Kia has entered the V-6, mid-size sport-utility market with the 2003 Sorento. -- Dan Scanlan/Staff

Providing more for less

Kia Sorento offers mid-size SUV at an affordable price

By Dan Scanlan
Times-Union staff writer

Chevrolet, Ford and Isuzu have one.

So does Toyota, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan and even Hyundai.

Now Kia, that Johnny-come-lately-to-the-U.S. South Korean car company has a V-6, mid-size sport utility of its own. And like it has done in the past with its sedans and minivan, their formula is to offer more for less -- than the competition, that is.

Indeed, a mid-size SUV was seen as a must-have staple for most carmakers. Ford has its Explorer and its under-the-skin cousin, the Lincoln Aviator; Toyota has its Highlander and Lexus RX330, as well as its 4Runner; Mitsubishi just introduced its Endeavor and has had its Montero Sport for a while; Nissan has its Pathfinder and Isuzu is building a clone of the popular Chevrolet TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy.

Who, or what is Kia?

The company began selling cars in the United States in the mid-1990s, and now sells the compact Rio, Sportage SUV, Sephia sedan, Sedona minivan and mid-size Optima sedan, some of those powered by business partner Hyundai's engines. The Sedona was launched in August 2001, with Hyundai's 3.5 liter, 195-horsepower DOHC V-6 under the hood.

Fake wood and pewter metal accent the handsome interior of the mid-size Sorrento SUV. -- Dan Scanlan/Staff

My first impression of the Sorento was at the recent Jacksonville auto show, and it was a good one. Then we had a week in a Sorento EX, and it was just as good.

Our metallic green-over-gold test vehicle had a CR-V/Lexus RX300 look to it, with a prominent chrome-trimmed grille that flows into the top of its faceted gold bumper, with large headlights over a slit lower air intake on the bumper and neatly integrated fog lights. The gold bumper trim becomes fender flares and side-body cladding while the C-pillar gets a reverse slash between tinted rear side windows. The whole design ends with large taillights and a small rear step bumper, riding on five-spoke alloy wheels wearing Michelin CrossTerrain P245/17R16-inch radials.

Fit and finish was good, as was paint quality.

Inside, the handsome look continues with a mocha brown over tan dash with some plastic wood trim around the center pod and doors, and some pewter metallic trim on the leather-clad tilt-adjust four-spoke steering wheel. Through that, you find a 130-mph speedometer center-stage, with an 8,000-rpm tach on the left and gas and temperature gauges on the right. The cloth seats are firmly padded and comfortable, the driver's receiving manual lumbar support and eight-way power adjustments. The high-mounted GM Delco AM-FM-CD-cassette stereo sounded good, while the center console had rubber-padded twin cup holders, a cellular telephone compartment and another for wallet and stuff. And unlike most of its SUV competition, this model has a knob to the left of the steering wheel that allows the driver to select two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive high or low.

To add to the cargo space under the hatch, the rear-seat bottoms fold forward. -- Dan Scanlan/Staff

More nice touches abound, like remote stereo and cruise controls on the steering wheel, rubber-trimmed a/c controls, a slide-out felt-lined drawer under the climate-control system and a nicely damped overhead sunglass holder in an overhead console with trip computer (with temperature, compass, altitude and barometer read-outs) and power Monrovia. The rear-view mirror has an auto-dim feature, as well as three HomeLink transmitter buttons you can program to open the garage door or turn on security lights. All of this is under a padded dash cowl with soft-touch black paint for a richer feel. The glove box is adequate, while big door map pockets and dual-level storage under the padded center armrest help. There is also a minivan-like drawer under the front passenger seat. The only thing that looks down-market is the cloth on the seats, a kind of fuzzy mocha that doesn't fit the panache of the rest of the interior.

In back, good head and leg room for two adults with a fold-down center arm rest and cup holders in the door map pockets or sliding out under the ashtray and 12-volt power outlet at the rear of the center console. To add to the cargo space under the hatch, the rear-seat bottoms fold forward, allowing the seat bottoms to fold flat. Our EX tester also had a cargo net and metal cargo tie-downs in the adequately boxy cargo area, as well as a security cover. And another plus -- the rear window can be opened separately for loading stuff.

Specifications: Vehicle type mid-size, four wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle Base price $24,100 (As driven -- $24,595) Engine type DOHC, 24-valve V-6 Displacement 3.5-liters Horsepower (net) 192 hp at 5,500 rpm Torque (lb-ft) 217 at 3,000 rpm Transmission 4-speed automatic Wheelbase 106.7 in. Overall length 179.8 in. Overall width 74.2 in. Height 71.3 in. Front headroom 38.3 in. Front legroom 42.6 in. Rear headroom 38 in. Rear legroom 36.1 in. Cargo capacity 31.4 cubic feet/ 66.4 w/rear seats folded Towing capacity up to 3,500 lbs. Curb weight 4,255 pounds Fuel capacity 21.1 gallons Mileage rating 15 mpg city 18 mpg highway Last Word Nice looking, nice riding, nice price

Under the hood, that Hyundai-built 3.5-liter, 192-hp V-6 connected to a four-speed automatic is the same combo as in the Sedona minivan. It is available in two- and four-wheel drive configurations. It gets 15 mpg in the city/18-mpg highway according to the EPA, and it is a bit noisier than some of the silkier Japanese V-6's.

A rear-wheel-drive SUV when the knob is set in two-wheel-drive, our 5,700-mile-old test vehicle managed a bit of tire chirp as the V-6 launched us to 60 mph in a decent 9.5 seconds with smooth shifts, although it seemed to hang onto third gear a bit too long sometimes. The engine also had good passing power, although it and the drivetrain were growlier than on its Japanese and American competition. We also managed an average 12 mpg during our week-long drive, not so good when gas prices were hovering around $1.80 per gallon.

Built on a truck-based ladder frame with nine cross-members vs. car platform like some of its competition, the Sorento EX had a comfortable if slightly bouncy ride over so-so roads thanks to its double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension. We found some body roll in turns and some understeer when pushed, with a highway ride that was quiet bar some tire noise. The power steering was precise if a bit overboosted in feel, although we liked the very tight turning radius. The all-wheel disc brakes didn't have ABS, but were controllable to near-lock-up under hard use.

Heading off-road was as easy as twisting the dial to ''4WD auto'' and it will engage all four wheels automatically when the need arises, although the front axles would protest if the steering wheel was turned too much as the front differential locked up a bit. Thus switched, we tackled some mud and grassy fields and found good ground clearance and traction, but a bouncy ride. You even have ''4WD low,'' which many mid-size SUVs eschew.

The mid-size Sorento sport-utility starts at $19,500 for the base two-wheel-drive LX version, while our model had most of the luxury items you'd want standard and starts at $24,595. That included alloy wheels, two-tone paint, power moonroof, fog lights, power driver's seat, HomeLink, 10-speaker Delco AM-FM-CD-cassette stereo system, remote keyless entry system, cruise control and front and side air bags. We didn't have the optional ($520) anti-lock brakes or $1,830 luxury package that gives you leather seats, six-disc in-dash CD player and automatic headlamps.

Bottom line -- this is another example of Kia's value-added packaging, offering a handsome sport-utility vehicle with loads of convenience items for a price that undercuts the competition. The Sorento felt well-made, although I can't vouch for how it will all hold together over a long lease. But overall, it has nice proportions, with an upscale appearance, good power and all the abilities a family would need on or off road.

Florida Times-Union staff writer Dan Scanlan test-drives new vehicles on Northeast Florida's roads, averaging about 200 miles of combined highway and city traffic during a weeklong test. The test vehicles are provided by the manufacturer according to their schedule, and represent a broad spectrum of sizes and prices. The prices listed are manufacturer's suggested retail prices.