Has the Qashqai, which was once well supported by the Juke and Micra, lost its way? In February, Nissan UK saw brand deliveries crash by 54%, while rivals made gains. Kia was one of those, its monthly registrations being strong enough to surpass the long-time Asian number one brand in Britain. In Germany too, it’s a similar story.
It’s early days but at a European level, Kia is on track to attain its long-time target of crossing the half a million units mark this year. It isn’t pure volume that KME cares about though; sales must be profitable, and brand image ever-improving.
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Two factors are helping the drive for greater RoI and the gentle if relentless push upmarket: the latest Sorento and the Stinger five-door fastback coupé.
The Stinger has already been much written about on just-auto and it’s certainly off a strong start in all regions where Kia offers this high-end model. It’s easy to overlook the heavy lifting which has been done in recent years by the Sorento, though, a large SUV which has greatly helped to improve margins for the brand in all markets. In Britain, which remains KME’s number one country, this model now reaches past even the Stinger’s pricing levels, topping out at GBP42,610 for the top-spec GT-Line S.
Diesels might have fallen from favour with many buyers yet it’s still the fuel of choice for those who need good levels of torque for towing. In the latest Sorento, CO2 ranges from 149-170g/km with the highest number reduced a little from the 174g/km of the pre-facelift model.
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Facelift is probably not too accurate a term to sum-up how much this vehicle has changed compared to the model which was released in 2014. Such were the number of updates that Kia Motors even altered the model code from UM to QM.
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By GlobalDataThe current Sorento was revealed in South Korea in August 2014, followed by a motor show premiere in Paris two months later. It has the same platform as the Kia Carnival/Sedona and it should remain in production virtually unchanged until the next generation model arrives in 2020. That vehicle will share much with the just-released Hyundai Santa Fe, while a larger Kia model, which could be called Telluride, should be the twin of a future XL-sized Hyundai which is due out in 2019. So Kia’s D/E segment SUV sales should remain strong even if the eight-seater additional model fails to make it to Europe.
Depending on the country, up to five engines have been available in the UM series Sorento, offering power outputs ranging from 172 to 270PS. These included a 2.4-litre gasoline direct injection (GDI) unit, 2.4-litre and 3.3-litre multi-point injection (MPI) engines, and revised 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre ‘R’ diesels.
In Britain, the latest model comes with the 197bhp and 441Nm 2,199cc diesel as standard. There is a choice of six-speed manual or newly added eight-speed torque converter automatic. The latter is HMG’s own design and replaces a six-speed unit, while the ‘Dynamax’ 4×4 system is supplied by Magna Powertrain.
In normal conditions, the Sorento is driving its front wheels but torque can be automatically switched to a 60/40 front/rear split if the road surface becomes slippery. For weeks such as the one we have just had, when conditions turn to snow and then slush, there is all-wheel drive Lock which, as long as you stay below 25mph, gives a 50/50 torque spread. Cars in KX-2 trim and above come with self-levelling suspension too.
The facelifted model had its motor show debut at the Frankfurt IAA in September 2017 and was rolled out across European markets in the fourth quarter. As before, all production for this region takes place at KMC’s Hwasung plant in South Korea. The Sorento for North America is built at West Point, Alabama, and China’s model, the KX7, is manufactured in Yancheng by the Dongfeng Yueda Kia joint venture.
The vehicle supplied for assessment was in KX-3 automatic specification, priced at GBP38,695. That’s one step down from the GT-Line, above which sits the GT-Line S. Like all Sorentos sold here, seven seats are standard, although the third row is best suited to children.
Kia quotes a top speed of 127mph and a 0-60mph time of 9.1 seconds. I saw consumption in the mid to high thirties. Around town you could expect close to 40mpg. The Combined average is 43.5mpg and much of the improvement in economy is due to the extra two ratios in the new gearbox.
In common with most rivals, the Sorento is anything but light, tipping the scales at a minimum of 1,932kg plus another 20kg in automatic form. So the well equipped test vehicle weighed in excess of two tonnes. Kia says some of the reason for that is the use of much high-strength steel in the body (it makes up a claimed 53 per cent of the shell) and a lot of sound-absorption material throughout the car. There are now insulating pads in the dashboard, transmission tunnel.
The updated model is quieter, although the engine could never be mistaken for a petrol one. It’s not unpleasant, just audible under load, particularly when cold. Even loaded up with gear, there’s abundant torque and the self-levelling rear does a good job of keeping the back end stable. Pneumatic suspension would be even better but this isn’t a GBP50,000+ Land Rover.
Once the current hullabaloo over diesel quietens down, Kia and others selling SUVs with no petrol option in Britain will inevitably see sales of such models strengthening. Not that Sorento registrations have suffered too much – the timing of the freshened vehicle’s release has been a stroke a luck. Although, really, Kia is making its own luck.
As a few manufacturers simply don’t want to learn, a lifecycle that stretches to a maximum of seven years – it’s around six for most Hyundai and Kia models – is one of the keys to success. With worthwhile engineering updates and a mild exterior makeover at the three-year mark. In that way, the Sorento is a textbook example. It shows why Kia sales just keep on rising in Britain and elsewhere. Look at what we saw at the Geneva show: a new Ceed for Kia, replacing the six year old cee’d. Contrast that with yet another facelift for the eight-year old Nissan Juke, a model which could have remained a best seller had it been replaced two or three years ago.
Having worked hard for many years to stay ahead of all others when it came to family crossovers, Nissan Europe is now in trouble (February registrations were down in Germany too, by 21%, and Kia is ahead as at 28 February: 9,984 versus 9,810). Kia clearly sees its chance to shine. In 2017, it sold 472,125 vehicles in the European region, a long way behind Nissan’s 566,191. How might things look at the end of 2018?
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