Kia Sorento: Features explained

There are a number of seven-seater SUVs under the Php 2 million mark available in the country right now. For example, we have the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Montero Sport, and many more. All of these are pretty impressive vehicles with one common element, sporty & muscular appearance.

So, if you are an elegant kind of a person looking to buy an SUV under Php 2 million that would suit your character, style, and taste, you might feel a bit disappointed by the options you would have in the market. We’re not saying that all the SUVs in this price range are garbage, they are great in their own way. It’s just that, not everyone likes sporty vehicles.

This is where the Kia Sorento comes into the picture. It’s a well-built, attractive, good-looking, and elegant looking modern-day SUV. Since it’s the odd one out, it might feel a bit unusual or less attractive at first, but it will grow on you with time. In this story, we are going to share with you some of the top features of the Sorento which would make you like the SUV even more.

On the outside

Being elegant doesn’t mean being outdated. The Kia Sorento comes with projector headlamps that have a very clean and soft shape. It also has LED daytime running lights. But what gives the Sorento its unique character at the front is its grille. It is of just the right size and is embedded with many small silver horizontal slats and surrounded by a chrome boundary. It looks really great and the brand’s logo at the centre is also a nice and subtle touch.

The side profile of the Sorento is very simple. You won’t find any sharp creases. There’s a slight indentation on the bottom part of the doors and that’s all about it. Oh, and yes, the alloy wheels are also a feature that enhances the SUV’s character. Moving to the rear, the tail lights are of two-piece combination style and quite large but somehow manage to not look very bulky and disproportionate. They do get LEDs inside them along with an LED signature element. The rear roof-mounted spoiler is a bit sporty but doesn’t interfere too much in the SUV’s overall elegant style and appearance.

On the inside

Everything on the inside of the Kia Sorento is very well laid out. Since there’s a lot of cabin space, nothing seems to be fitted forcefully. Each and every button has been carefully crafted to match the black theme inside the cabin. We also like the red backlighting on various buttons. The seats are very well bolstered and provide with utmost comfort and great feel. The diamond-cut pattern adds a bit of elegance too. Another such feature is the silver accent on a few parts like the door handles and AC vents.

For entertainment purposes, there is a large seven-inch touch screen with Bluetooth, AppleCarPlay, and Android Auto support. To make sure that the rear passengers are comfortable, there are rear AC vents along with a couple of ports for the power supply to keep your gadgets juiced up all the time.

Under the hood

Powering the massive Sorento is a 2.2-litre diesel engine that has been tuned to produce 200 PS of maximum power at 3,800 rpm and 441 N,m of peak torque from 1,750 to 2,750 rpm. These are some healthy figures to make sure the Sorento never feels underpowered. For delivering the power to the wheels, there is a slick eight-speed automatic unit tuned to suit the SUV’s character. The standard setting of the engine and transmission is for 2WD only, however, Kia does provide a 4x4 model as well.

Safety equipment

Kia claims that the Sorento uses more than 52.7% Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS), reinforcing the front, rear, sides, and high-stress points throughout the body. We will accept it as a safety feature. But the main issue is that Kia Sorento specs sheet doesn’t really shine when it comes to the safety features onboard. It gets some of the basic safety nets like electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill start assist control, dual front SRS airbags, ABS, and front & rear parking sensors. We really wish Kia should have done a better job here.

These were some of the key features of the Sorento. Yes, there are a few drawbacks, especially in the safety department. But hey, nothing is perfect, right? You can have a better SUV with more features perhaps at a similar price tag, but it’d be very hard to find a good one with such good looks like Sorento.

The Kia Sorento price for the standard model is Php 1.9 million. If you want to have the 4x4 variant, you would have to spend around Php 2.2 million. Both of them are available in seven colors - Imperial Blue, Ebony Black, Snow White Pearl, Sparkling Silver, Passion Red, Dragon Brown and Gravity Gray.

Also Read:- 2020 Kia Seltos starts at Php 1.098M