Kia Sorento Review
Published: 13th October 2003
Sorento
How It Drove - Ride/Handling
The overall ride of the Sorento is very impressive, the suspension has been tuned by Porsche and coped admirably with Eire's sometimes back breaking road surfaces. Gas filled shock absorbers are fitted on all wheels to absorb vibration and provide a smoother ride. The Sorento also has self-levelling suspension as standard which adjusts the rear suspension when pulling a trailer or heavy load, maintaining ground clearance and keeping the headlights level.
The Sorento 3.5 V6 XS is equipped with an ATT (Active Torque Transfer) system which automatically transfers the optimum power between the front and rear wheels according to the road conditions for maximum traction and stability. In normal driving conditions the power is delivered to the rear wheels to aid fuel consumption. It also has a separate ladder chassis for strength and durability and a low ratio gearbox which you manually engage using the Electric Shift Transfer dial on the dashboard (no more awkward low ratio gear levers to operate). This system proved that it was just as capable as traditional 4WD systems and got us up and down a mountain transmitter path in the wilds of western Ireland without a hitch - There is no way the Sorento be called a soft roader.
The Sorento handles very well for a large 4X4 and under reasonably hard cornering maintained its composure. However, the speed sensitive steering is exceptionally light which could disappoint depending on you personal taste but was useful for low speed manoeuvring and parking.
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