At this year Geneva Motor Show, Kia is ready to give birth to a new generation Sorento, its biggest SUV in the range.
The latest Sorento will be the first SUV to be based on Kia’s new platform when production commences later this year. With a compact engine bay structure, shorter overhangs and a longer wheelbase, the platform supports the car’s stylish new design and on-road posture, as well as its comfortable ride and satisfying handling traits.
The overall length has been extended by 10mm more than its predecessor, while the wheelbase is up 35mm to 2,815mm. The cabin now provides more room than in many other competitor SUVs, while intelligent packaging means the Sorento will also offer good cargo space.
For Korea, Europe and North America, the structure and layout of the platform accommodates the Sorento’s potent new ‘Smartstream’ turbo hybrid powertrain. Representing the first application of electrified power in the Sorento line-up, the new powertrain comprises a 1.6-litre T-GDi (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct injection) engine, 44.2kW electric motor and 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. The engine and motor produce a combined total output of 230ps power and 350Nm torque, providing low emissions with high levels of performance from the new electrified powertrain. The intelligent packaging of the new platform means the battery pack can be located beneath the passenger cell, with no impact on cabin or luggage space.
Korean and European customers can also specify the Sorento’s new four-cylinder 2.2-litre ‘Smartstream’ diesel engine, producing 202ps and 440Nm torque. This is paired with Kia’s new 8-speed wet double-clutch transmission (8DCT), developed to offer the smooth shifting characteristics of a conventional automatic while enhancing efficiency over dry clutch DCTs.
