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Kia Sorento Diesel 2.2 CRDi (A) Review

Kia Sorento Diesel 2.2 GT Line 4WD 7-Seater (A) Review

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This is an old car model that is no longer for sale by the local distributor since Jan 2021.
Editor Review
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Kia Sorento Diesel 2.2 CRDi (A) Review
11 May 2015  |  Kia Reviews
The new Kia Sorento is worth a look for family buyers looking for something a little more rugged than a typical people carrier.
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   Consumer Reviews of Kia Sorento Diesel
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4.0
 
15 Consumer Reviews
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Comfort
4.5 Reliability
4.0
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Handling
4.0 Features
4.0
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Exterior Styling
4.5 Interior Design
4.0
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Value for money
3.5 Engine Performance
4.0

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Otgekoo
Neutral Newbie
3 reviews
1 points
24 forum posts Joined on 27-Jun-2009
From Cerato BD to Sorento UM  Posted on 30 Aug 2023
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Review
It's an upgrade from Cerato to this Sorento. The space no matter human or goods is really fabulous, the pick up acceleration is good too


jamesp
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 09-Jul-2020
Breaks down all the time  Posted on 08 Jul 2020
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Comfort 3.0 Reliability 1.0
Handling 3.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 3.0
Value for money 1.0 Engine Performance 1.0
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Review
I have a 5 year old Sorento. Was great for the first 4 years. Now it is in the service center every 2months. Yes every 2 months. Right now it is with CnC and they have said it will take 3 weeks to fix with no car replacement as they have to import a part. I bought a Kia because I thought it was reliable and easy to fix. My car is out for one month..... Very costly.

What I like
It is big

What I do not like
It breaks down all the time and CnC cost a lot of money. 2000, then 1000 then 3000, it never ends


psypsy
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
3 forum posts Joined on 20-Apr-2017
Never Thought I would own a KIA?!  Posted on 01 Nov 2019
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 3.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
Owning this fabulous car for 6 months now and ready to put some candid review. To be honest , I am a super Japan car Fan and only own Jap cars since 1996 till today. I often discourage people to own Korean car due to its image previously.

Having budget of 250k, this was really a enormous surprise car for me and like below comments I first came across this in car expo and thought will just stage for my wife in order to steer her to my BMW X, tourer or GL series later. Maybe to a E or 5 Series also..

Went with Mrs. First and was super impressed with the top notch quality inside the car. Well..Things did not change yet and I go with plan I visited Merc, BM, Audi, Lexus etc. To test drive all cars according to plan..

Seriously the Price of Sorento had entered some Conti range and my brain begin to behave like "Are u nuts, pay this kind price for KIA?! Might as well get A4.."

Finally when I narrow on either E200 or X3(mainly for the brand to how lian which many sporean does..) with their super good overtrade, I decide to do some leisure local and overseas all regions' research on this Sorento which leave me an almost near perfect impression.

That is not good enough, I went and test drive multiple times with different people and feedbacks etc. Feel this was comparable to Conti , in fact its exactly a conti spec and make.

So the only difference between BM, Merc and this was the price of the badge that I need to pay if I take the former.

I forgo the badge craving and decided to get this...
Am enjoying the ride now and it also serve the family well..

Will get a second pre-own conti car from difference in price I save.

What I like
Almost all

What I do not like
- no 360 camera
- Sometime hard to find Euro 5 Diesel up north
- interior need some updates since 2017 refresh
- no lane assist
- Sound system can be better
- Need bigger infotainment screen


Chugomay
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
5 points
20 forum posts Joined on 29-May-2013
Lovely Stable Car!!!  Posted on 16 Jul 2018
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
Had tested drive the Sorento twice and totally in love with it! In fact, had almost paid for the deposit but changed my mind at the very last min signing another make MPV instead.

Here's my review as a car "Goondu" Below; Spec I don't know, only the driving feel.

High seating gives the driver a bird's eye view hence giving confidence. Drive was smooth with power.
Stable turning and U-Turning with responsive accelerator.
My teenage girls were with me, and they were super wow over by Sorento and said this is the "ONE"!
They like many of the features inside eg. Electrical ports at 2nd and last row for phone charging, panoramic sunroof (of course), comfy seats even the last row.

Although Sorento isn't my final choice, but guess I will always lust after this beautiful car....

What I like
1) Sporty Design
2) Park Assist
3) Lots of features - aircon vent even at the last row
4) Ventilated Seats
5) Stable ride for my motion sickness children
6) Diesel Engine Power!
7) Nice New price after July's 1st COE
8) Premium feel
9) Electric Tailgate
10) Save money using Diesel instead of Petrol
11) Panoramic Sunroof for my girls - I prefer "No Sun Ray entry" like a tank if possible

What I do not like
1) Back row a little difficult to access to but... it's an SUV
2) Big and chunky car, potentially make parking difficult, yes, my parking skills sucks. Park assist failed on my 2nd test drive but it was a busy day with lots of traffic
3) Nothing to do with the Sorento but SE who attended to me didn't seem to be very eager in my business.
4) Diesel Road Tax!!!!


Grandpa78
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 08-Nov-2010
Enjoying every bit of it!  Posted on 08 Jul 2018
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
An impulsive buy but nvr did regret. Secured a competitive price during kia rd show in the east and traded in my 2yo 2.4L Outlander. Depre worked out to be mid $11k. The great torque was the deciding factor. Space, built quality, and the tons of features are great. Having the car for the past week, I've managed to clock avg of 14.5km per litre with 70% Highway routes. Definitely an added surprise for this 2 tons suv!

What I like
Panoramic roof. It stretches beyond the 2nd row seats and my kids love it!

Torquey engine that gives you the g force pull back feel.

14.5km per litre fuel sonsumption (not forgetting the cheaper diesel cost)., my prev 2.4L outlander did around 10.5km

Good space for the 3rd row. Allows passengers without pulling forward the 2nd row that most mid size 7 seaters suv require. There's ac for the 3rd row as well!

Folding of 2nd and 3rd seats flat is a breeze.

Conti feel

Great road presence.

What I do not like
No lane departure.

No 360 view camera

Doors side panels plastic a tad too much

Slight diesel clattering during idle and move off. (quiet during crusing though)


opgamerkkhk
1st Gear
36 reviews
28 points
63 forum posts Joined on 15-Nov-2016
Almost signed on dotted line, slightly regret never sign  Posted on 09 Jun 2018
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 4.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
Driven many amny cars before, from mx-5 to cx-9 now currently driving cayenne and cx-9 and looking to replace cx-9. C&C offered my 2+ year old cx-9 140k while many other places did 145k. Vw offered 150k. Compared many cars which are seven seaters which range from the trash toyota sianta to something like the skoda kadiaq. These cars are,mazda 5, toyota wish, honda jade, opel zafira, toyota noah/voxy/esquire, three french 7 seaters gc4p , 5008, grand scenic. Also tested bmw 216i gt but way too underpowered. Best two mpvs tested are touran and sharan. Suvs tested include Nissan xtrail(last row seats not useable), Honda Cr-v(really poor built quality), mitsubishi outlander(drivetrain and body control very poor), skoda kodiaq(almost 170k after added options,almost cx-9 territory).
At last shortlisted 3 cars, Kia Sorento, Vw sharan and Vw touran.Tested each car at least twice before settling on the touran. Sorento had good power and torque, can really feel the thrust when pushed hard, seats high up(commanding position),spacious 3rd row seats. Feels much faster than the figures on paper suggest 9.3sec. Not a hint of sluggishness with 5 on board. 10 year warranty very impressive and 5 year free sevicing is also great. Built quality is amost on par with the Germans but quality of materials not up there yet, asking price 145k for gt line also quite expensive. Limited colours left, no colour i want, hence i went for touran

What I like
Third row air con
441nm of torque
full of features
impressive built quality
Auto parking
19 inch wheels
Red brake calipers, even my cayenne ones are not in red(yellow)
Diesel motor quite refined, not noisy inside cabin nor outside unlike bmw diesels
All-wheel drive provides ood grip and i took a right turn at alexandra at 70+ km/h with little body roll, no tire squeal meaning i can actually go faster, composed handling for quite a big car
Add obly 5k for the 8 speed transmission which is almost on par to the ZF transmission in Bmw.
Diesel cheap and SE claim 1 tank can go aound 1.1k km, which i suppose would be aound 900+ if driven normally

What I do not like
Slightly high price for the brand(acceptable to me since cr-v 7 seater 150k)
Brand image not good amongst sgreans(dad used to have a Kia carnival and car went bonkers within 4 years)
High road tax
If go malaysia, hard to find euro 6 diesel
Slightly slower than Touran
Smaller than Sharan in every dimension
Only 6 airbags(reasonable since the x-trail, cr-v all have 6 also)
Door opening need very huge space, kids will accidentallynhit other people car
Low resolution infotainment system, camera(small problem, just change outside can already)


Pumpump
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
1 points
10 forum posts Joined on 05-Jan-2010
Awesome car. More expensive than some other SUVs but you get what you paid for.  Posted on 01 Dec 2017
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
Got my Sorento GTLine at end of Aug. Absolutely love it. It is powerful yet not noise. Exterior (esp the tiger nose grill) may not please everyone but overall the presence is there. Interior is nicely done. Loads of features such as ventilated front seats, electronic front seats with presets, real time FC, tyre pressure monitor, Auto engine start/stop, etc. Driver seat can be adjusted in a lot of ways. CarPlay and Android Auto ready. (Finally) a bigger MMC screen. Plenty of boot space. Rear sun blinds are very good for Singapore. Lots of boot space with 3rd row down. Can fit in one 26-inch foldable mountain bike and one 20 inch foldable bike (maybe another 20 inch one, will try later). GOOD FC considering it is nearly 2 tons. I am getting 8.XL/100km for my usual routes on normal mode which has about 65/35 Hwy/City. That is < $70 per 71L tank (~900km). Sports mode is very responsive and fun to drive with when traffic is light. Normal mode is also powerful enough for most cases. I installed TTC cushion and the car is quite stable and comfort to ride with. Without TTC it is fine also. Of course more body-rolling than a sedan but respectable for a SUV of this height. Sure you can get a cheaper SUV but I consider the extra cost money well spent for all the things I can get with Sorento. Quote from CarAdvice article: "In its latest generation, the Sorento has grown far larger than it has ever been before (4780mm long and 2780mm wide), no longer straddling the medium and large SUV segments a-la the Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-Trail, instead now competing directly with the likes of the Mazda CX-9 and Toyota Kluger."

PS - Difference between GT and SX - not much, GT has AWD, paddle shifter, red upholstery, Seat Work-in System,

What I like
Powerful engine. High torque, smooth acceleration and quiet. Good FC. Ventilated seats and all the features. Dynamic LCD dashboard. 19-inch rims. Auto tail gate. Six airbags. Electronic Hand Brake. LED daytime-running lights, rear sun blinds, Very fun to drive with.

What I do not like
Certain features are removed / not present in the Singapore version. e.g. Infinity sound system, Lane Departure Warning, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking.


Neutoris
Neutral Newbie
3 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 13-Mar-2013
Superb Handling from a Big Car  Posted on 29 Aug 2017
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
I've test driven this car for a few days when I loaned it from Kia. It has one of the best handling for cars of this size. The fuel efficiency is not bad considering the size of the car as it runs on diesel.


Kardoff
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 16-May-2011
Ideal 7 Seater SUV for family  Posted on 11 Mar 2017
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
Got the Sorento Diesel in Dec. Previously drove a Korean, Japanese and 2 Conti. After driving my 1st Conti, never thought I will go for anything else other than a Conti car simply because of the build quality and higher specs especially torque which is a huge factor in my decision for cars as I enjoy driving cars with high torque.

Though Sorento is rather pricey compared to other Japanese/Korean 7 seater SUV, it does comes with cool features, interior quality and luxurious feel which is mainly found in higher end models of Conti brands. I enjoy the performance as it is pretty powerful. Very quiet for a Diesel car...Can barely hear the rattling sound.

The 3rd row provide more than enough space for the average adults. I am 1.8m and there is still adequate space between my knees and the middle row(mid row seats push all the back)

After test driving almost all the 7 seater SUV from price, comfort, features and performance, I would say Sorento is the logical choice for me.
No regrets so far.

What I like
Overall built quality
Interior comfort, luxurious feel
Spacious in every row
Pano Roof which can open
Well thought storage
Ventilated seats
High torque(440NM)

What I do not like
Price
Auto Start stop(shouldn't design it to switch on by default but as an option to switch on)
Fuel consumption - averaging 9-10 km/ltr(Specs 14.9km/ltr). To be fair 70% city driving


fungyee77
5th Gear
4 reviews
2,171 points
556 forum posts Joined on 16-Aug-2014
Massively impressive 7-seater SUV offering unmatched value  Posted on 05 Nov 2016
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
Frankly, I never thought I'd buy a Kia.

Even the test drive was an afterthought - I scheduled it as the first test drive of the day and intended as a staging exercise to make it easier to steer my wife to my preferred option.

Then when I heard the price, I was tempted to cancel the test drive. $25 to 35k more than the Japanese 7-seater SUV options Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-Trail ? More expensive than a Honda Odyssey ? I wondered what C&C was smoking.

But I gave it a chance. I am quite particular about certain qualitative aspects of a car because its a non-obvious indication of the overall quality of the design ie am very particular about the interior materials used (soft or hard plastics, where the hard plastics are) and NVH insulation.

The Sorento passed both tests with flying colours, to my big surprise. On both fronts, it felt like a premium brand. The other major surprise was the torque on hand - it literally threw me back in my seat.

Hence, the Sorento emerged from an invisible dark horse to become wholly unexpected front runner in my mind. But it still did not feel right paying more than an Audi A4 ... For a Kia.

So to get myself comfortable, I researched extensively.
- I tested every possible alternative in Singapore, spanning X-trail, Outlander, Odyssey, to considerably more expensive options like Discovery Sport and XC-90
- I read every possible review and comparison test of overseas publications
- I read up on all the reliability surveys I could get my hands on

What I learned gave me sufficient comfort to go ahead with the purchase. And to assure myself I was not an idiot paying so much for a Kia, I checked the overseas pricing as well, and found out that in the US, high spec Sorentos are priced in line with Discovery Sport, Lexus RX, Acura MDX, Audi Q5 (priced much higher than Sorento in Singapore).

I have now had the Sorento for 4 months and have heard my fair share of "This is a Kia? Wow" And "You bought a Kia? Haha". But no matter, the Sorento has met or exceeded all expectations to date.

Objectively, the only 7 seater SUVs I would swap the Sorento for are the XC90 and the new Audi Q7, which are both double the price.

Hence the Sorento offers unmatched value at its price point.

What I like
1. Size & Comfort
- True 7-seater, featuring spacious 3rd row with air con vents
- Comfortable seats, with a flexible second row that can incline
2. Premium Feel
- High quality interior build with plenty of soft touch surfaces
- One of the best sound insulation in its class, greatly mitigating the diesel rattle
3. Drive & Fuel Economy
- Powerful engine with excellent low end pull (440Nm)
- Impressive fuel economy
4. Design
- Strong road presence
- Highly practical interior design, with a lot of useful storage spaces and USB ports

What I do not like
- Comments like “You bought a Kia? Haha.”
- Small head unit


Little_prince
Supersonic
13 reviews
30,089 points
19215 forum posts Joined on 20-Jan-2009
Loved the car but not value for money  Posted on 05 Jun 2016
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 1.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
Excellent car but not really for singapore market.

The engine was powerful and drive was good. Comes with all the bells and whistles. But for the price it seems rather poor value.

Other 7 seater SUVs such as Xtrail. Outlander. Outback. Etc are a good 40k cheaper. That's like 30%. Not to mention the diesel tax.

What I like
Good engine
Comes with all the bells and whistles almost any feature you can think of even auto park etc

What I do not like
Super light steering. Feels weird.

The price doesn't present good value to me. It's a good 40k more expensive than its competitors

For similar price I rather go for BMW gran tourer.


dsman
5th Gear
1 reviews
1,771 points
416 forum posts Joined on 24-Oct-2015
Best 7-seater car I have owned.  Posted on 09 Feb 2016
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
I got the Sorento SX 2.2l AWD in January and it has been a wonderful one month driving it. It's exactly the kind of car you don't mind spending time in stuck in the peak hour traffic.

I owned an XC90 and a Mazda5 prior to the Sorento diesel. I like the XC90 for its stability, power and spirited drive. However, it was a guzzler and too big for many public carparks. The mazda5 was a roomy MPV which the passengers enjoy more than the driver. So I was kinda undecided between a SUV and a MPV. The sorento gives me the best of both worlds. It's not a compromise. The diesel variant gives an amazingly powerful drive. It is the most comfortable car my family has owned. It can also get me 12km per litre (of diesel!!). It drives and feels like a luxurious bavarian sedan.

What I like
1. Panaromic Sunroof
2. Good FC
3. Roomy
4. Awesome sound insulation
5. Electronic tailgate
6. Ventilated front seats

What I do not like
1. Must top-up for AWD
2. No blind spot detection
3. No lane departure warning
4. Small Headunit display screen size at a mere 4.3"


cbeuk
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
0 points
8 forum posts Joined on 08-Feb-2016
Wonderful SUV better than continental  Posted on 08 Feb 2016
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Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
I test drove both SX and normal on Diesel and Petrol version in Jan 2016

Very impressed

Currently driving Wish

What I like
It's definitely a continental version very impressive
Noise proofing
Luxury feeling
Comfort
3rd row height clearance
Sporty mode drive
Almost no noise inside cabin
All special features
Good pick up in sports mode
Sun roof
Quality leather
Park assist

What I do not like
Bit pricy at 151999 for Diesel SX
Small 4" video panel
No AWD
Still a better quality plastic should have been used on some places like the steer wheel controls, last row plastics on the sides
Bit sluggish start in Eco mode but it's Fiesel so expected.


Jman
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
0 points
28 forum posts Joined on 30-Jan-2003
Powerful diesel sorento  Posted on 27 Jan 2016
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Comfort 3.0 Reliability 2.0
Handling 3.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 3.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 4.0
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Review
Diesel is something not in my shopping list but while doing research it seems like a good fit for heavy mileage accumulators like myself. Tested the suv on a saturday afternoon, first impression car is solidly built and has a very muscular stance which I like, the engine was surprisingly quiet inside and the view is fantastic from the drivers perspective.

Power delivery was linear and at slow speed it was very easy to navigate because of the speed sensitive steering.

Only complain is the pricing which i felt is still steep and also the lack of quality diesel up north. I guess when the north matures with the recommended grade of diesel it should give this segment a good push.

What I like
torque is good
well put together
muscular outlook

What I do not like
center command screen is terribly small
price
original rims not macho enough


Aukang
6th Gear
6 reviews
2,540 points
874 forum posts Joined on 27-Feb-2013
Very nice car, but price also very nice  Posted on 14 May 2015
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Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 5.0 Features 5.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 2.0 Engine Performance 5.0
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Review
Test drove the diesel version during the Kia MCF event. I had previously test driven the basic petrol version. Here are some apparent differences :

1. Torque is really superb. The engine was poweerful and even steppin on the acclelerator produced lots of torque...Really poeer on tap.
2. Diesel clatter.?? Surprisingly quiet.
3. Air ventilation seats...All cars sold in the tropics should have this feature.

All in, a very nice car, both exterior and interior and driven.

But I reckon at thge current price of 186k, it's out of reach of many people.

What I like
Tourqy engine, cool ventilated sests. Nice interior.

What I do not like
Price

Kia Sorento Diesel
4 stars - based on 15 reviews