Australia gets 'smart'

Named after the Italian coastal city of Sorento, Kia's all-new model is set to duke it out in the highly competitive mid-to-upper 4WD (SUV) market segment.

It's competitors will be the likes of Ford's Escape and Honda's CRV, yet it falls in between genres somewhat, and is slightly bigger and tougher than these soft-roaders. While it's no Land Rover, many are comparing it to Mitsubishi's acclaimed Pajero.

Some will say that Kia can't do that. But, when you look at what the new 4x4 offers - you realise that, yes, they can compete with the likes of Honda and Mitsubishi.

People may still be writing Kia off as "just another Korean car maker," but things they are a changin'. Back in 1944, Kia made bicycle wheels. Now it makes cars.

Kia PR types often like to draw comparisons with what Japanese car makers faced in the mid-70s. People thought their cars sucked, to be honest. They were cheap, so this equated to poor build quality.

Now the likes of Honda, Nissan and Mazda get the young-uns foaming at the mouth with their respective new offerings - no questions asked.

For Kia then, this is an important model - a stepping stone to bigger and better things. It hopes that the new vehicle will change people's attitude towards Kia vehicles. Does this mean it's a make or brake vehicle?

No. But despite this fact, there is a good chance, with some clever marketing, that Kia will sell thousands of its all-new four-by-four.

Early reports from over the pond in Yankee land are giving the new Sorento two big thumbs up, with the interior treatment and smooth-revving engine in particular getting big praise.

While speculation was rife matching the medium-sized Kia SUV with a choice of 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre inline four and V6 engines respectively, we now know this is not the case.

Instead, the new Sorento will be packing a rather fiesty 3.5-litre V6, with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and aluminum cylinder heads. Shame it's not all-alloy, but we'll let it slide. This time...

Peak power is an easy-to-live with 142kW @ 5500, with a peak torque of roughly 295Nm occuring @ just 3000rpm, which will translate to a fairly athletic go-getter, both on and off the road.

Speaking of which, it is as yet unclear whether Kia Automotive Australia will be offering the two or four-wheel drive models.

America gets both models, while their favourite neighbours, the Canadians, get only the 4WD. We would expect to get only the 4WD models here in Australia.

Powering both the LX and the EX is a 3.5-liter dual overhead cam V6 cranking out 192 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 217 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm. A four-speed automatic transmission routs power to the rear or all four wheels, depending on which model is selected. Fuel economy is not good, rating 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway (four-wheel-drive versions get just 18 mpg on the highway). At least the 21.1-gallon fuel tank provides decent range between fill-ups of 87 octane gasoline. Likewise, towing capacity is unimpressive given the Sorento's body-on-frame construction; it's rated to tow just 3,500 pounds.

Given the displacement of the Sorento's V6, the power and torque figures are unimpressive. Acceleration is strong off the line, but as speed and revs build, the engine feels taxed. Power delivery is smooth, however, and the Sorento has no trouble keeping up in traffic or cruising on the highway at 80 mph. But we suspect that many owners who use the throttle judiciously will find their in-town fuel economy dipping below the EPA-rated 15 mpg. That's disappointing, considering that many SUVs with V8 engines achieve the same mileage. With a curb weight of 4,255 pounds in 4WD guise, the Sorento could stand to go on a diet.

The transmission works well with the V6, delivering quick downshifts when prodded and upshifting smoothly no matter how the accelerator is depressed. On grades, the transmission will either hold a gear or downshift to maintain speed. There's also a handy overdrive-off switch on the gear selector, for manual disengagement of fourth gear.

Base versions of the LX and EX are rear-wheel drive. Either can be equipped with a shift-on-the-fly part-time four-wheel-drive system that is easily engaged using a knob mounted to the dashboard. When the EX Luxury Package is chosen, a special Torque-on-Demand full-time 4WD system measures wheel slippage up to 200 times per second and adjusts the distribution of power front and rear accordingly. All Sorentos equipped with 4WD have low-range gearing and get a limited-slip differential. During a brief off-roading jaunt on a narrow, steep trail that most buyers wouldn't think of trying, the Sorento acquitted itself well. Four-wheel-drive models will be priced approximately $1,500 more than equivalent 2WD models.

Underpinning the Sorento is an independent double wishbone front suspension and a rear five-link solid rear axle with coil springs. Stabilizer bars come standard fore and aft. Softened considerably for the U.S. market, this suspension provides a controlled ride and surprisingly adept handling, but doesn't filter out road anomalies the way a true four-wheel independent setup can. The Sorento rides like a truck over the rough stuff; not as smoothly as the refined Honda CR-V but certainly better than the jouncy Jeep Liberty. The Sorento's ground clearance measures 8.2 inches, while approach and departure angles are 28.4 and 26.7 degrees, respectively.

Knobby 16-inch tires are standard. LX models ride on steel wheels, while EX versions have machine-finished five-spoke alloys. LX models have 245/70 Hankook RA07 tires, which impressed us both in the dirt and on the highway. EX versions get Michelin Cross-Trainers of the same size, which squealed with little provocation in turns and slipped on loose surfaces. The alloys that come standard on the EX can be ordered for the LX.

Stopping the Sorento with surety are four-wheel vented disc brakes. Antilock brakes are optional on both LX and EX. We applaud this move; buyers on a budget and four-wheeling enthusiasts can get a Sorento equipped to meet their needs. Our test truck's pedal exhibited fine feel, and during a spirited downhill run on a curvy mountain road, we experienced no brake fade or shudder. In fact, we found the Sorento easy to threshold-brake when driven aggressively and a simulated panic stop from speed was accomplished uneventfully.

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The Kia Pregio one-tonne van means business - commercial driving, deliveries, trade, any hard work really. The Pregio sets itself apart by being an affordable, well-built, well-propor tioned diesel van that is loaded with standard features. Quite simply, Pregio is the best value, fullyspecified one-tonne van in Australia.

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4WD Pajero competitor arrives in October with 3.5-litre V6, 5-seats and a pricetag around $30,000.