KIA BUZZ
  • HOME
  • About Kiabuzz
  • gallery
  • Go to Local Site
  • About Kia
KIA BUZZ
KIA BUZZ
KIA BUZZ

Newest Sorento has a great body!

April 23rd, 2009 Posted in Design & Technology,Vehicle Models   



Seung-il KimBy Seung-il Kim, Vice President &
Head of Car Development Center 3

As discussed briefly before, the Sorento has made a switch in frame type to a monocoque platform. With this lower ground clearance it changes the vehicle’s suspension to provide a better driving experience with enhanced handling and ride.


The front subframe has been changed from a bush to a solid type for increased lateral stiffness in the front wheel and a sportier ride. A multilink, independent suspension system for the rear suspension provides greater shock absorption than the existing axle suspension. Its reduced steering gear ratio improves steering response, too.


Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is standard equipment across all of Kia’s trim lines. The system monitors the driver’s steering along with various driving-related data from the wheel speed sensor, steering wheel angle sensor, yaw sensor and engine ECU. It evaluates the vehicle’s movements during sudden turns, acceleration and on slippery roads. If risks are detected, ESC not only actuates each brake but also reduces engine power to secure maximum safety. Downhill brake control (DBC) and hill-start assist control are also basic features on the new Sorento. DBC allows the vehicle to maintain a certain speed on steep declines without having to use the brake while the hill-start assist control helps a driver move up a steep or slippery hill without sliding backwards.

High-tensile Steel plates were used for 70.4% of the Sorento’s key body parts. We employed a high-tech body design that can absorb or disperse crash energy from any possible crash points, including the front, side and rear. Through such efforts, we secured the highest possible five-star crash safety rating from the reinforced North America NCAP, Euro NCAP and Korean independent/government crash tests.

Additionally, the new Sorento features active front headrests for the driver and passenger which drastically reduce neck-area injuries during rear-end collisions. The front seats are equipped with large-capacity airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags to provide multidirectional protection.

As you can see, the new Sorento has a lot to offer in terms of quality, safety and fuel-efficiency. The Sorento is now available in the Korean market only, but will soon find its way to markets around the world. We’re always open to hearing what our customers have to say and we look forward to your response.

No new car would be complete without new technologies and features!

Sorento has been reborn with a completely new set of technologies at your disposal.  Despite the global economic slowdown and fast-changing market paradigm, we have aimed to please customers with an attractive array of the latest (and greatest) technologies. The 2009 Sorento has all the advantages of new generation CUVs and will solidify our reputation for CUVs.

The new Sorento is Kia’s very first application of a safety panorama sunroof. Comprising of a tilt and slide front panel and a fixed rear panel, the panorama sunroof lends an increased sense of space from the inside. From the outside, it adds a touch of elegance to the vehicle and are usually found on most premium CUVs like the BMW X5, which cost a whole lot more.

Another feature is a sensor inside the car recognizing the driver’s smart key to start or stop the engine. It can also lock and unlock doors with the push of a button.


The Sorento is also featured with a cruise control, a system that keeps a vehicle at a set speed so users can enjoy a safe and comfortable driving experience. Setting the cruise control at or below the speed limit, this feature gives drivers great peace of mind from speed cameras and a nasty ticket!

To further assist drivers with their fuel efficiency, the Sorento has a color-code system on the instrument cluster to monitor driving patterns. The colors help drivers get better gas mileage. For easier parking in tight spaces, Sorento also offers a 3.5 inch LCD that displays images from a rear camera on the ECM mirror when the vehicle is put into reverse. This was first introduced on the Kia Soul.

For those hot summer days, ventilated seats with three settings are also available to enhance our drivers’ comfort. An ionizer (negative ion generator) can be installed with the A/C and heater systems to clean and freshen the air inside the vehicle, too.

Some other features available on the Sorento include: a parking-assist system that displays the location and distance to obstacles at the rear; driver additional information display inside the Super Vision cluster that shows instant fuel economy, average speed and all functions of the trip computer in addition to low air pressure warning for each tire, warning for open doors, various messages related to the button ignition, rear obstacle warning and other driving and safety related information in a dot-matrix display method for easy-to-read access; safety power window that automatically lowers the window when it senses a physical part or other object in the path of a closing window during auto-up mode; audio system with digital amplifier that produces a cleaner and higher quality sound compared to analog systems; a speech recognition hands free system that allows users with compatible mobile phones to listen to music files inside their phones without lines through the car speakers via Bluetooth audio streaming; steering wheel remote that incorporates hands-free operation for mobile phones and key audio functions; AUX/USB/iPod input terminal to enjoy music files stored in MP3 players, etc.; standard AV navigation with a 6.5-inch wide screen that is connected to the rear camera to deliver a more pleasant driving experience.

The Sorento is now available in the Korean market only, but will soon find its way to markets around the world. All features discussed above vary by region but your nearest Kia dealer will have all that information for your review!

※ Editor’s Note: You can read the previous post here http://kia-buzz.com/?p=1178


  • Alex

    It would be interesting to have, even as option, intelligent systems on board of the new Sorento, such as Automatic Cruise Control or Automatic Brake when collision is unavoidable. They would enhace the safety of the car and would certainly add value in the eye of the potential customers.

    Do you have in mind such systems for the European market?

  • favour

    its wonderful, is this car in Nigeria? and howw much is it.

  • http://www.kia-world.net himi

    You mentioned 6-airbags, but how about a knee airbag? Wasn’t that available in the US market in the old Sorento? Is the new one going to have it?

  • http://kiacity.ca rob

    It looks like Kia has another winner. The Soul and Forte are first class vehicles and we cannot wait to have the first North American built Kia in our showroom.

  • Pamela (Korea)

    Rob… Just a few more months before you start seeing those! We’re still on target for the completion of the Kia plant in Georgia near the end of the year. Production will start soon after… stay tuned for news on that later!

  • fatih tekkol

    Yes they are re-designing it but take a look at safety please. ı bought a kia sportage but ı regret it. Take a look at iihs results a SUV with 1.700 kgs of weight with poorest roof. An seems to bee de second dangerous car in roll over accidents. If I really have a chance or information about this roll over issues I wont even buy this car. also It is 10.000km I will sell and get rid of this situation. So now I aware of kia.

    It is like loving some one but it battrayed you.

  • admin

    Hello Faith,

    Kia Motors places a high priority on safety in all Kia products. This is the first time the IIHS executed a Roof Strength Rating test and our teams here are assessing the results very carefully.

    Occupant protection in rollovers is complex and we believe that the single roof strength metric itself does not provide a complete assessment of occupant protection. The IIHS correctly notes that the best way to prevent deaths from vehicle rollover is to keep the vehicle from rolling over in the first place. To that end, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) has been standard equipment since the Sportage launched in North America in 2005. According to the IIHS, this significantly reduces rollovers, especially fatal single-vehicle ones.

    Kia has a strong safety record. In 2009, the Sportage model received a five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US for both frontal and side impacts for occupants in the front and rear seats.

    We will continue to work closely with leading industry and government bodies in all markets to ensure that our vehicles meet or exceed safety standards. Thank you for your interest in Kia products and affording us the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

  • Gary Flynn

    The new Sorrento sounds good but I’d like to know more about the motors (Petrol and Diesal). The promotion mentions lowering the ground clearance to improve handling. Yes that would help but the real problem for Kia in Australia, in my opinion, is that the design and marketing pitch for the vehicle falls uncomfortably between the two All Wheel Drive (AWD) markets. These are the so called soft roaders who hardly ever go off road and the 4×4 market of many types who are constantly off road in the vast Australian continent.

    The Sorrentos up to now have had good features for off road driving (low range, good drive train, etc) but suspension that was too soft even in city conditions. Off road magazines here have primarily critised the vehicles suspension and somewhat spongy gearing in the automatic version.

    Having had a Sorrento EX for 5 years which I use to tow an off road camper trailer (Tvan) the car’s performance was vastly improved by replacement of the suspension (Old Man Emu) and raising the clearance 2 and 3 cm.

    I believe there are other parts of the vehicle as well that could be improved to make the vehicle more attractive to off road buyers.

    The softroader market in Australia is very competitive and thirsty bigger vehicles are disadvantaged. I believe that Kia would do well to project a more off road suitable vehicle in the Off Road market. Lowering clearance in this country, even with suspension improvements, is a retrograde step in this regard.

    The Off Road market is big here, the Kia Turbo Turbo Diesal has a wondrous motor and the vehicle is very price competitive.

    I’m very happy with my vehicle, it has done a great job but I’d like to see in a standard new vehicle higher ground clearance, stiffer suspension, thicker protective steel panels underneath with a 2.8 litre Turbo Diesal motor inside with more positive gearing. Throw in provision for a full, strong Roo Bar and I’d pay well into the $40Ks for it. It would go anywhere and tow well and do so economically.

    It disappoints me to know that the Sorrento appears to be seriously underrated in this country and this has led to my comments. PS. I have photos of the full towing configuration if you are interested.

    Love the car, good luck with the new one.

  • javid from IRAN

    I think for these kind of cars (CUV’s) it’s better to use an air suspension system which owner can adjust it to proper height ; of course the price is important too.

  • http://google.com/335 sandra742

    Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. :) Cheers! Sandra. R.

  • Ian

    Reading between the lines I’m supposing this new model is NOT going to have low range. Can you confim that please? Without low range then in my opinion you are losing the one niche you had. There are so many other soft off roaders to compete with and personally I don’t really see a reason to go with the Sorento. I simply cannot find a medium sized “4WD” in this category. I don’t want a thumping great gas guzzler that costs the earth to buy and run, I just want a medium sized 4WD at a reasonable price and there just isn’t any.

  • husen

    I like it very much

  • http://www.hand-gun-safe.net Walker Bitar

    Outstanding site, I truly found it to be thought prevoking. I’m looking forward to coming back over again to view what’s brand new.

  • http://ews04.ru/displayimage.php?album=20&pos=5 CydayCounty

    прикольно!. насчет более интересной там реально полезные мысли

  • http://kia-buzz.com/?p=1249 robert

    I was seriously considering buying the 2011 Sorento until I read the IIHS crash test results; the poor marks for 2009 side impact made me think other structures like roof strength also probably compromised. It had beat out my other favorite the Subaru Tribeca because of price… but safety trumps price.

  • http://freepsp.ru/page/6/ ImmottWhimi

    Супер полезно!. сейчас нет времени можно вообще уяснить

  • http://community.webglobal.cz/members/USAirportRunwayStats33.aspx coffee shops

    Hello Faith,

    Kia Motors places a high priority on safety in all Kia products. This is the first time the IIHS executed a Roof Strength Rating test and our teams here are assessing the results very carefully.

    Occupant protection in rollovers is complex and we believe that the single roof strength metric itself does not provide a complete assessment of occupant protection. The IIHS correctly notes that the best way to prevent deaths from vehicle rollover is to keep the vehicle from rolling over in the first place. To that end, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) has been standard equipment since the Sportage launched in North America in 2005. According to the IIHS, this significantly reduces rollovers, especially fatal single-vehicle ones.

    Kia has a strong safety record. In 2009, the Sportage model received a five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US for both frontal and side impacts for occupants in the front and rear seats.

    We will continue to work closely with leading industry and government bodies in all markets to ensure that our vehicles meet or exceed safety standards. Thank you for your interest in Kia products and affording us the opportunity to respond to your concerns.