Kia Sorento : A CASE FOR SPACE

As a compact 4x4 that isnt well compact, Kias latest Sorento makes a lot of sense. June Neary tries it.

Ive always been quite attracted by those compact 4x4s. You know, the type of Land Rover Freelander/Toyota RAV4/Honda CRV machines you see clogging up the school run. I even went to test drive one once and discovered the Achilles heel that many families come across: space. Ever tried to sit three adults in the back of one of these things over a long journey? I have and I can tell you, based on the disgruntled comments from my passengers, that its not a pleasant experience. To solve the problem, its necessary to buy one of those larger family-sized 4x4s of the Land Rover Discovery ilk. The problem is that theyre up in the £25,000-£30,000 bracket.

I dont want to buy used with something as complicated as a 4x4, so where does that leave me? Looking for a compact 4x4 with the space of something larger. Fortunately one exists and Ive been checking it out this week. The latest version of Kias Sorento has been well received as a spacious yet inexpensive and stylish addition to the Freelander/RAV4/CRV ranks. Will it suit me? Id say that for around £20,000, it cant go far wrong.

Its a Kia, so I was expecting an interior full of cheap grey plastic and chintzy trim. Instead, I found soft touch materials and a quality feel. Only the slightly cheesy veneer trim fitted to some luxury models can be called into question and even then, the clean overall feel of the rest of the cabin design redeems it. As already suggested, rear seat space is far better than youll find inside other comparably priced cars in this class.

Up front, my other half and I both enjoyed the high up driving position which gives a super view of the road (as well as enabling you to look down on other road users...).

Lets get this straight: this is not the best car in its class to drive. But then you dont buy a 4x4 if what you want is a sportscar or a GTi. Beneath this Kias well-executed lines lies something of a hardcore philosophy. Rather than pretend to build a 4x4 a la Honda CR-V, the Koreans have decided to try and do the job properly, sticking in a ladder-framed separate chassis and a solid rear axle instead of independent rear suspension.

I say try because I still managed to get the thing stuck ridiculously easily off road due to the cars lack, so I was told, of a locking differential. Still, the Sorento makes a better fist of the muddy stuff than a Land Rover Freelander or a Nissan X-Trail: the flip side is that it cant hope to rival their on-road nimbleness. The revised car features a reworked version of the 2.5-litre diesel as its volume engine, this time turning out 21 per cent more power (168bhp) and fully 25 per cent more torque with a peak figure of 392Nm coming at a low down 2,000rpm. This means that instant urge is on tap as soon as you require it, making pulling out of T-junctions and onto roundabouts brisker and thus safer.

This power increase comes courtesy of an electrically actuated variable geometry turbo and lops a full 2.6 seconds off the cars sprint to 62mph, the diesel Sorento now bulldozing that benchmark in 12.3 seconds. Fully Euro IV-compliant, this engine will even return a creditable fuel economy figure of 35.

8mpg if driven with a little more circumspection. If fuel bills are a secondary issue, theres also the 3.3-litre V6 to consider. This has enjoyed an even more potent shot in the arm, with peak power rising an enormous 48bhp over the old, rather agricultural 3.

5-litre unit. This means that the petrol Sedona will now get to 60mph in just 8.9 seconds with even better fuel economy thrown in as an additional sweetener.

Equipment levels are good, with all models being fitted with anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, twin front and side airbags, air conditioning, electric windows and self-levelling rear suspension. As well as a limited slip differential, there are neatly integrated front fog lamps, some respectable alloy wheel designs and blade-profile roof rails. Top end models feature some quality electronic options such as in-car DVD and satellite navigation. The quality of the interior has been improved through a revised centre stack and floor console, a neater control layout and higher-quality materials.

The centre stack now houses dual-zone air conditioning, a trip computer and a double-DIN JVC CD player with an MP3 compatible stereo system. Comfort has been improved with reshaped backrests on the front seats and multi-adjustable rear backrests. Along with these refinements come some changes to the trim structure. As well as the current grey interior available on XE and XS, there is a premium black leather and wood effect trim package available on the range-topping Sorento XT.

All this for just under £20,000 is pretty impressive. Equally so is the range of accessories on offer at local dealers.

Easily, though I might tire of the rather ponderous handling and leisurely performance. As a compact 4x4 that gets the job done with stylish space however, the Sorento hits the mark. 21st February 2008