"With the new Sorento we have created an all-new seven-seat crossover utility vehicle that will soon be recognized as an exciting all-rounder with a much broader customer appeal," Hyoung-Keun Lee, chief operating officer of Kia's international business division was quoted as saying by Autonews.
The Korean manufacturer places its faith in the three main strongpoints of the new SUV: better quality, larger size and wider engine range. For the domestic market, the new Sorento will come with a choice of three engines, including a version of its 2.7l V6 engine running on LPG, called the Mu LPI, a four-cylinder 2.4l Theta II petrol engine and a new four-cylinder R2.2l diesel engine.
Dimensions wise, interior headroom was increased by 64 mm (to 906 mm) and legroom by 102 mm (to 795 mm), while the luggage space in the new Sorento is increased by 15 percent, by moving the tailgate back by almost 70 mm.
The sales goal set by the manufacturer is based on the numbers registered by the previous version. The model, launched in 2002, sold 900,000 units in seven years. Still, Kia's forecasts come at a time when Sorento sales fell from 28,756 units in 2007 to 16,817 on the European market.
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