The KIA brand received a pass into the premium crossover segment in 2015, when the first Sorento Prime appeared, offering the consumer excellent design, driving properties and quality. And at the right price. After the update, the Sorento Prime crossover has become even better: prettier, more modern, more technologically advanced. When the KIA Sorento Prime appeared, its appearance was highly rated by the public. Moreover, the model received a couple of prestigious international design awards. With this in mind, when updating the Sorento Prime, it was decided to limit itself to minimal changes that emphasize the status of the car.
The novelty has changed the front and rear bumpers (due to which the overall length has increased by 20 mm, reaching exactly 4.8 m). The new design received the main and fog lights, taillights. And the radiator grill in the corporate style "Tiger Smile" was made using a new technology, which made it more textured. Has Prime become more visually attractive? In my opinion, yes. After all, high style is determined by the details. For the updated KIA Sorento Prime, a new “ornament” of alloy wheels is reserved, 17th, 18th and 19th dimensions. The color scheme of the body has also changed: noble dark brown and dark blue colors appeared in it.
The interior of the KIA Sorento Prime has retained all the nuances that guarantee the driver and passengers a high level of comfort. At the same time, the “habitat zone” has become even more modern and attractive. The interior of the updated Sorento Prime is now available in four colors: black, brown, combined black-gray or black-beige, and not in two, as before. The design of the steering wheel, behind which is located the instrument panel with easy-to-read graphics, has been modernized and sported. The climate control unit is made in a new, more ergonomic solution.
Inside, the Prime is now available in four color options: black, brown, black/grey combination or black/beige.
Passengers in the second row in the Prime "live" very freely.
This knob adjusts the backrest of the second row seats.
Plus, the updated flagship crossover offers enhanced multimedia capabilities. The multimedia system provides integration of iOS and Android smartphones thanks to the Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto platforms. This solution allows you to use the main services and applications installed on your smartphone: the screen of the device is displayed on the main touch screen of the car with a diagonal of 7 inches. In this version, the driver can use the familiar navigation program installed on his own smartphone. The top versions of the crossover offer a multimedia system with built-in navigation that reflects real-time traffic information, four all-round cameras and an 8-inch display. The center console now also has a cradle for wireless charging of mobile devices. Highly impressive is the new Harman/Kardon premium sound system with proprietary surround sound technology. Perhaps even a music lover will be satisfied.
If we talk about the ergonomics of the front panel, about the quality of its manufacture and about the style, we will have to operate mainly with enthusiastic epithets. As well as about the convenience of the cabin as a whole. The reason for this, for example, can be a flat floor in the area of \u200b\u200bthe inhabitants of the second row, personal air deflectors for them. As well as a center armrest, window blinds and USB connectors for mobile devices. For third-row passengers, a separate climate control unit is a bonus.
The updated four-spoke steering wheel has become more aesthetically pleasing and more comfortable.
The volume of the luggage compartment in the 5-seater version of the crossover is 660 liters, which eliminates problems with the transport of luggage. The updated KIA Sorento Prime is equipped with an automatic tailgate opening system with memory for the upper position of the door. Moreover, the car automatically opens the fifth door when sensors detect a transponder key in the immediate vicinity of the trunk. No additional actions, special gestures or contact with the car are required for this.
In the new climate unit, the set temperature readings are displayed.
The former flagship of KIA's crossover range has won numerous title safety awards in some of the world's toughest tests. The safety of the updated Sorento Prime is also at the highest level. So, 52.7% of the structure of its body is made of modern ultra-high-strength steels. This provides the effect of a “power cell” of the body in the event of an accident, and also improves the torsional rigidity of the body, which has a beneficial effect on handling and comfort. Of course, other elements of a safe car, such as, for example, an assistant when leaving a parking lot in reverse, a surround view system with four video cameras, a blind spot monitoring system, etc., are also up to par.
The all-wheel drive system has an intelligent algorithm of action, which provides for operation before the start of wheel slip, which ensures excellent driving stability. Additional stability in the gait of the updated flagship crossover is introduced by the cornering traction control system. It also comes into action before the stabilization system is triggered. And it does not affect the fuel supply. The system controls the distribution of traction and braking forces applied to specific wheels, thereby counteracting skidding.
As with the previous version, the GT Line package is available in the updated version, reflecting the individuality of the owner. GT Line technical details include an original electric power steering design that creates more precise steering responses and more transparent feedback, as well as larger front brake discs up to 18 inches, which provides better braking performance. GT Line aesthetics include logos, ice-cube-style LED fog lights, decorative door sills, a twin muffler (on diesel versions) and red-painted brake calipers. Inside, this version features exclusive black trim with GT Line logos on the seatbacks, a perforated leather steering wheel and a special gear selector knob design.
For the updated KIA Sorento Prime, a line of three engines is provided. Two of them are already familiar power units. And the most powerful is a new engine with an increased working volume compared to the previous version. The volume of the most powerful V6 with multipoint injection was increased to 3.5 liters, which allowed to reduce the speed at maximum power. It is set at the optimal value for Russian customers of 249 liters. With. (taking into account the gradations of tax legislation), which are now achieved at 6300 rpm. Torque has increased by 5.6% (+18 Nm) to 336 Nm, with the maximum available now 300 rpm earlier at 5000 min -1 . Such torque characteristics made it possible to achieve the best dynamics of the flagship crossover. Now acceleration to 100 km / h takes only 7.8 seconds, 0.4 seconds less than before the update.
Contributes to the improvement of dynamics and a new 8-speed automatic transmission, which is KIA's own development. Fewer control valves in its design allows for a clearer mechanical connection to the engine and faster gear changes, reducing fuel consumption.
The updated KIA Sorento Prime will also be available with a 2.4 GDI petrol engine with direct fuel injection (188 hp, 241 Nm) and a 2.2 CRDI diesel (200 hp, 441 Nm). The 2.4 GDI engine is aggregated with a modernized 6-speed automatic transmission, and a high-torque diesel engine is also paired with a new 8-speed automatic transmission. With any of the power units, the novelty evokes positive emotions. But especially the updated Prime is good with top-end motors.
When the Drive Mode button is activated, the computer analyzes the personal driving style, adapting the settings of all electronically controlled vehicle systems to suit it.
At the heart of the Prime all-wheel drive system is the Magna Dynamax active multi-plate clutch with an intelligent electronic control algorithm integrated into the overall vehicle control system. It has high resistance to overheating, which favorably affects the stability of driving characteristics. A technical innovation was the appearance of an additional operating mode of the Drive Mode Select system, designated Smart. In this mode, the computer analyzes the personal driving style, adapting the settings of all vehicle systems that are controlled by electronics. As a result, the system that guards fuel economy is ready to activate on demand (when you press the gas), turning the car into a rocket.
The folded third row of seats turns into a flat luggage compartment floor.
In summary, it is worth noting that the former Sorento Prime was good. The current one is even better. As for the prices for the updated KIA Sorento Prime, this is still a secret with seven seals. The government's games with excises and recycling fees do not allow us to operate with exact figures. But, according to representatives of KIA, the base price of 2.2 million (as well as the cost of other versions), if it changes, then only slightly.
Specifications KIA Sorento Prime 3.5 V6 8 AT
Dimensions 4800x1890x1690 mm Base 2780 mm Curb weight 1828 kg Full mass 2560 kg Clearance 185 mm Trunk volume 660/1732 l Fuel tank volume 71 l Engine gasoline, V-shaped, atmospheric 6-cylinder, 3470 cm 3, 249/6300 hp / min -1, 336/5000 Nm / min -1 Transmission automatic, 8-speed with torque converter, all-wheel drive Tire size 235/55R19 Dynamics 210 km/h; 7.8 s to 100 km/h Fuel consumption(city/highway/mixed) 14.5 / 8.1 / 10.4 l per 100 km Competitors Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Grand Santa Fe, Ford Explorer
- Driving performance, interior space, equipment, workmanship, price.
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Verdict
The updated KIA Sorento Prime makes a favorable impression. As a result of evolution, the car has improved where it was quite appropriate. Driving properties, quality, saturation with all kinds of systems are especially impressive.
Sorento in the family of the Korean brand is a landmark model. The object of adoration, as the only daughter among sons. And at the same time an exhibition of achievements - even in the presence of a large and pretentious "Kvoris".
This has been the case since 2002, when Kia first had a big, all-wheel drive, proud car. He tried very hard to embody the maximum available Korean technology, while maintaining the most affordable price tag. Then he had a frame and had nothing to do with the Hyundai Santa Fe. In Switzerland, for example, at the dawn of the 2000s, a diesel Sorento had to languish in line for six months. Who better than rich Swiss gnomes knows the true value of money and purchases?
Eight years later, he was the first Kia to fulfill the cherished dream of any car - conquered America. The second generation Sorento was the first Kia made in USA - in Alabama. True, for the green card had to pay blood relationship with Santa Fe. And grow up and trade the frame for an American accent. A comfortable, large five-seven-seat crossover is a format that is much more favored in the vastness of the New World than in the back streets of the Old.
But we understand it very well. That is why the Russian premiere of the third generation Sorento, even the crisis almost did not interfere. In Korea, the car was presented less than a year ago, in the autumn the European version was shown in Paris, and sales in Russia will start on July 1. They could have started earlier, but... No, they did not guess: according to the brand's leaders, a serious decline in consumer activity has nothing to do with it. It turns out that Sorento went too well in the domestic, Korean market: at first, the waiting list reached four months. But now the first excitement has subsided, and...
And the crisis nevertheless showed its teeth, and the Korean leadership showed a rational approach. The world has changed: new technologies are becoming more expensive, oil and the ruble are cheaper. There are more and more electronics and other difficulties in Korean cars, and buyers in Russian showrooms ... well, you understand. Therefore, new-Sorento does not change the time-tested model, but complements it.
To avoid confusion, in addition to the name of the newcomer in the Russian office of KIA, they also came up with a surname - Prime. That is, “prestigious, elite, best”, etc. It is logical: “second” and “third” are the same as “old” and “new”, a completely different category of freshness. And so - just a different status. "What do you have? - Sorento. - Simple or rich? But both are equally relevant. Just one - for economical clients, the other - for advanced and prosperous. Maybe the old one should also have been given a second name - Optimus?
In short, no one promised an easy life to the newcomer. Although he still has everything that is needed for success in the widest circles of family workers with many children. And he is original again: he shared the platform not with the current Santa, but with a couple of the freshest Carnival / Sedona minivans, also born in 2014. Only the power unit is familiar: a 2.2-liter 200-horsepower diesel engine with an automatic six-speed, that is, a six-speed automatic. No options. Since Prime is now the leader of the Sorento tribe, he does not need a variety of versions: one engine, only four-wheel drive. So you will have to suffer exclusively over the choice of equipment.
There are three of them, and you can’t name a single poor one - the flagship is still the same. If a couple of extra suitcases is more valuable to you than a couple of extra passengers, your choice is the five-seater Luxe. Leather, xenon, heated everything, including rear seats, navigation, a rearview camera and a full range of electric safety assistants - will it be okay? Ah, not enough? Then the chic Prestige: only seven seats, keyless entry, power seats, a second air conditioner for the third row and an LCD monitor instead of a speedometer. Still missing something for happiness? Well, then you are in Premium: adaptive xenon, chairs with memory, cameras in a circle, a glass sky in the entire roof, cool Infinity music and - attention, pilots! - the electric power steering is not on the shaft, but on the rail. For the information content of management and the purity of the driver's buzz, however.
The quality of materials is next to the German premium. And silence is so easy ahead of the rest!
Hyundai Santa Fe / Grand Santa Fe
One is slightly smaller, the other is slightly larger than the Sorento. Everything else is very similar
This is the most sophisticated car we got to drive around Greece. At the presentation, knowledgeable people talked about improvements - how it became a little lower, a little longer in the base, stiffer in the body, how the rear shock absorbers were placed not obliquely, but vertically ... It seems that without revolutions, just small technical details. However, on the go compared to its predecessor, the Prime turned out to be a completely different car. “Mark Two” steered tolerably, but at a high price - thanks to the clamped short-travel suspension. She did not forgive sharp irregularities on the road, or your pope, or ears. So there ride comfort was a relative concept. And Prime is a gentle cradle: it lays softly, but there is always a reserve of energy intensity. And I have no complaints about taxiing and rolls. For a two-ton colossus with a high center of gravity, a shy wife and sick children, that's what you need. Although the young man who moved from the Golf GTI, I'm afraid, will be disappointed.
But most of all, the young man will be disappointed with the steering wheel - even with the very reinforced rail. It's... um... empty. This is not a hindrance to me: there are almost no very intelligible rudders in our electrical era, I learned to steer than they give. So in the turns of the serpentines of the Peloponnese, Sorento and I got deftly and almost with pleasure. But the electric motor on the shaft (the one in the Luxe and Prestige versions), I'm afraid, will not give it with pleasure. Even with almost. So, young men, scat!
But the diesel with a box proved to be the best way. In the mountains, you just need to press the Sport button (there is also Eco, but this is obscurantism), and the Prime will diligently pull, carefully and in time tucking the necessary gears. Well, maybe only sometimes a little will stumble at the exit from a particularly steep turn. There is a noticeable difference from the fraternal Santa Fe, on which I drove through the mountains of Armenia: there the same pair of “diesel-automatic” worked more nervously and sharply, and the suspension more often gave slack. Kia, credit!
I won’t slow down on electronics and even more so on design - everything is fashionable and smooth here. Compared to the same “Santa” (well, it has begun - now you can’t get off) a little less east, but more west. In general, inside and out, I often remembered Toyota Highlander - not literally, but somehow sensually and moodily. Which is not bad: in my opinion, a worthy opponent.
What, dear? But the Sorento doesn't seem cheap either. The quality of materials is next to the German premium. And silence is so easy ahead of the rest! No, seriously: among the pilot brothers, there was not a single one unimpressed by the soundproofing of the Prime. The front seats are dead silent: a quarter-voice engine, whispered conversations and purring music even on the move under two hundred. Behind, the wind is only a little louder, and the 19th rollers seem to be non-existent. Fantasy and applause!
So, is it time to wait for the raid of greedy buyers? I sincerely wish Prime success. But there are three buts. One is the price, which is known only that it will be higher than that of its predecessor. The second is the same cheaper Sorento Optimus, propped up from below. And thirdly, a slightly more expensive pair of Santa Fe / Grand Santa Fe, attacking from the side: the other day she underwent restyling, with which she received all the same fashionable goodies. Well, the crisis. Therefore, feats from “Prime” on Kia are not yet expected. Prime time is ahead of us. Rather.
TEXT: VITALY TISHCHENKO
Occasion: restyling of the mid-size crossover Kia Sorento Prime
Scene: Petrozavodsk, Russia.
Impression: Kia Sorento Prime in Russia - the car is still young. We started selling it two years ago. In South Korea, where the car is known under the name Sorento (without the prefix Prime), it appeared a little earlier. It's time for an update, which also affected the Russian version.
The updated Sorento Prime, like the pre-reform car, will be sold with a 2.4 GDI gasoline engine with direct fuel injection (188 hp) and a 2.2 CRDI diesel (200 hp, 441 N. m). But instead of a gasoline engine with a working volume of 3.3 liters, there is now a new 3.5-liter V-shaped six with a capacity of 249 hp. One of the main technical innovations is the 8-speed hydromechanics developed by the Hyundai-Kia concern. She made her debut on the second-generation Cadenza sedan (not for sale in Russia). For the Sorento Prime, the new 8-speed automatic will be available with either a diesel engine or a 3.5-liter petrol engine. But the younger version 2.4 GDI relies on a 6-speed automatic, however, modernized.
As expected, the restyled car differs from its predecessor in a different form of bumpers. Because of this, the length of the car increased by 20 mm, reaching exactly 4.8 m. The radiator grille has also changed.
The cabin has become more comfortable. The chairs have four upholstery options to choose from. Plus a new steering wheel. Now it's four-spoke. There is also an electric steering column position. In the center of the front panel is an eight-inch touch screen, and the music system is from Harman Kardon.
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With an eight-speed automatic, the crossover has become more economical. After I drove on the asphalt, and then drove along the dirt road driving a diesel car, I looked at the readings of the trip computer. He highlighted the average fuel consumption: 8.5 liters per 100 km. Sorento Prime with a 3.5-liter gasoline engine rushes like a hurricane and eats up 16 liters per hundred. For such a powerful and large machine - a good result.
Outlook: prices ... waiting. They will be announced closer to the start of sales, that is, by February. Considering that the pre-reform Kia Sorento Prime was quite popular with Russian buyers (5482 crossovers were sold in eleven months of 2017, which is 84.5% more than in the same period of 2016), the restyled one will also be in demand.
Grade: the car has become prettier and more economical. As before, you can choose both a five-seater modification of the crossover and a seven-seater. This is a plus. And for those who want to save money, the old, more affordable, five-seater Sorento of the past generation remains on sale.
Details: ZR, 2018, No. 02.
What has changed since our last meeting?
The first appearance of the Kia Sorento Prime was a signal to the Japanese and Germans that it was time to reconsider their views on the automotive industry. The Koreans are already on the doorstep and are ready to grab a piece of raspberry pie, brought by Frau for Christmas. How? Yes, they don’t need to make serious efforts, especially now that the crossover has been updated, where the touches of designers and designers touched on small details that in the first version still said that Kia was cheap.
Outside, everything speaks of solidity
First of all, optics. The headlight itself has not changed its geometry. Narrow and elongated headlights licked on the fender are now equipped with an LED-pupil, which is able to look into turns and adjust the angle of illumination. Of course, we are talking about the Premium version and above. Above, by the way, are not only stars, but also GTLine. With the new filling, the headlights look much more attractive and solid. Now they, but look directly into the inside with three pupils. The blackened chrome on the expressive false grille is no longer an eye-catching detail, but a discreet element with enlarged honeycombs. In Russia, they love chrome on cars, but everything should be in moderation. This is just the story about Prime. The new thing made the front of the car massive and businesslike.
The shiny outlines of the fog lamps were completely removed. The LED pixels now peek out of the black niche and look very good. If you look back at the dorestyle, then the former version gapes like a black eye under the man's eye. And even if he is a middle manager and dress him in a jacket, it will be difficult to take such a person seriously. Actually, I didn’t perceive it, especially in the color that the test car was. True, I still do not understand whether the edge on the bumper has become less sharp, or whether Gravity Blue hides details in daylight.
Behind, of course, there is also something to see. LED lights received a pattern of luminous lines, which, for some reason, is compared with the Hyundai Santa Fe. But this story can be admitted, as well as the lantern similarity of Kia Rio and Hyundai Solaris. But to find it, you need to have a good imagination and a certain sympathy for certain cars. Personally, I did not try to see the donor and did not see it. It will be difficult to confuse the Sorento Prime with anything during the day or in the evening, and here it is not only about optics, but about the build and shape of the car. The geometry is original, and if you close the nameplate "Kia" of the driver who is pressing behind in a traffic jam, you can be confused and besieged. Big dark car with beautiful optics? It means there are serious people inside. But this is not our case.
Like visiting grandma
Personally, my interior is perceived not just visually and tactilely. I try to understand the mood of the car and assess whether I feel comfortable in it. Having previously downloaded the St. Petersburg release “Day One” to my phone, I got ready for the tests by pairing the phone with 8-inch multimedia. In such a situation, it’s better to prepare for the worst, but the phone found Prime, and now Harman Kardon is pouring juice into my ears, baying a subwoofer located in the left wall of the trunk. The sound, of course, is what you need and this is a good start.
Scattered blocks of multimedia and climate control are understandable and massive. In general, the interior of the car fully accepts the projection of the Sorento Prime exterior - everything is large, affordable and massive. Even the multimedia head is not so big, but due to the air ducts it looks like a solid music center of the years 2003-2005. The climate control system is already familiar with its layout and from below it is supported by control buttons not for climate, but for various heatings: steering wheel, seats. In case of trips along the summer Black Sea coast, there is also ventilation for the front seats. Given that the upholstery here is made of leather, heating and ventilation are necessary depending on the time of year.
Conceptual hypertrophy was transferred to the instrument panel. The central well with a color display takes all the attention and the other four indicators remain nominal. It seems to me that in the conditions of modern technologies, the same temperature can be replaced by a pair of light bulbs: one of which lights up when it warms up to operating temperature, the second when it overheats. But it's all poetry, of course.
The driver's seat, which has 14 electrical adjustments and memory for two people, does not only allow the side support to be moved closer to the center, but this is exactly what I needed. It can be seen that the car is designed for those who are less than 190 cm and are much larger in the waist and shoulders, this is reflected in the width of the backrest (lateral support was felt only in sharp turns) and in the adjustment of the seat cushion: the chieftain moves forward, but the angle of its elevation is slightly a little lacking. Therefore, the whole chair had to be raised. And this affected the fit and comfort of the location behind the wheel. The armrest in the door was at the bottom and my desire to collapse imposingly, leaning on both hands, faced with a warped back and banal discomfort. Okay, no, so no.
Despite the lack of warm hugs of the chair, it is pleasant to sit in it. The embossed seat and back do not cause a desire to jump out from behind the wheel after a long trip on not quite smooth roads.
There is plenty of space in the back. Here, as in all cars that provide a third row of seats, the seats slide on a sled and shine with a range of reclining backrests. "Pull the rope" and the third row of seats will be put on alert, emerging from the floor.
Route restricted by roads
Kia Sorento Prime as it was a crossover, so it has remained. This, to put it bluntly, is the Korean answer to the Japanese who once created the Toyota Hilander. About the latter, my familiar owners spoke only as a bloated station wagon with no regard for off-road, despite the V6 and four-wheel drive.
Here the story is similar. For the most part, while driving, front-wheel drive predominates and the rear bogie is automatically connected when the car realizes that it needs help “from outside”. The whole process of the distribution of forces between the wheels is beautifully reflected in the central display - various indicators run. In Prime, there is an imitation of an interaxle lock, but by issuing car keys in the cabin, they made it clear to me that the car was not suitable for off-road and it was not worth the risk. To be honest, I didn't really want to. Prime with all his businesslike appearance shows that his element is in the city and on the tracks. He may also cruise through the countryside, but the pleasure from such trips will be about the same as driving in the back of a GAZ-53 through arable land. The suspension here does not differ in large moves, from that it is decently tightened. On one of the "waves" on the road, the left A-pillar stretched as much as possible, accompanying this procedure with a heavy blow to the body, so much so that the glass almost flew out. I slowed down in the end.
Diesel 200-horsepower engine works wonders with this crossover. I won't be surprised if they send me a couple of chain letters in a week, because a couple of times I came to my senses when the arrow reached a hundred with a limit of 70 tracked by complexes. The 8-speed torque converter shifts gears imperceptibly and when suddenly there is a need to accelerate, the Prime does it without too much thought. Even when at such moments a silent pause does not hang on the speedometer of 120-140 kilometers in the car, as in the same Toyota Prado.
With an eye on the Germans
I like Kia more than Hyundai, if only because they draw their cars with an eye on the Germans, and not on the Japanese, as the latter do. And now if you look at the appearance of Prime now, you can see the completeness of the model and its balance and conciseness. There are no unnecessary elements and edges, protruding details - one flows into another.
The interior also has something from Europe. When I went to Prime, I could not understand for a long time where I had seen such decor of the front door map. Later, when I was sitting in the office, I remembered that I had seen this story.
But in terms of electronics, the Kia Sorento Prime comes several lengths ahead in the sprint with Audi, BMW and Mercedes. This does not mean that the Germans are worse equipped, no. Just for the 2.7 million that the test Prime costs, they will be much poorer, if not naked.
How outside
The model received redesigned bumpers, all optics, a different grille, new 17-19-inch wheel designs and two new body colors - Rich Espresso dark brown and deep Gravity Blue.
It cannot be said that the updated Sorento Prime has changed dramatically, only fans of the brand and those who closely follow automotive innovations will be able to notice the new touches of designers.
But it is hardly worth denying objective things - the car has become more attractive outwardly. Especially in front. In rich versions, adaptive LED headlights have been replaced by xenon, and taillights have also been made of LED elements from the Prestige modification.
How inside
The changes also affected the interior: a new four-spoke steering wheel appeared, now there is a different handle at the gearbox selector, a different climate control unit. The dashboard retained the design, but the central "well" became digital. "Tidy", by the way, I liked it, all the important and necessary information is quickly located and easy to read.
In the basic version, the crossover has a 7-inch monitor, and starting from the Prestige configuration, an 8-inch one. Multimedia added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In our version, the car had built-in navigation with real-time traffic information and four all-round cameras. The eight-speaker audio system with a subwoofer and Harman/¬Kardon's Quantum Logic Surround 3D technology is certainly not amazing, but it sounds very decent.
Salon Kia Sorento Prime became available in four design options, and not in two, as before: black, brown, black-gray and black-beige. But here the main thing is not even quantity, but quality: there is nothing to complain about. Everywhere soft plastic and pleasant to the touch skin.
Talking about the amount of living space Sorento Prime is even strange. As before, there is a lot of it both in front and behind. Nothing has changed since the update. On the second row, passengers have a set that is standard for today: a central armrest, curtains on the windows, USB connectors for mobile devices and personal air deflectors.
Our test car was a seven-seater, but why you need to buy this particular option is not very clear. Only children can fit in the last two chairs - and even then with difficulty. Too little legroom. Plus, you will have practically no trunk. No, it may be enough for a trip to the grocery store, but for a family, of course, it will turn out to be small.
So it is better to leave your choice on the five-seat version of the crossover, where the luggage compartment is 660 liters, and with the second row folded down, it can be brought up to 1732 liters. Then even with the transportation of bulky items you will not have problems. For example, we managed to place a stove in the trunk - it fit perfectly both in width and height.
One more moment. Korean companies have always been famous for the rich equipment of their machines. So Sorento Prime received a bunch of various assistants and a winter package, which is very handy in Russia. Another strange thing. Why does a car that costs 2.6 million rubles have no windshield heating, but only heating in the wiper parking area? At the same time, Kia Rio, a budget model of the brand, has a heated windshield. Some kind of paradox, not otherwise. As well as the fact that the big crossover did not receive a remote engine start.
In Russia, the car is offered with a gasoline 2.4 GDI (188 hp) and a diesel 2.2 CRDI (200 hp) already known to fans of the Korean brand, as well as a more powerful 3.5 MPI, delivering 249 hp. The latter is paired with a new 8-speed transmission - just like the diesel variant. But a more modest gasoline engine is combined with an upgraded 6-speed automatic transmission.
We tested a diesel Sorento Prime. But first I would like to dwell not on the engine, but on the box. This is a new unit. And he is very, very good. Yes, you can say that it is lighter than its predecessor's six-speed automatic transmission and has a larger power range. It's all like that. But its main advantage is different: while driving, you will not pay attention to it at all. No pauses and dullness, the "box" works clearly and smoothly, always choosing the right gear.
With a heavy-fuel engine, a large SUV cannot be called dynamic. Acceleration to "hundreds" is more than 9 seconds. But, on the other hand, there are doubts that most of the potential Sorento Prime customers will focus on overclocking.
Although they Kia has something to offer. A car with a 3.5-liter gasoline engine accelerates to 100 km / h in 7.8 seconds. There is also a minus - you will have to pay for speed - the consumption of this engine to the level of the passport (10.4 liters) is hardly achievable. In our diesel car, for example, it was 12.3 liters (given the weight of the Korean SUV - the result, by the way, is very good).
The 2.4 GDI engine pulls well at low revs, but at high revs it is no longer so reckless. For megacities (and this is where the target audience of Sorento Prime lives) just a diesel engine, in my opinion, is the best choice of everything that the Koreans offer. You will not be an outsider in a dense city traffic, and overtaking vehicles on the highway with a drive into the oncoming lane will not be a big problem.
I really liked the new operating mode of the control electronics - Smart. The bottom line is that now you do not need to turn on Eco when, for example, you are standing in the most severe traffic jam. Or translate the "puck" into a sport when the maximum power is required from the engine. The car now adapts itself to your driving style and road conditions. If you drive slowly - it saves fuel (while the car itself does not turn into a vegetable), you start to actively work with the accelerator - you immediately have at your disposal all 188 hp that are under the hood of the car.
By the way, the Sorento Prime manages quite well - the way a crossover weighing a little more than two tons should behave. But not everyone will like the suspension. At the joints, passengers both in front and behind will feel slight discomfort. On good roads, the car behaves perfectly.
What is the result
Kia is positioning the Sorento Prime as a family car. And it does the job perfectly: it's a large, comfortable, well-made crossover that will leave you in no doubt that the choice was made correctly. It is pleasant to look at it, it is pleasant to be in it. It has a thoughtful, spacious and high-quality interior, plus a wide choice of engines for every taste. Korean is ideal for the role of the only car in the family.
But in our market it has enough competitors. One of the main rivals is the Skoda Kodiaq. Not so long ago, by the way, the Czechs announced prices for localized cars, which pleased many. Kodiaq can now be bought from 1,339,000 rubles - before it cost from 2,000,000 rubles. Kia sells Sorento Prime from 1,749,900 (for a car of 2017) and for 1,849,900 rubles (for a car of 2018 model year). True, already in the database, the Koreans offer much more options than the Czechs. In any case, the battle between Sorento Prime and Kodiaq will be very interesting.
