Test Drive Kia Sorento since 2009 SUV

Test drive of the updated Kia Sorento 2013: Non-elephant

The correspondent of the portal Kolesa.Ru went in the footsteps of Mikhail Porechenkova, taking a vacant place behind the steering wheel of fresh Kia Sorento. Now we know how much the crossover changed, whether Sorento embarrassed the sudden winter offensive and what other dangers to lie in a large Russian city ...

When I agreed to hold the test of the new Kia Sorento, it was warm outside the window and drizzled rain. In a word, nothing foreshadowed winter. But she came, and strictly by the calendar. Even a little earlier. And immediately declared himself the most real blizzard with piercing to the bones eastern wind. The roads flooded with snow, and the oncoming headlights were not visible even for a hundred meters for testing a passenger car. Conditions, to put it mildly, not the most suitable, but for the all-wheel drive crossover it is better and not to come up with it?!


What kind of obstacle was the first to meet on the path of Mikhail Porechenkov in a commercial? Construction? Road works? We with the new Kia Sorento got a fallen lamppost. The stretched wires blocked the road and lay pretty low, but some cars at their own fear and risk, climbing on the sidewalk, still squeezed under them. At first, the Volga drove, followed by her, barely without touching the line, higher Cruze. No, this people are invincible! After all, only fifty meters there was another road, not counting the bypass trail to be dedicted by SUVs, which, by the way, took advantage of and I.


Remembering the strict KIA SORENTO suspension chamber of the previous Kia Sorento and about new low-profile 19-inch wheels, I drove slowly from frost from frost, but, feeling the soft taire of Sorento, immediately Osmell. Over the trucks with trucks, the car was confidently, without harsh shake and breakdowns. Did the engineers worked so seriously over the chassis? Of course, my feelings could be fooled by winter tires and abundant snow powder. However, a little later, without noticing a lying policeman, I took the obstacle to the move and the car in response only shuddly shuddered, and in the trunk, the canister jumped with a washway. Former Kia Sorento such a liberty to the driver would not forgive progress.


New LED rear lights not only visually make it easier for the car, but also look or rich.

But the renewal fruits are not only an upgraded suspension and an increase in 18% rigidity of the carrier body. There is something to see and from the side. Although, seeing the car exhibited in the car dealership, I was puzzled: Is it exactly the new Kia? Probably, I will not be mistaken if I say that in front of the change in the form of the model, not everyone will notice. Here a slightly changed the form of the radiator lattice and the bumper, the front optics got useful strips of running lights, and round fog transforms were transformed into vertical rectangles with additional sections that illuminating turns. But a completely different feed of a restyled car has rushed to seem to seem robous and smooth. Thanks to the truncated bottom, the sorento rear lamps became visually easier and more interesting, at the same time not lost and former solidity.


The central console and the appearance, and to the touch became better and more expensive. And the picture, broadcasting events from the rear view camera, moved from the salon mirror to the central display so much more convenient.


The interior also did not adhere attention. Critical remarks regarding the rigid plastic front panel were heard here, he became noticeably softer and more pleasant to the touch, but he had the one that in the middle racks remained as it was, and on it everything still brings the buckle of the unborn seat belt loudly. A quick review of the salon of serious change has not revealed: a more neat form has acquired a machine selector, the design and layout of the central console, which in rich versions is decorated with a color eight-mummum screen has become slightly changed. By the way, the close neighborhood with him a little display-strips with an electronic clock is a kind hellish of the past seems a bit inappropriate. But the picture of the hand-drawn Speedometer scale and part-time the screen of the on-board computer, I liked the clear, contrasting, as if real.


The driver's seat with a good profile and a mass of electrically regulators is equipped with not only a three-step heated, but also ventilation.

Passengers of the rear row are simply royal conditions: space, panoramic roof, heated seats and adjustable from direct angle to almost a stay of the back. In the distant path you can get up comfortably.


The trunk of Sorento with a five-seater salon remained at its 530 liters, but with a rear seating in almost the smooth floor, its volume grows up to two cubic meters. And under the floor a huge cache table for small things.

Sorento Calon pleases with quality and its thoughtfulness. The driver in its place, behind the warm leather steering wheel (with an electric heating), comfortable, and passengers to complain about the second row of seats, there was even more than before. Was my will, only there I would go: the doorway is wide, the floor is almost even, even to the ceiling with its huge panoramic window of a few centimeters, and the adjustable seat of the seat can be installed almost at any convenient position, even lying. The main thing, while not to grant the contents of the trunk, which on the machine in a five-seater version can still boast 530 liters of free and well-organized space. In addition, under his floor there is a whole storage room, where the canister with non-freezing, and a snow brush, in a word, everything that usually flies in turns with ease is placed.


The engine line at Sorento, although it became more economical and friendly to the environment, but, in fact, remained the same: it is 2.2-liter diesel (197 hp) and 2.4-liter petrol fours. From 175 the forces of the latter I did not expect a lot. And, as it turned out, in vain. Because this engine was enough for a two-ton crossover almost everywhere, even with intense acceleration along the rolled snow. As the way, his close friendship with a good six-speed automaton was also not and his cramped manual transmission, it almost does not occur in the manual switching, except for the engine braking. Remember, before some automatic boxes have winter mode, when the start was lathened from the second transmission to reduce the slip? So, energetic Kia on slippery winter roads can be found similar application: with the ECO button on the ECO button, the machine is swapped smoothly and without unnecessary bustle and sweeters gains speed. But if you want to have a fun, then you're better forget about this button.

With a complete drive, let the Sorento feels automatically connected on snow-covered roads feels very confident and, even despite the frequent gusts of the lateral wind, it reliably holds straight. But I will not say about the clarity of reactions, I did not disassemble. After all, with the clutter with the slightest driving, the car triggered the clutch and break into the skid against the winter and the laws of physics will not go.


Already going to return the test Sorento, I remembered a smart system of parallel parking, which did not have time to try out the city simply there were no suitable conditions. But in the city I did not come true. At first they were inflaming me when I slowly drove along parked cars in anticipation of a sign from radaris about the suitable place. And then, when I independently chose a spacious garage, Sorento refused to travel there, having accepted a snowdrift on the sidelines for a dangerous obstacle. No, these systems are not for us, but for patient Europeans with their right road atmosphere. And we are somehow under the wires erupt.


How much is Kia Sorento?
The eventable and updated Kia Sorento, as usual, went up, but rose routine. If its predecessor in the baseline, driven by the front axle, a 2.4-liter gasoline engine and a 6-speed manual box, was estimated at 1,049,900 rubles, then the novice added 20 thousand rubles to this amount. Such a car will be equipped with air conditioning, audio system, frontal and side airbags, as well as 17-inch alloy wheels.

Prices for all-wheel drivers starts from 1,239,900 rubles. But also the equipment here is already richer: two-zone climate control, heated front seats, luggage curtain, cruise control and stabilization system. The machine will be more expensive for 70 thousand. And for the crossover with a 197-strong diesel engine, dealers are asking for a minimum of 1,339,900 rubles.

In the equipment of our test Sorento (1,569,900 rubles) with a gasoline engine and an automatic box, a leather interior, a panoramic roof, a rear view camera, parking aid system, and an electric regulatory and ventilation of the front and even heated rear seats. Before the top version, estimated at 1,639,900 rubles, he lacked only a subwoofer and a Russian-speaking navigation system.

Competitors Kia Sorento in Russia
Medium-sized crossovers with engine capacity and similar equipment options on the Russian market today can be found with a dozen. Moreover, you can choose from both Korean and Japanese and European.

The most affordable among them will probably be the front-wheel drive Citroen C-Crosser with a 147-strong gasoline engine, and a melanika and not poor initial execution comprising six pillows, a stabilization system, climate control, cruise control and audio system. Such a crossover is estimated at 959,000 rubles. His twin peugeot 4007 in exactly the same equipment is just more expensive, 979,000 rubles, but the cars of 2012 are now sold with a 50,000 discount.

Less than a million, or rather 969,000 rubles, asked Mitsubishi dealers for the basic version of the new Outlander. It will be a car with front-wheel drive, two-liter four (145 hp) and variator. In the modest configuration, frontal airbags, climate control and power windows will be listed. All-wheel drive Nissan X-TRAIL with a manual box, a gasoline engine 2.0 (141 hp), climate control, audio system and heating of the front seats worth a minimum of 1,02,000 rubles. And the choice of engines and complete sets is hardly the largest in the class. Except that he can't praise the seven salon.

But, if there is a sharp need of two folding chairs in the trunk, then you can look at Chevrolet Captiva, the prices of which start from 1,050,000 rubles. In the Corroser's base, a four-wheel drive and a 167-strong gasoline motor, as well as air conditioning, warm front seats, ESP and stereo system are available. But the seventh version will be released by 30 thousand more expensive. The new Honda CR-V is still sold with only one gasoline engine, with a capacity of 150 hp, but can please the full drive and a rather rich equipment even the basic car. For 1,149,000 rubles there will be a two-zone climate control, 8 airbags, a system of course stability, an audio system and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The prices of the new generation of Hyundai Santa Fe, the closest relative of Kia Sorento, begin with a mark of 1,299,000 rubles. This crossover will be equipped with a drive for all wheels, the same 2.4-liter (175 hp) by a motor and a manual box. But, unlike Sorento, get climate control, heated the front seats and the stabilization system is already in the database.
 

A source: Magazine "Wheels" [December 2012]