Come 16th March 2013 and Naza Kia Malaysia will be launching their next generation Sorento, which now makes it Kia’s second model to launch for 2013 after the Kia Rio, and has been promised to be much more than a facelift with its new design, more luxury features and improved ride and handling, increased comfort and top safety specifications.
The next generation Kia Sorento will hopefully contributing about 100 units on a monthly basis, which will be fueling Naza Kia’s 2013 target of selling 15,000 units, and they’re seemingly more confident about it with their upcoming SUV release.
Apparently, there are more than 33 enhancements to be had within the Next Generation Sorento, one of them being LED DRLs (Lay-time running lights), vertical-axis fog lamps with static bending lights and Kia’s new ‘Tiger Nose Grille’.
On the side mirrors will be LED turn-signals, while the door handles will be chrome-plated with pocket lights that come on as the driver approaches with the remote key.
At the rear, the Next Generation Sorento has a redesigned tailgate, reshaped LED rear-combination lamps, a stylish body colour bumper, vertical rear fog lamps and a rear spoiler to accentuate the SUV’s sporty image. In addition, the Next Generation Sorento comes with sporty redesigned 18-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the 7-seater SUV features a stylish 7″ colour thin film transistor (TFT) LCD supervision cluster which provides vital information of the vehicle, a 4.3″ LCD touch-screen audio system with a rear view camera, dual climate control air-conditioners and third row dual air-conditioner vents.
The overall ambience inside the Next Generation Sorento is enhanced with a wider panoramic sunroof (which is retractable at the front section), and is equipped with a motor-driven roller blind that adjusts the level of shade into the cabin. In addition, mood lamps are installed to highlight the curves inside the SUV’s cabin.
Special attention was given by Kia’s engineers and designers to improve the comfort levels of the Next Generation Sorento. The chassis joint areas have been strengthened for enhanced body rigidity for better steering stability. Furthermore, there is less road noise in the cabin as the engine bay is lined with three-layer noise-lowering materials while a new sound insulator is fitted in the transmission tunnel. Leg room for the second and third rows have now increased as a result of a lower floor height in the SUV. The vehicle has also been lowered by 10 mm for easier boarding.
The Next Generation Sorento features an H-shaped sub-frame suspension in the front and reinforcement multi-link suspension at the rear while high-performance dampers are applied on both the front and rear suspension for enhanced comfort and ride quality.
The Next Generation Sorento is an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) SUV and is powered by a 2.4-litre DOHC dual continuous variable valve timing (DCVVT) Thetha II engine which delivers 174bhp and 227Nm of torque and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Manumatic (basically tiptronic functionality).
Other premium features inside include a push-start button with a smart key, a leather interior, Bluetooth, AUX, iPod and USB functionality, a radio/CD/MP3 player with six speakers, a motor-driven power steering, audio controls on the steering column, electronically-foldable mirrors and a leather-wrapped gear shifter.
Safety-wise, the Next Generation Sorento features a high rigidity body shell, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Assist Control (HAC), ABS and six airbags.
Available in Snow Pearl White, Bright Silver, Glittering Metal and Mahogany Brown, the on-the-road price of the Next Generation Sorento remains unchanged from the previous Sorento at RM158,888 and comes with a 5–year warranty with unlimited mileage.
Naza Kia Malaysia is the official distributor of Kia Motors vehicles in Malaysia. For more information on Naza Kia Malaysia, please visit http://www.kia.com
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