5-Speed Sports H-Matic Auto Gearbox For Sorento
Published: 28th February 2004
Kia Sorento
- 5-speed Sports H-Matic gearbox for Sorento
- Up to a 9% improvement in fuel consumption on Sorento, 7.7% on Carens and 5.2% on Sedona accompanied by lower CO2 emissions
- Improved refinement
- Prices up by £490 on Sorento XE and £750 on Sorento XS
- Torque output increased to 343 Nm (253 lb.ft) on diesel engine.
The popular diesel automatic Sorento will be fitted with a five-speed Sports H-Matic gearbox for the first time. This gearbox combines the convenience of an automatic gearbox in traffic with the manual control that many drivers desire on the open road.
Kia announced last year that it has put the new European Design Centre in Frankfurt in charge of future diesel engine development for the company. The importance of diesel engines in the Kia line-up will be demonstrated by the first diesel option in a Kia passenger car, the Cerato, later in the summer. The choice of diesel power is a strong customer choice for the Kia Carens and Sedona MPVs and Sorento 4x4. The latest improvements to these engines provide fuel consumption gains of up to 9% on the manual Sorento, 6% on the automatic Sorento, 5.2% on the manual Sedona and 3.4% on the automatic. The Carens offers a 7.7% improvement on the diesel manual.
This gives an identical combined fuel consumption of 36.2 mpg for the manual Sedona and manual Sorento. Carbon dioxide levels are improved as well.
The Sorento 2.5-litre engine has been optimised with enhanced torque: 343 Nm is available between 1850-2500 rpm compared to 314 Nm on the previous car, as well as improvements in refinement for what is already regarded as a smooth and quiet engine. Top speed is increased from 104 mph to 106 mph on the automatic.
The Sorento range now extends from £18,498 to £22,758. All XE models have increased in price by £490, while the XS specification is increased by £750. The sunroof fitted to the XE specification has been deleted.
The Sedona benefits from braking and suspension improvements as well as the standard fitment of privacy glass on the SE as well as the LE specification.
To read our in depth road test of the Kia Sorento 3.5 V6 XS [ click here ]
Kia Sorento
Our Kia Sorento Guide lists the full specification of the current UK Sorento range, including car prices, fuel consumption, dimensions and other vital data.
Price Range: £20,195 - £26,435
Body Style:
Fuel:
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Models in the range: 4
We have road tested the Kia Sorento, to read our in-depth car reviews:
Kia Sorento Review - Oct 2003
Kia Sorento Review - Dec 2006
Our Car Buyer’s Guide covers all of the UK’s major new cars and includes CO2 ratings and car insurance groups. Data updated on the 21st Sep 2008
