Kia Sorento Diesel

Kia has their next version of Sorento available and, in diesel guise the blend of power and economy is impressive.  As a complete package, the Kia Sorento Diesel stands out as being one of the best SUV vehicles on the market.  Price, comfort, safety, design and on-board features make it a rewarding vehicle to drive.

For 2016, the Kia Sorento Diesel is roomier and more refined.  Seats provide admirable comfort on long journeys, while the extended space inside the cabin means that there is more room for passengers and higher load-carrying capacity.  Offering a third-row seat means that you can seat seven if you so desire.  Adults in the third row will begin to feel a little cramped for anything like an extended road trip, but this is always a good space to put the smaller members of the family.  The Sorento’s new extensions in length, wheelbase and height take this away from the RAV4 and CR-V sector and into the bigger SUV class, where it now lines up against the likes of the Toyota Highlander, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Jeep Cherokee.  With the second row seats in place, 605 litres is available for carrying cargo.

Bolder and with balanced detailing, the new Kia Sorento Diesel SUV looks more mature and sophisticated.  Where there has been a huge leap forward for the Sorento is in the Kia’s new cabin quality.  The design team have made the materials inside the interior softer to touch and nicer to look at.  The dash controls have been set in neat clusters for climate, navigation and audio controls.

Kia Sorento Diesel Interior

One of the noticeable qualities of the Kia Sorento is the nice ride.  The vehicle seems to be better planted and more solid on the road, thus building up the driver’s confidence in the way the new Sorento manages the corners and differing road surfaces.  Off-roading is not in the same league as a Jeep Cherokee or Toyota Landcruiser, however the Kia Sorento Diesel will handle tougher off-road work, and, of course, snow, slippery mud and the simple track down to the beach with ease.  Ground clearance is a useful 185 mm, while the Sorento Diesel offers a diff-lock with 50/50 split power front-to-rear for when the going gets tougher.

With the diesel’s power and torque figures (147 at 3800 rpm and 441 Nm at 1750-to-2750 rpm) towing is not a problem for the new Sorento SUV.  All Diesel Sorento models come with a six-speed automatic transmission and AWD with a Diff-Lock mode.

SLi and Platinum models get a new Infinity 10-speaker sound system; a full navigation system with live traffic, and apps for Yelp, Pandora, and other useful services.  Lane departure warning, frontal crash warning and surround-view cameras are also offered along with a full leather interior.

Safety equipment on all 2016 Kia Sorento models include: front seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, front active headrests, electronic stability control anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, and hill start assist.  Blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert have been included in the SLi and Platinum models.

For a very decent new SUV, the Kia Sorento Diesel range will provide a nice drive for those who aren’t fazed by more expensive SUV types.

The Kia Sorento Diesel model series includes the:

• Sorento Si
• Sorento SLi
• Sorento Platinum

For any more information on the Kia Sorento Diesel or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Kia dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!