FIRST DRIVE ~ 2011 KIA SORENTO

Kia continues to raise the bar with 2011 Sorento

If you've always thought of Kia as the inexpensive alternative to buying used, think again.
Like Hyundai, the company has evolved.
Kia has climbed steadily in terms of quality, going from 35th place in J.D. Power's 2003 Initial Quality Study (IQS) rankings to 12th spot in 2009.
"Kia successfully transformed customer perceptions through the significant inroads we've made in quality and design," said Shelley Tavener, Public Relations Manager for Kia Canada at the recent launch of the 2011 Sorento. "We've also created vehicles this year that create an emotional appeal," she added, referring to the Soul, which has sold 8,500 units during the 10 months since its introduction.
Also helping change brand perception are the Forte (launched in May 2009) and the sporty Forte Coupe, which bowed in August.
Next in line to help Kia achieve its aspiration of being the premium brand without the premium price, is the 2011 Sorento compact SUV, to be available early this year.
Completely redesigned, the all-new Sorento has departed from a traditional body-on-frame SUV design to that of a crossover, using unibody construction, while increasing spaciousness and improving comfort and ride.
The Sorento is longer and wider than the previous generation, but with a slightly lower roofline and lower centre of gravity. It also has substantially more space than its predecessor with 4,035 litres of interior volume for the five-seat version and 4,230 as a seven seater as compared with 3,894 litres for the previous generation. This includes an additional 140 litres of cargo capacity.
These numbers stack up favourably against such competitors as Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox. Sorento is both longer and wider than each, and is among the largest in overall passenger room. Sorento is also the only one among them, other than the RAV4, to offer an optional third row.
There are 258 litres of cargo room behind the third row and 1,047 litres when you drop the 50/50 seats into the floor. Fold the 60/40 second row as well, and you almost double that for a total of 2,052 litres.
But there's much more to the new Sorento than its capacity to haul people and their stuff.
Kia has developed a common design language, which can be seen in the vehicle's more aggressive stance, upswept side character line and black honeycomb "tiger nose" grille.
The aerodynamic greenhouse contributes to the vehicle's sportier new look, as do the protruding wheel arches that house the standard-equipped 17-inch or 18-inch alloys.
The 2011 Sorento is available with two engine choices: a 2.4 litre inline four that produces 175 hp and 169 lb/ft of torque, or 3.5 litre V6 that delivers 276 hp and 248 lb/ft. It can also be ordered in front- or all-wheel drive, and with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic Steptronic, depending on trim level.
What immediately struck me on entering the vehicle is the improvements Kia has made to its interiors. In the Sorento, there's nice use of soft-touch materials, textured plastics, high-quality fabrics or optional perforated leather.
I'd prefer that the wood trim looked more like wood and not black plastic, but overall fit and finish is superb and on par with many of the entry premium vehicles I've driven.
Content levels, too, are impressive - even on the base vehicle, priced at $23,995.
I won't provide the full list of what's standard on the 2.4-litre LX front driver (with manual transmission), but here are some of the highlights: air conditioning, power windows and locks, keyless entry, heated front seats, voice activated Bluetooth, Sirius Satellite CD/MP3/USB/AUX (with 3 month subscription), Ipod cable, steering wheel audio and cruise controls and wiper de-icer. Standard safety and handling includes six airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic stability control, traction control, downhill assist control and hill assent control.
If you want an automatic transmission, the next trim level adds some additional features such as rear parking sonar and the Eco-minder Indicator (which lets you know when you're driving fuel efficiently), bumping the price to $26,595.
Go for all-wheel-drive and the price jumps to $28,495.
Six cylinder models start at $29,095 for front-drive models and top out at $39,195 for the 3.5L EX Luxury V6 AWD seven seater. Content levels are rich at this level and include such niceties as leather seating with power driver seat, dual zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, premium 10-speaker audio system, smart key with pushbutton start, navigation with rear view camera and 18-inch chrome wheels.
As with all vehicle launches, driving time was limited, and I only had a few hours behind the wheel. What did impress me was not only the Sorento's forgiving, car-like ride, but how quiet it was in the cabin - even under hard acceleration.
Much of this is due to thicker glass in the windows, more slippery side mirrors, double-sealing in the doorframes, reinforced rear wheel housings and more.
Although these measures lower the number of decibels inside, they contribute to a hefty 1,700-plus kg curb weight. This presented no problem for 3.5-litre V6, which got up to speed competently. The 2.4-litre four cylinder, however, was a bit more leisurely.
It's probably enough for typical city driving, but if you'll be climbing hills or doing any towing, the V6 is your best bet. When equipped with the towing package, the six will pull up to 3,500 lbs.
The 2011 Sorento is being built at Kia's new $1 billion, state-of-the-art facility in West Point, Georgia. I did the tour and found floors as clean as a hospital ward, and despite all the heavy stamping, application of sealants, welding and painting, detected not a whiff of chemicals or combustion.
Throughout the process, I witnessed a real focus on workmanship, not to mention pride demonstrated by Kia staff, and the West Point mayor, towards the product and facility.
Kia is working on a rigorous strategy with the goal of being in the top three manufacturers for actual quality within three years, and in the top five for perceived quality within five years.
It's an ambitious goal, but with IQS rankings going in the right direction, the success of recent product launches, and now the 2011 Sorento, Kia should be well on its way.

BODY STYLE: compact crossover SUV
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, front- or all-wheel-drive
ENGINE: 2.4-litre, four-cylinder (175 hp and 169 lb/ft of torque); 3.5 litre V6 (276 hp and 248 lb/ft)
TOWING CAPACITY: 3,500 lbs (V6 models equipped with towing package)
FUEL ECONOMY: 2.4-litre FWD auto 9.7/6.9 litres/100 km (city/highway); 3.5-litre V6 AWD: 11.1/7.9 litres/100 km (city/highway)
PRICE: (base 4 cyl.) $23,995; (base V6) $29,095