2017 Kia Sorento review & road test | AutoExpert John Cadogan

Full review here: http://autoexpert.com.au/buying-a-car/new-kia-sorento-review

Kia Sorento is better equipped than an Audi Q7, and independently rated as safer than a Volvo XC90 - and only half the price of those Euro SUVs. But would you pay $60,000 for a Kia flagship?

Sorento is, overall, an excellent 7 seater SUV - it looks good, great build quality, tremendous value, cracking warranty - seven years in Australia - low service costs and generally well thought-out design.

Sorento’s core strengths are: it’s good to drive. Plenty of local suspension tuning for Australian conditions has really paid off. So: Around town, on freeways, highways, backroads, dirt roads: it’s all good. Off-road - you’re barking up absolutely the wrong tree. This is a good vehicle to drive to the beach - not on the beach.

Safety: Outstanding. Five-star ANCAP safety rating. What’s astonishing is the safety score: 99 per cent. (Audi Q7: 94 per cent. Volvo XC90: 97 per cent.)

Comfort levels, ergonomics: all good. Really good. Access to rows two and three: no problem, as long as you’re not planning on asking your octogenarian parents to hop in third row any time soon.

And the consumer proposition is very solid: Seven-year warranty, seven years of annual capped price servicing. And good customer support if there’s ever a problem.

Two powertrains: Petrol and diesel. The diesel is the pick - it’s awesome to drive. It’s $3500 more than the petrol - but part of that price hike is because the petrols are only front-drive, whereas the diesel is on-demand all-wheel drive. So it’s really diesel plus all-wheel-drive system for $3500.

The most frustrating thing about the V6 - apart from the thirst - is it being a front driver. It’s too easy for the powertrain to overcome the available grip, taking off at the lights. Then the traction control kicks in. It’s just not a pleasant, refined experience. V6 Kluger 2WD does exactly the same thing. Buy the diesel if you can.

There are three model grades - Si, SLi and Platinum. The V6 petrol is packaged with Si and SLi only, but you can have diesel across the range. The base-model Si’s edited highlights are: 17-inch alloy wheels, GPS, rear-view camera, electronic park brake with hill holder, plus front and rear parking sensors. So: Not exactly striiped out, or ‘poverty’.

Step up to SLi and you get: 18-inch alloy wheels, automated (hands-free) tailgate, proximity key and pushbutton start, and a 10-speaker Infinity audio system. Platinum adds: 19-inch alloy wheels, panoramic glass roof, blind-spot warning system, and adaptive cruise control. Spare wheel and tyre is full-sized alloy across the range - not the absurd option: the space saver. (What was Mazda thinking with the new CX-9?)

There are basically three solid competitors in this class: Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and the 2016 Mazda CX-9.

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