Termed as ‘the height of great taste’, the new Kia Sorento 2.4 was designed as a luxury SUV made for the urban living, covering multi-facet aspects ranging from both its outer chassis to its inner frame.
On my up close and personal encounter with the highline cruiser, I could not help but fall in love with its sleek appearance. With an outline similar to its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Santa Fe, the new 2.4 Sorento was a major upgrade from its predecessor.
Incorporated with high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, it exuded a kind of sporty feel, and its fairly high stance brought with it an appearance very much alike to a Toyota Prado.
The 2.4’s glossy facade was far more appealing that its older sibling, in my view. Its masculine body resembled a machine-like caricature especially when its HID lights shone out during the night.
Gliding into the car, I was impressed by the large dashboard and the little compartments here and there that gave me ample space to place my things. Its manually adjusted driver’s seat coupled with the adjustable steering wheel made it convenient and easy to drive a car this large.
Its leather bound seats and steering wheel along with its roomy interior provided me with a lavish sensation. Like all other new vehicles out in the market, the new Sorento had all necessary features designed to make driving a comfortable experience.
The steering wheel was equipped with audio mounted system and cruise control. The car’s dual air-conditioner was magnificent. Put it to just medium blast, and you could feel the breeze of winter swooshing through the inner body of the vehicle. This along with the array of air-conditioning options made a hot sunny day bearable.
Driving down the windy road out of Kuching, I set the audio to a moderate tone and already I could feel an optimum output of music blasting through its sound system. As such, I’d like to point out some tips of awareness when you’re playing your favourite tracks on the road: Be very careful as its powerful sound system could really put you in a dancing mood!
On the way out of the city, acceleration was good even on an automatic transmission. Though big, its weight did not bother me much and driving the vehicle was smooth and easy.
You might think that an automatic mode might produce a slower pick-up but not in this 2.4 Sorento. Though I wasn’t intending to speed through the long road out, a quick glance at the speed perimeter showed that I was travelling at a mighty three-digit speed. Different from my old sedan whose rate at 90 made me feel as though I was flying with it.
Try on the six-speed manual mode and you would find that the vehicle was able to carry out a fast motion within an estimated 12 seconds.
As for the sound insulation, I had no major problem with it although I experienced some very uncomfortable bumps here and there. The car came with a four-wheel drive system that enabled it to travel over challenging terrains and despite my lack of time to actually stretch this car out on tough roads, I’ve managed to put to it to test on some soily and rough areas of the suburbs.
The 2.4 passed my assessment bar as it glided effortlessly through these tough patches. Knowing its sturdy design, I could spare the heartache of hurting its body then.
In spite of its ability to cross through these trails, the Sorento in my opinion would be better off cruising through city lanes. Notwithstanding its large and robust frame, the vehicle would cater best to the family section of the market.
With all seats conveniently adjusted to fit seven people, it seemed as though it was a crossover between a multi-purpose vehicle and a four-wheel drive. The interior was designed to have a multitude of space to place both large and small items, giving the extra leverage for a family automobile.
Safety requirements was one area that was zoomed into as the new 2.4 had plenty of airbags placed in both the driver’s as well as the passenger’s departments. The safety features were further enhanced by its rear-view camera which gave me a holistic and precise gauge of the rear distance and could really save me the fear of knocking through objects.
Proving its elegance, I certainly enjoyed my ride in the new Kia Sorento.
