Topic: 2011 Kia Sorento

[conwelpic]

i love my sorento but the stiff ride sometimes makes me sad......

small bumps on the road is like thunder inside the sorento.

this is not really the forum to be asking for help, but this has been mentioned on a dedicated forum to the Sorento at
http://www.kia-forums.com/2011-xm-sorento-forum/ where you can research and ask owners.  One of the more common answer to your problem has been to make sure the tires have the correct tire pressure, many have found they are way too hard.  Also some corrections have been made to the suspension depending on the vehicles production date as was previously asked by Dan Yanoff

[EV Dan]

There was a rumor on the nets that 2012 Sorentos are out, but there is absolutely nothing written on the MY changes, nothing official that is.
I checked the stock on a few of the Miami, FL dealers and one indeed lists 3 2012 models in stock.
Just though I'd share..

[airbalancer]

There was a rumor on the nets that 2012 Sorentos are out, but there is absolutely nothing written on the MY changes, nothing official that is.
I checked the stock on a few of the Miami, FL dealers and one indeed lists 3 2012 models in stock.
Just though I'd share..

You drove all the way to Miami to check this out

[EV Dan]

There was a rumor on the nets that 2012 Sorentos are out, but there is absolutely nothing written on the MY changes, nothing official that is.
I checked the stock on a few of the Miami, FL dealers and one indeed lists 3 2012 models in stock.
Just though I'd share..

You drove all the way to Miami to check this out

  It's warm enough for me here. It was in their online inventory.

Here they are:
http://www.kendallkia.com/new-inventory/index.htm?SByear=2012&SBmake=clear&SBmodel=clear&SBbodystyle=clear&SBprice=clear

[life in the slow lane]

Well it's less generic-looking than the Borrego IMO. And will all the crappy redesigns recently (Mazda3, Honda Pilot, Acura everything), I think it's a good idea to go for a more conservative look, especially for bigger SUVs where looks shouldn't be as important as their practicality. In this segment, IMO, looks aren't as important and anything that isn't ugly is just fine.

Couldn't agree with you more. I think for this type of vehicle, practicality is far more important than being over-styled.

In another thread for a Hyundai SUV, I had one poster, because I said that the particular SUV in the thread along with numerous others suffers from over styling and miss the mark of a true "Utility" vehicle for some reason thought I didn't like LAMBOS, 'Vettes etc, when all I was talking about were SUV's. I think they were upset becasue they thought I was putting down their ride, when actually I wasn't. I really  like Hyundai's

[EV Dan]

Even ventilated seat(s) but I'd guess only for upper trims.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1059748_2012-kia-sorento-on-sale-gets-direct-injection

Kia has been unaffected by the parts jam that's slowing down the launches of some Japanese cars like the 2012 Honda Civic. In fact, the 2012 Kia Sorento, built in the company's new assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, has already started streaming out to dealers with a few upgrades under the hood.

The biggest news is the availability of the Hyundai/Kia direct-injected four-cylinder in some trim levels, an upgrade from the first-year four-cylinder. As we wrote in our 2011 Kia Sorento review, "There’s just not much motivation with the 172-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder--not on price, not on power, and not on fuel economy." The old  engine earned EPA ratings of 20/27 mpg with a six-speed manual transmission, 21/29 mpg in EX with six-speed automatic.

The new engine is available in the 2012 Kia Optima--which also will be built at the Georgia facility soon--and though specs and configurators for the Sorento aren't yet live on official Kia sites, the same engine in the Optima produces 200 horsepower, and EPA ratings of 24/35 mpg with a six-speed manual transmission, and 24/34 mpg with a six-speed automatic.
Other additions to the sophomore Sorento are said to include new wheels, power-folding mirrors, a power passenger seat, a ventilated driver seat, heated steering wheel, and UVO. The UVO system is Kia's version of the same Microsoft code that underwrites Ford's SYNC system. It uses Bluetooth connections to drive some vehicle functions for hands-free operation of the phone and audio controls, as it does in the Kia Sportage and Kia Optima below.

We'll have more official information from Kia soon.

[Thanks, Norm!]

[No H2O]

Officially Official: Kia drops pics of the U.S. spec 2011 Sorento.

Now all they have to do is "drop" the 2.2 liter in-line four diesel that they have in the European model into it.

194 HP @ 3800
311 lbf.ft. @ 1800-2500

I won't be looking at anything like it till NA manufacturers rethinks what they stuff under the hood. Fuel consumption is better than a Civic.

[EV Dan]

^^  Diesel cars are already more expensive to make than their gas equivalents. Add to that the R&D cost of having to re-invent all emission related components specifically for NA market and you get a price tag no-one here will want to pay, perhaps it will be higher than that of a V6 upgrade.
So technically any car maker can develop diesels for NA but to turn profit on them? There is still hope for Mazda...
On the other hand this Kia's GDI I4 could not come at a better moment. More power, torque AND better FE.

[No H2O]

^^  Diesel cars are already more expensive to make than their gas equivalents. Add to that the R&D cost of having to re-invent all emission related components specifically for NA market.

VW already has for our market.

I'd bet the Euro V emissions are better than what I see spewing out of a lot of our cars.

[tpl]

^^  Diesel cars are already more expensive to make than their gas equivalents. Add to that the R&D cost of having to re-invent all emission related components specifically for NA market.

VW already has for our market.

I'd bet the Euro V emissions are better than what I see spewing out of a lot of our cars.

It is not a question of "better" it is a question of "different".   The Euro V makes allowances for diesels different combustion characteristics. The current EPA standards do not.   I read somewhere that Euro VI will be the same standards for gas and diesel but by then our market will be choked up with cars with laptop batteries instead of proper engines.

[Shnak]

Even ventilated seat(s) but I'd guess only for upper trims.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1059748_2012-kia-sorento-on-sale-gets-direct-injection

Kia has been unaffected by the parts jam that's slowing down the launches of some Japanese cars like the 2012 Honda Civic. In fact, the 2012 Kia Sorento, built in the company's new assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, has already started streaming out to dealers with a few upgrades under the hood.

The biggest news is the availability of the Hyundai/Kia direct-injected four-cylinder in some trim levels, an upgrade from the first-year four-cylinder. As we wrote in our 2011 Kia Sorento review, "There’s just not much motivation with the 172-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder--not on price, not on power, and not on fuel economy." The old  engine earned EPA ratings of 20/27 mpg with a six-speed manual transmission, 21/29 mpg in EX with six-speed automatic.

The new engine is available in the 2012 Kia Optima--which also will be built at the Georgia facility soon--and though specs and configurators for the Sorento aren't yet live on official Kia sites, the same engine in the Optima produces 200 horsepower, and EPA ratings of 24/35 mpg with a six-speed manual transmission, and 24/34 mpg with a six-speed automatic.
Other additions to the sophomore Sorento are said to include new wheels, power-folding mirrors, a power passenger seat, a ventilated driver seat, heated steering wheel, and UVO. The UVO system is Kia's version of the same Microsoft code that underwrites Ford's SYNC system. It uses Bluetooth connections to drive some vehicle functions for hands-free operation of the phone and audio controls, as it does in the Kia Sportage and Kia Optima below.

We'll have more official information from Kia soon.

[Thanks, Norm!]

Excellent news! It'd make my decision between the 2.4L DI and the 3.5L even harder. I'd have to drive a Sorento with both powertrains, but I suspect the 2.4L DI might just be a good fit for it. The previous 2.4L lacked punch for a big vehicle like the Sorento, to say the least. And I liked the 2.4L DI when I drove it in the Sonata, and it's proven to be pretty economical fuel-wise, too. My only question would be if the 2.4L DI would offer good performance in the Sorento in AWD form. That, I'm not sure.

[EV Dan]

^^ I think for most people 2.4 is plenty even in the current form, or at least it's what some dealers told me when commenting on what powertrain they sell most. Yet choosing from the 2012 lineup I'd probably get the V6, especially if I wanted to keep it for 5+ years, as like Artic mentioned before, no-one really knows how much carbon build up a DI engine with over 100k miles is going to have.
AWD is no big deal, it just adds around 100kg while the car is primarily FWD and the rear wheels only engage when slipping is detected. I don't think I would need such AWD as I do fine with even all-season tires on my Sonata. So I'd spring for X-Ice winters rather than pay over 2 grand for a feature I won't use.
BTW for Canadian market it is no longer an option to have EX-V6 with FWD; in States it is still available.

[aaronk]

^^ I think for most people 2.4 is plenty even in the current form, or at least it's what some dealers told me when commenting on what powertrain they sell most....

It's not Kia, but when we were test driving the Santa Fe our local dealer said he does mostly V6's. But that was when the 3.5 was just introduced, and fuel economy between I4 and V6 was only 1mpg - not sure if that is still the case. It also depends how you intend to use the vehicle. I believe the I4 can only tow 2,000 lbs whereas the V6 allows you to tow 3,500. If you have or intend to have a small boat or trailer this may be a concern.

[No H2O]

^^ I think for most people 2.4 is plenty even in the current form.

It should be if a piddly 2.2 diesel pulls my cousin's huge travel trailer.