Kia has already confirmed that the 2013 Sorento SUV will have its global debut at the Paris Motor Show this year on September, held in France. Before the event, Kia has just dropped some information about the changes under the Sorento’s hood.
The Korean carmaker will provide the Sorento with a choice of three engines for European customers. The engines will be mated to a six speed manual gearbox as standard and a six- speed automatic as the optional.
The first engine is a 2.0 liter diesel that is able for 148 horses or 150 PS. The next is an updated model of the 2.2 liter turbodiesel R unit that is delivering the same output of 195 hp, yet returning cleaner CO2 emission of 153 g/km. the last is a new 2.2 liter GDI petrol with direct injection that is good for 194 hp. The 2.2 liter GDI petrol is replacing the current 172 horses 2.4 liter MPI engine.
Although Kia did not say anything about the details and specifications of the North American Sorento that may be offered as 2014 model year, Kia added some information that the Sorento will be offered with 172hp 2.4-liter MPI and 276hp (280PS) 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engines for some international markets.
The facelifted Sorento gets a redesigned front end that gains new LED daytime running lights and different taillights completed with a new instrument cluster. The carmaker also said that the car got a new chassis, new Flex Steer variable ratio power steering system that provides three self- explanatory modes including Comfort, Normal and Sport.
There’s also a new variable ratio power steering system named “Flex Steer” that offers three self-explanatory modes named Comfort, Normal and Sport.
Thomas Oh who is the Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors stated that they got good response from public for the facelifted Sorento. With the car’s new look and significant enhancement, the company was convinced that it would increase its market share. The company itself is expecting for 265,000 units for the annual sales globally.
