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Kia Sorento -

DR

If we leave aside the excellent sports sedan Stinger, whose career is confidential with us because of the large gasoline engine and because it is not ... an SUV, it is the Sorento which occupies the place of door - Kia flag.

As such, the all new generation arriving today seems to usher in a new era for the brand.

After having attracted the crowds with 7 years of guarantees, after having taken care of the seduction with more and more successful designs, after having positioned itself rather early in the field of electrification, comes the time to put it "full blast. view".

Kia Sorento - DR

There is something fascinating about the new Sorento and without going too far, you could almost see what could have been an evolution ... of the Range Rover.

Because afterwards, there is what the Kia lacked until then: an interior with a personality as strong as the exterior design.

Let's be frank, the quality of the materials is not extraordinary.

But she is more than honest, the blend is flawless, and we quickly forget any complaints as the atmosphere on board is opulent.

Between the design of the central console and the ventilation openings, the illuminated decorative inserts of the interior, the seats and the two large screens (one for the multimedia system, one for the meters), fortunately there is the logo on the steering wheel to remember what you are driving.

Kia Sorento - DR

And the ambitions of the brand are still noticeable when we approach the subject of technology.

A few examples are enough: the soothing soundscapes (sounds of forests, wood fires, rainy days, etc.) integrated into the multimedia system, blind spot cameras which display their image without the digital instrument cluster as soon as they are '' you activate a flashing light, or even the possibility of bringing the Sorento in or out of a parking space, and this remotely, via the key box.

So many "gadgets" that one might expect to find, or that one already finds, at Mercedes.

Kia Sorento - DR

The flip side is that Kia is no longer that cheap brand of yesteryear.

The price / equipment ratio is certainly competitive, but it is now more at the French level, for example, than Korean.

Better to know.

Only plug-in in France

On the mechanical level, it was announced in March that only the plug-in hybrid version would be marketed in France, while other countries will also be entitled to the 2.2 diesel of 202 hp, as well as the "simple" hybrid version, including the system based on a 1.6 petrol develops a total of 233 hp.

In both cases, the gearbox is an 8-speed car, and each version is offered with 2 or 4 wheel drive.

Kia Sorento - DR

Knowing that we will have to wait until 2021 for the "plug-in" Sorento but that we were too curious to wait, we went to try the simple hybrid version where it is already available: in Belgium.

Like a city dweller

Not much to say in terms of accreditation.

As one can imagine, the Sorento is a very spacious vehicle (+10 cm long compared to its predecessor, 605-liter trunk), very comfortable, which filters the irregularities of the road well and which evolves in rather good silence. cared for.

But when it comes to consumption, be careful!

Thanks to an electric motor powerful enough to take care of the 1,800 kilos of the vehicle on its own, the Sorento Hybrid runs quite often in electric mode, especially since the recovery of energy during deceleration is formidable.

So much so that during our test, covering as many cities (or more) as there are motorways, we noted an average of… 5.5 l / 100 km!

It's just stunning!

Kia Sorento - DR

Of course, we have nothing for nothing: in Belgium the Sorento hybrid starts at € 47,790.

Which means that with its even more advanced technology, the plug-in hybrid Sorento that will land here should well exceed 50,000 €.

So we ask ourselves the question: isn't it a bit expensive for a Kia?

And aren't the brand's French strategists making a mistake by not offering a more affordable Sorento, which is nevertheless not lacking in efficiency?

In our opinion, it is.

But what do we know about business strategy ...

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The Kia Sorento Hybrid in a few figures

  • Engine: 4 cyl.

    turbo gasoline hybrid, 1,598 cm3;

    233hp - 350 Nm

  • Transmission: to the front wheels.

  • Gearbox: 6-speed auto

  • L / l / h (mm): 4.810 / 1.900 / 1.700

  • Empty weight (kg): 1.741

  • Boot space (l): 605 - 1.662

  • Tank (l): 67

  • 0 to 100 km / h (sec.): 8.6

  • Max speed (km / h): 193

  • Combined consumption (l / 100 km): 6.4

  • CO2 (g / km): 146

  • Price (€, Belgium): 47.790

  • SUV

  • Car

  • Hybrid cars

  • Automotive

  • Kia