancels out the Rondo, old Carnival etc.
shows how meaningless the star crash rating can be.
Oh dear,
These are higher prices that their website currently states -
http://www.kia.com.au/cars/showroom/Sorento
Why bring in such a weedy 4 cylinder petrol engine? Surely it would have been cheaper to just bring in the diesel?
I don’t need 7 seats, 5 is fine for me. I’ll have to give this one a miss :(
Remove the 2 rear seats and have a bigger boot
Yes but where do I go to get my $400+ refund ??? And I hope the sunroof isn’t standard on any of the models, another expensive useless option.
Mitch,
The seats dont have to be up. When they are flat down – it is just like a normal boot.
Actually the 5 seat version has a tray like the Nissan X-Trail. This is a better use of space for me.
I’d love 7 seats, but only if they are real rear seats and not a podium for midgets.
It will all come down to comfort, performance, real estate and drive away price.
Where do I sign? A little Honda CRV in the styling but that wont hurt its sales. KIA are going from strength to strength! Japan, watch out.
prices are way way higher than the competition
esp. the Captiva and that sort that starts are $28k or so
i think this is gonna be tough going
it’s a good looking softroader but you’re gonna have a hard time convincing people $36k base is good value
Tony, I think you have you prices all wrong.
It would seem that people are still coming to terms with what a car really costs “drive away” as opposed to the old RRP + costs pricing.
Latest offer from Daewoo Auistralia, sorry Holden, is the Captiva SX Petrol for $36990.
‘Daewoo Auistralia’
See, you tried to look witty, failed miserably…and then spelt Australia wrong.
woohoo lol
But you can’t deny Daewoo’s presence in Australia through their Holden branding can you.
BTW it’s called a “typo” not a “spelling mistake” and isn’t that how Sydney siders talk anyway?
No, that’s how Melburnians say it: Kath and Kim:
“Kim, loo[y]k at m[w]e.”
Auistralia = Oystralaia.
with all due respect…
try again:
http://www.caradvice.com.au/42.....this-year/
‘Captiva 5 will go on sale in early December from $27,990 for the 2WD manual and $30,990 for the AWD automatic.’
you can also try outlanders for size… they are perpetually on sale for $29,990 or better
Actually, Holden owns the Daewoo company nowadays I believe, not vice-versa…don’t you know this?
Daewoo has no presence in Australia apart from the used car market. I’m not aware of any Daewoos currently sold in Auistralia – see, i’ll humour you by spelling it your way.
Curious as to why you would drag out the tired old Daewoo spiel on a Kia thread?
I believe this article is about the Kia Sorento?
GM owns Daewoo and Holden… they are the bad kids of an even worse parent
right now GM wants to divest itself of Daewoo
it is irrelevant… I would agree the Kia is a better SUV than the Holden/Daewoo but $10k better?
Actually, GM owns Holden, and Holden owns Daewoo.
Holden is a ‘bad kid’? Even the Yank government wouldn’t insist on GM offloading Holden.
I can’t wait to hear the logic behind this….cover your noses people, verbal excrement imminent!
Tony, with all due respect, get with the program.
$27999 RRP + ORC = $36000 driveaway.
It is a requirement for the complete price to be quoted, including dealer delivery fees and statutaory charges.
As I said before:
“It would seem that people are still coming to terms with what a car really costs “drive away” as opposed to the old RRP + costs pricing”
http://www.holden.com.au/lates.....FACT+Metro
Captiva SX AWD 7 Seats = $36,990 driveway
I think the basic 2WD 5 Seat won’t be $27,990 + almost $9,000 in fees and priced the same as the more upmarket model.
You’re a complete fool if you pay that much in driveway fees anyway…
Keep trying mate, you’ll get there eventually.
Can anyone prove Holden is better value?
NO!
how can you prove anything is ‘better value’?
it’s all a personal judgment value – the end of the day if you can only spend $30k how can you afford a $36k base car?
And I would think that this Kia as good as it is can’t be head or tail above a $29,990 Outlander that has a similar warranty… give it some time… I bet Kia revise their pricing to what the market demands… ‘right pricing’ they call it…
totally agree, $36000 start for a Kia $WD a bit rich.
better options out there if you wanta 4 cylinder.
the v6 should’ve been at that price..starting.
anyways best of luck KIA… i dont think they doing well with the KIA SOUL.
i dont see many on the road, that should be a sign for them.
By the way, and sorry to distract you fanboys…Kia/Hyundai have the Sportage/Tucson twins priced below the opposition at around 25 grand.
Sorento is a class up from those.
$36000 is an excellent price for this vehicle IMO.
Well said Mr Blah.
Or possibly Ms
What? No bluetooth, satnav, rain-sensing wipers, heated seats or an electric passenger seat? There’s nothing Platinum about it…
Did you miss the moonroof, xenon lights, engine start stop keyless entry, leather, upgraded audio, electric fold in mirrors, night vision rear view mirror, rear park camera.
Not enough for you?
Heated seats? Gets really cold in Australia doesnt it?
Just goes to show you that one man’s luxury must have is another man’s useless gimmick.
It must be hard to please everyone without loading a car up with lots of kilograms of worthless gimmicks, whilst at the same time trying to reduces weight for better economy.
Salesy? Hows the weather, get over all of the dust mate?
One option I REALLY hope they make available are the ventilated seats. They are perfect for the Australian climate.
Prices do seem a bit high? – pretty much same a Hyundai SanteFe dollars (yes I know it is a very similar make/base/manufactuer) but I dont beleive Kia Australia is quite at their level, yet…
The mid spec diesel auto has to be under 40k drivaway – for us to even consider on our shopping list.
Guess we’ll have to wait for Kia’s driveway pricing deals…I’ll wait and see.
Nice well spec’d SUV but.
Our budget is under $40k too. Base Diesel Auto 4×4 please.
Oh and with ventilated seats :)
pretty sure the current Santa Fe is on its way out
it will be replaced with a reskinned Sorrento (what a surprise) with similar pricing. The H/K strategy is to try it on with Kia first and then roll the platform to Hyundai.
I don’t doubt this is a superior SUV… the engine, interior and gearbox all look top notch… try convincing people to pay for it… that’s another story.
Buy a CX7 diesel.. manual only though. $48k for the top spec is way too high.. plus resale on a Kia won’t be great.
Earlier we said that the old CX-7 shone brightly for value for money, and we believe that the Diesel is the same despite a highish-sounding $43,640. That includes satellite navigation, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a Bose stereo upgrade, a blackout instrument cluster, Bluetooth connectivity, a reverse camera, 18-inch alloys and heated exterior mirrors.
it would seem that kia australia has had a hit-and-miss history when it comes to pricing their vehicles for this market – the cerato koup is very well priced given its extensive features list and attractive styling, likewise the cerato sedan…
but the soul has been an undeniable flop in aus – you can call it many things but ‘good-value’ certainly doesn’t spring to mind…
this sorento may look and feel the part but when its much more established rivals (Forester, CR-V, X-Trail) are all priced lower and offer similar levels of equipment, it’s difficult to see this car having much of an impact in the segment…
Forester, CR-V and X-Trail are in the same class as Tucson/Sportage, and do not offer the same levels of equipment, or size, of the Sorento.
I just bought my 2008 Sorento in march because i wanted a car that had balls for instance full ladder rail chassis real 4wd with low range for fair dinkum off road capability they have gone from a very reasonably priced capable off road vehicle to a soft roader which everyone is making,ok it has more features and more room but losing the off road ability is a big step backwards by KIA
I agree 100% spousey
Every Sorento owner I know uses it for towing or 4 wheeling. Why the heck would you spend 35-45,000 on a truck based people mover?
The loss of low range really bites. Very disappointed with this.
Existing Sorento’s have just increased in price…lol.
I await the road test. I hope it’s credibility as an off-roader is also put to test.
Also interested to know how good this turbo diesel is. It’s high on figures, but is that at the cost of turbo lag and engine life?
it looks ok hope it drives as well. it should have the 7 seat as an option as well as the moon roof. i think they will sell
I think the design is nothing fresh. It will age quickly, the car is overpriced for a KIA getting close to Territory/Kluger/CX7-9/Murano territory in the KIA top spec.
Finally what type of idiots would put a N/A 4 cylinder in a fairly large 7 seater like that? Love to see that fully loaded with passengers, luggage towing a caravan with the A/C on up a hill!!!!!!!!
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the releaes of the 2010 Kia Sorento for some however have to say that I am very dissapointed with release on two major points.
Firstly, there is no 5 seat version. My family of 4 just doesn’t need 7 seats. Most SUV’s start with a 5 seat version with 7 seats as an option.
Secondly, the pricing is way too high. I was hoping the 2010 Sorento (diesel) would be released for just under 40k… not 48k plus!! For that price I would have to look at other manufacturers where resale value would be considerably higher.
I think Kia have really missed the mark for high sales in here in Australia. A shame really… so close but yet so far.
Profiteering x2 from a mediocre product and high Aussie dollar ~
I don’t get y people are carrying on about the 7 seats?? U dong have to use them if u don’t want to! They lay flat when not in use..
They cost more, and they take up extra under floor storage space. Also if you put anything wet like a big dog in the back, the seats will get ruined.
if the extra seats are not needed, why force the buyers to fork out extra dollars?
If I didn’t read the article and only saw Sorento’s picture, I might jump to conclusion and thought it’s a Lexus. I would have thought it’s a carbon copy…though it won’t really stand a chance with Lexus.
the Lexus RX series is the quinessential toy North Shore housewives softroader anyway… no diesel, poor towing capability and all that lovely pale tan leather inside
the only way you’d have less ‘4wd-cred’ is if you drove a pink RAV4.
I would expect the diesel Sorento to have ’some’ rather than ‘none’ 4wd ability given it has a real high torque diesel but even so… no low gear… hope you are ready to be winched out…
Oh dear – the Sorento was one of the very few that commanded respect from 4WDers and wannabe’s alike with its blend of value for $, decent donk, ok looks, fat tyres for some some off road ability, strength and finish.
Now lets see: gutless 4 banger, 2.2l !? TD that will have a flat spot you could park a semi on, butt ugly B pillar, pigeon toe’d ugly skinny tyres, no off-road appeal(even if you dont want to use it – how thick is their marketing dept!),cramped 3rd row seats and me-too styling. I do like the looks from the front three quarter but now the Sorento will just be another boring people mover in a sea of mediocrity. They could have improved the drive and kept the standout features of the old car. My bet is this will be the decline of this model. Hope the diesel Territory is something to be proud of in 2017.
So are you saying the 2.2TD is gutless?
It looks a bit like a Subaru Tribeca I think. Notice that as the Koreans get perceived as a better product they are getting dearer.
I should have said gutless petrol 4 banger. I’m sure the 2.2 TD will be fine once it’s wound up but the euro trend of ever decreasing capacities with bigger kW numbers means a big high inertia turbo that takes too long to spool up. Fine for motorways but a sloppy pig round town. Witness the navara Datsuns going from 3l to 2.5l TDs – more power but …yuk
Drive the car & then rite what you just did.
As a current 2008 CRDi Kia owner new specs leave me a little disappointed as the value for $$ features that drew me to buying one have now gone…. towing capability dropping from 2800kg down to a measly 2000kg (won’t be pulling the fully loaded horse float with that)…movement to only all 4WD, sad loss – the old Sorentos ability to run towing the majority in 2WD, great – selecting Hi4 on some wet paddocks with horse float, great, selecting Lo4 after nongs in F250s have cutup the paddocks making a quagmire – just invaluable. It would have been more helpful had Kia moved to a 3L TD engine & delived a 3000kg tow option… oh well next vehicle will have different badge (and probably higher price tag)
Test drove the Sorento today.. Whoa..!! was blown away by the torque. Felt like a 3.0 TDI. Well built car and very decent on road dynamics. Very reasonable 3′rd row. Looking at the specs, serious value for $$. Would give Mits n Captiva jitters..