New Kia Sorento gets its video debut
2010 Kia Sorento – Click above for high-res image gallery
The outgoing Kia Sorento may be known more for its affordable price tag than its luxury appointments, but the Korean automaker is looking to change that with a 2010 overhaul. And when we say overhaul, the transformation is complete, save for the carryover name. The new Sorento goes from a body-on-frame SUV to a unibody crossover. Not only does the new Sorento have a third row of seats and more cargo space, it'll likely return superior fuel economy as well. The new Kia Sorento also wears more modern-looking sheet metal, a better looking interior, and amenities like iPod support. Engines for the US market haven't yet been announced, but we're expecting Kia's 3.8L V6 and a base 2.4L four cylinder model.
We've seen plenty of the Sorento in photos, and now we've got the first video of Kia's new crossover in motion. Hit the jump to watch. The onscreen text is Korean, but the spoken audio is done in English.
Gallery: 2010 Kia Sorento
[Source: Autoblog Spanish]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ray 10:45AM (4/05/2009)
That's a handsome SUV. The interior looks great too.
I'm trying to figure out what the 200 and 14.1 were supposed to mean.
Reply
zamafir 11:12AM (4/05/2009)
Yup, looks great, it's nice to see hyundai and kia working quickly to establish themselves in the current chaotic market.
Sea Urchin 11:16AM (4/05/2009)
Interior look REALLY good, maybe Chrysler should learn.
raycasting 11:45AM (4/05/2009)
Here it goes Ray
200 Horsepower (2.2 Diesel), 14.1km/L (Diesel Automatic) supposed MPG
BigWill 12:07PM (4/05/2009)
Yup. The pics don't do the Sorrento's looks nearly as much justice as the video does.
I hope Kia is giving Peter Schreyer a huge bonus, because he deserves every penny of one for the Soul, Forte, Sorrento, No. 3, and VG.
Swede 12:16PM (4/05/2009)
km/l is a very odd measurement equivalent to 7l/100km
asifgrkhan 2:58PM (4/05/2009)
@Ray & @raycasting
which translates into 33.25 MPG. Not bad for a 200 horse / 3 Row CUV.
it probably has upwards of 300 Torque as well.
Hyundai is really getting its act together.
efw 3:53PM (4/05/2009)
@asifgrkhan
your calculationg seems wrong. 14.1/100km has got to be way more than 33mpg.
http://www.eforecourt.com/l_100km_mpg_convert.htm
14.1/100km is actually ~39mpg.
Mike P. 9:51PM (4/05/2009)
@efw
14.1L/100km cannot be 39 mpg. In my car I get 6.9L/100km and that's equivalent to the upper 30s in miles per gallon. Also, you'll note that the original figure is (oddly) in km/L.
efw 12:44AM (4/06/2009)
@Mike P.
what i meant was 14.1km/L, or 7.1L/100km, which is roughly 39 mpg.
Avinash machado 10:50AM (4/05/2009)
Looks like body-on-frame SUV's are becoming rarer.
Reply
The Luigiian 1:39PM (4/05/2009)
It's really kinda sad. People who pretend to like SUVs but really just want minivans are drowning out people who actually need a vehicle with ladder-on-frame and towing capacity. And it's getting worse. Ford is considering changing the Ford Ranger to unibody, Toyota's A-BAT suggests the Tacoma may go unibody, the 2004 Bronco concept Ford designed was based off the Fiesta platform for urban poseurs...
Pretty soon, if you actually need a work truck or recreational tow truck the only vehicles you'll have to choose from are SuperDutys and F-150s...
jsjs 1:12AM (4/06/2009)
Luiigian -
Kia has a BOF SUV, the Borrego (the V-8 version can tow up to 7500 lbs) - which made the smaller BOF Sorento redundant.
the_MVP_X 10:58AM (4/05/2009)
Hmm, is this thing have an identity crisis? I think i'd take the GMC Terrain thank you very much.
Reply
larry 11:00AM (4/05/2009)
Oh...get off it. Lets see how both vehicles do in the marketplace.
zamafir 11:19AM (4/05/2009)
No, No, he has a point. Talk to people looking to buy an SUV and you'll find everyone cross shops SUVs with three rows of seating with those which only offer two, totally the same market!
JGH 12:24PM (4/05/2009)
Looks like an Acura MDX.
Reply
larry 11:26AM (4/05/2009)
@ zamafir. Yep. Same market. Like totally!
Reply
Cellien 12:22PM (4/05/2009)
This looks really nice for a luxury SUV. I missed good ole rugged small SUVs though.
Reply
R. 1:19PM (4/05/2009)
Tis not a Luxury SUV.