Kia

All new for 2011 and feels remarkably Japanese!

By: Juan G. Robbin

Kia Sorento SX FWD (2011)

Kia deserves accolades for its meteoric rise towards becoming a car brand that is now a serious competitor to the established Japanese manufacturers. The newly redesigned for 2011 Kia Sorento fits this statement to a T.

The exterior of the Sorento is pleasing and contemporary, showing off stylish and elegant angles as well as trim items that make the vehicle stand out. The Sorento is now more Crossover-like, as the platform for this new model is uni-body instead of body-on-frame that is more typical of traditional SUV’s. The front fascia features a nicely proportion grill as well as a metal brush guard under the front bumper, giving the Sorento an aggressive look from the front. Headlights are elegantly integrated, with a noticeable sideways flow onto the fenders.

Window design is quite pleasing, especially the tricky second and third row windows, which on some SUV’s and crossovers, cause the look to become bulky and out of proportion. Kia did a superb job with the side profile, thanks, in part, to the window sill height and design. Rear hatch is large and easy to operate both ways. The look of the Kia from behind is again, current and well proportioned, with nice exhaust tips as well as a sculptured rear bumper that has a brush guard below the bumper.

Climbing on board the new Kia Sorento, one is pleasantly impressed, with the design layout and the fit and finish of the materials used within the interior. Red is used throughout as the featured color for illumination, giving an aggressive, modern look to the instrument dash as well as the center infotainment area. Again, switch-gear and controls feel more Japanese than Korean. That is to say, the quality and feel is palpable.

During my week with the 2011 Sorento I could not believe how comfortable and how nicely-done the interior of this crossover is. The Sorento is midsized in feel, yet offers a third row of seats or a large expanse of cargo space, take your pick. Rear-most seats are comfortable for short trips, ok for children. 2nd row is comfortable for two, tight for three.

Driving the Sorento is a delight, thanks mainly to its powerful 3.5 liter 6 cylinder engine (Offered on the LX, EX, SX models). Our test Sorento SX featured a 6 speed automatic transmission with sportmatic shift. We tried a few full-throttle, off the stop light launches and the engine pulls smoothly, offering a nice exhaust tone as well as good throttle feedback. Brakes did a good job bringing the Sorento from cruise speed to a stop with nary a complaint. Brake and accelerator pedals have an excellent feel, thus offering a smooth transition when going from one pedal to the other. In fact, the brake feel was so good; we could do smooth limo-like stops intuitively and routinely. This nice feature will definitely make the driver look like a hero on a regular basis.

The Sorento is a compelling alternative for those that are looking for a midsize, crossover from the likes of Subaru, Chevrolet, Ford or Mazda, yet want to spend less and get more standard features.

The 2011 Kia Sorento SX FWD, I can’t believe it’s not Japanese!

The Essentials:

MSRP: $32,195.00
MSRP (As tested): $34,190.00
Fuel Economy (observed): 21.5 MPG
Engine: V6, 3.5 liter, 262 HP
Popular Options: Almost everything is standard! Panoramic Sunroof
visit: www.kia.com

2010 Kia Soul

By: Juan G. Robbin

An Unexpected surprise

Sometimes being 1st to the party is not necessarily a good thing. The boxy set has been around for a few years starting with the Honda Element and the Scion xB, both in their 2nd generation. All of the sudden other car manufacturers are feeling boxy, with Nissan and Kia joining in. For the 1st time in the USA, Nissan is offering the Cube and now Kia with the all-new 2010 Soul.

Cute, cool, original, interesting, it’s a what? It’s a Kia, really? A Kia? Yes, a Kia. Wow I didn’t know they made cool cars. We seem to have gotten this reaction time and time again everywhere we went throughout car-jaded Miami in a bright green Kia Soul. There is a unique squared off front hood and angular headlights followed by a dramatic upward sloping window line that ends in the back with an interesting and original tail light design. All of this plus its driving character gives the Soul a refreshing look and feel that makes it stand out from the rest of the boxes.

Kia has hit a home run with the Soul. Its original, its fun to look at, comfortable to ride in and pleasant to drive. Designed by the Kia studios in So-Cal, the Soul is smaller than its fellow box brethren yet it doesn’t feel small in the inside. There is good head and knee room as well as comfortable back seat space for two passengers. Front seats feel a bit firm yet comfortable overall. There are some hip design elements such as the contrasting inner walls of its storage spaces as well as cool color lit speaker grills that can be set up to thump with the music beats. The interior is well thought out, with the center dash perfectly laid out with easy to use switchgear that have a surprising high quality feel.

The Soul comes with Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, sat radio capable, USB and Aux. jacks, as well as cruise control. This is a nice touch in the Soul as most cars in this segment don’t even offer these types of features, even as options.

We drove the Soul Plus with a four speed automatic transmission, albeit, not a screamer 0-60 MPH, it is adequate for most situations. On the highway it did feel a bit underpowered and in need of an additional gear to its automatic transmission in order to make it a smoother and quieter experience. The Soul is definitely in its element running around in urban areas less so on high speed interstates. Steering was a delight, feeling communicative and well balanced. Brakes have a good feel, with good pedal modulation and feedback, both a nice surprise.

One week went pretty quick and we hated to see the Soul leave. We quickly got used to the versatility and layout that the Soul has to offer, not to mention being the center of attention with all the passers-by.

The 2010 Kia Soul, an unexpected surprise in design, style and coolness.

The Essentials:

• MSRP: $15,900.00 MSRP (As tested): $17,890.00
• Engine: 4 cylinder, 2.0 liter, 142 HP
• Popular Options: Audio upgrade with amp & subwoofer, sunroof.
• Visit: www.kia.com