Naza Kia To Launch New Sorento
KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 12– Naza Kia Malaysia will launch the Next Generation Sorento at its nationwide Kia Customer Day on Mar 16 and 17.
The Next Generation Sorento comes with a new design, more luxury features, improved ride and handling, increased comfort and top safety specifications.
“The Next Generation Sorento is much more than a facelift. This popular SUV now comes with aesthetical enhancements in the exterior and interior, a revised suspension for a smoother ride, sharper handling and a stronger body-shell,” said Datuk Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar, COO of Naza Kia Malaysia.
With a monthly target of 100 units, he said the Next Generation Sorento will help Naza Kia Malaysia achieve its sales target of 15,000 units this year.
“2013 has begun on a positive note for Naza Kia Malaysia. In the first two months of the year, we have sold 1,854 units, which is 12% higher than the same period in 2012,” said Datuk Hafiz.
Aesthetically, the Next Generation Sorento was restyled by Kia’s design team to create larger areas of body colour surface at the front and the rear. At the front, the Next Generation Sorento features LED daytime running lights, vertical-axis fog lamps with static bending lights for better visibility in the dark and a new signature Kia ‘Tiger Nose Grille’ with a geometrical lattice pattern.
The side-mirrors of the Next Generation Sorento feature stylish LED turn-signals while its chrome-plated door handles are equipped with pocket lights that light up when the driver approaches the car 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 seven-seater SUV features a stylish 7-inch colour thin film transistor (TFT) LCD supervision cluster which provides vital information of the vehicle, a 4.3-inch 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 multilink 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 176 PS and 227 Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with Manumatic (manual-like shifting 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 five –year warranty with unlimited mileage.
