Kia’s keeping the pressure on in the three-row-crossover segment. Just two years after it last refreshed the Sorento, Kia has delivered a comprehensive re-do of its mid-sizer. The 2014 makeover was reasonably thorough—new bumpers and lighting, new suspension bits, and the usual interior and tech updates—but it didn’t change the Sorento’s body panels, glass, or footprint. This time, Kia digs deeper.
Drawing inspiration from the Kia Cross GT concept that appeared at the 2013 Chicago auto show, the 2016 Sorento wears fresh sheetmetal, rides on a longer wheelbase (109.4 inches, up by 3.1), and is a smidge wider. The face looks more intense, with its headlamps pinched tighter than those on the outgoing car, although it’s not as squinty as the Cross GT concept. Kia says it aimed for a familial resemblance to its fresh, “don’t-call-it-a-minivan” 2015 Sedona, uh, minivan, and the company did a nice job of applying lead designer Peter Schreyer’s aesthetic here.
The lower intake and fog-lamp pockets are a little bolder, and the latter can house LED units for a little extra coin. Four new wheel designs in sizes from 17 to 19 inches come onboard as part of the redesign. Kia says 53 percent of the Sorento’s unibody consists of high-strength steel, which, combined with industrial-strength adhesives, dual-seal lip joints, and larger-diameter laser-welding techniques, increases torsional rigidity by 14 percent. Revised front-suspension geometry pairs with an updated rear suspension to improve handling and reduce NVH levels.
Inside, a healthy dose of soft-touch plastics have been installed, particularly on the door panels, center console, and instrument surround. Kia says the design theme “focused on the stability of a horizontal plane,” without further elaboration. So there’s that. Headroom increases throughout the cabin, and Kia dove deep into the corporate parts bin’s creature-comforts catalog, loading up the Sorento’s order sheet with a heated and ventilated 14-way power driver’s seat, a heated and ventilated eight-way power passenger seat, heated rear seats, dual-zone HVAC, a panoramic sunroof, and nappa leather upholstery.
No comments:
Post a Comment