After Sportage, Is KIA SORENTO inline??
Possibly " YES " but maybe an older generation.
Globally conventional sedans sales are hit in negative and buyers are more towards anything which is riding high off ground . Sportage has shown the same trend in our market and Tucson will further solidify the fact that consumer in Pakistan market also moving towards this segment although the price is still might be a major deciding factor. It looks like that Sportage has diverted the buyers from Civic and Corolla and Tucson will do the same.
Three row SUVβs are also very popular internationally and have a decent share of the market. In Pakistan , consumer has only one established option and in the shape of Fortuner although BRV, Rush & Glory are also available but fall in different segment. Fortuner which is basically based on the pickup truck platform have been success for Toyota Indus. Hyundai tried to do a magic trick with their CBU/ Imported Santa FE but around 20 Million, itβs useless to discuss. For family mover the only other option left is the KIA Grand Carnival.
Now, as per some unofficial and unconfirmed reports, KIA is planning to introduce KIA SORENTO, which is a 3 row 7 seat utility vehicle. The news for release is sometime late this year or early 2021.
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Earlier this year KIA globally introduced an all new 4th generation Sorento. The new Sorento is built on all new platform which it also shares with the recently revealed Grand Cranival. The new 4th generation Sorento is built only at two location for global markets, Korea and US and deliveries just started in certain markets.
Being absolutely new vehicle with production limited currently only @ 2 locations globally for the 4th generation , I personally think that KIA Pakistan might not be bringing a β FOURTH β generation Sorento and instead we will see a local assembled / CKD βTHIRDβ, which is currently being discontinued overseas. For development of any new model, it takes alot of time which includes plant upgradation, supply chain and other factors and if a model is just released overseas , offering same in local market like Pakistan within few months of overseas arrival, is not possible.
Keep in mind the 4th generation Sorento is not yet for sale in any other market other than Korea. USDM model will not be for sale till December 2020 and it is made in USA, while Australian market recently announced the Sorento and it will not be for sale till December as well. Australia gets Sorento as an import. As a general knowledge, the two facilities producing Sorento are also export hubs with 400K [ US] , 560K [ Korea ] unit capacity per year.
In brief it's not impossible to generate a model inline with global model in Pakistan BUT its complicated and expensive equation especially keeping in mind that local KIA operation is an assembly line with a license, NOT an actual KIA own manufacturing plant where things can switch quickly and smoothly. Pakistani automotive industry is based on CKD assembly and these knockdown kits are not easily and quickly available for a model , which just started production overseas that too only at two global locations.
We know the green field incentive on tax breaks as per current auto policy is to lapse by June 2021, KIA would like to avail the opportunity and bring a model NOW so, they can price it competitively against the competition. After June 2021, most of duties % on import will come in force so, waiting for a newer generation and developing a 4th generation might not be an option because of time constraints.
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If we agree and assume with current circumstances that 3RD generation Sorento might be the route by KIA, Letβs go over what we know for 3rd generation. The 3rd/UM generation Sorento is built on Hyundai-KIAβs shared platform known as " Y6 " which is also basis of previous generation Hyundai Sonata, KIA Optima, Grandeur , the 3rd generation Carnival [ as sold in Pakistan ] as well the Hyundai Santa FE [ as sold by Nishat as CBU ].
The 3rd generation of Sorento was revealed in year 2015 as model year 2016 and later it got a face-lift in 2018. The 3rd generation was designed and developed in Korea but had a major input from European & US KIA design team . The Tiger-Nose grill which is the brands identity on front with with sweeping projector headlamps gives the vehicle brand new sporty and premium touch comparing the previous/ 2nd generation. The roof lines slops C-pillar onward. LED taillights are part of higher trim / variants and on basic models regular halogen combination lamps are used. Overall , its a handsome looking SUV and feel and look premium inside and out.
As of dimensions, It is 189β long, 74.4β wide and height of around 66β. For reference, the Sportage is 176.5β long ,73β wide and 64β high. As of ground clearance the Sorento sits at around 7.3β while Sportage is 6.7β.
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Depending on markets, the 3rd generation Sorento is available in different engine options like 3.3LV6, 3.5LV6, 2.4L MPI, 2L Turbo GDI, 2L Diesel and 2.2L Diesel . I can easily assume that a Pakistani version will be offered with a 2.4L MPI inline 4 engine. This engine is similar and related to the 2L engine currently offered in Sportage but with higher displacement and some slight differences. I donβt know the exact power figures but it is somewhere around 169HP@5800 and have torque figures of 220NM @4000. Do you think there is any possibility of any V6? Let me know.
As of transmission, it will be a 6 speed automatic. The 3rd gen Sorento is front engine front wheel drive as standard while AWD is also available. We can expect both FWD & AWD. It uses the Dynamax AWD system as in the Sportage with locking central differential. As of suspension it is similar to what we have in Sportage ; MacPherson strut-front while independent multilink rear. EPS and disc brakes are obviously will be available as standard and option of 17 or 18β alloy wheels.
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As of interior , it was responsibility of KIA European design team from Frankfurt. Soft touch material with simple driver-centric controls can be seen although for 2015 it was a simple nice appreciated design , but nothing looks fancy in the 3rd generation comparing the newer 4th generation of Sorento. You can have a feeling of Sportage interior as far as the dashboard in concerned. Obviously like Sportage, steering wheel controls, cell phone connectivity, dual zone climate control, 7" or 8" infotainment with android auto/apple carplay integration, cruise control, rain senor , power folding side view mirrors will be offered.
Power driver and passenger front seat, while 40/20/40 second row seats and 50/50 split third row seats will be available. We can expect both leather and fabric seats and option of Panoramic roof as well as power tailgate . As of safety , ABS, downhill assist, hill start assist control , VSC will be available along with the two frontal airbags. I hope side curtain airbags are also part of the package.
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Lastly, as of price nothing is sure but I think it will undercut the Toyota Fortuner. We can expect two variants of Sorento and price around +/- 7 Million. We should keep in mind that Sorento is NOT designed for an off road adventures and not your typical off road vehicle. As far as road comfort and dynamics, Sorento will behave much better comparing Fortuner.
It can give tough time to Fortuner keeping in mind the price and features it will carry. Only downside for Sorento could be βDISCONTINUEDβ model with respect to rest of the world BUT at least it will bring some competition in the market.
Additionally, the success of Sorento will also depends on after sales service, parts availability and cost of maintenance. The main point of discussion among Sportage owners is the expensive spare parts and high maintenance cost. Expensive service / parts cost especially after lapse of warranty can cause an impact on the resale value as well. Keep in mind, KIA and Hyundai parts availability from third party vendors like even in used parts market might not be easy or cheap in other words parts availability might mostly remain exclusive to dealerships..
As a side info, KIA Pakistan will stop taking any booking for Carnival anytime , which is currently an import. The PK version of Carnival has stopped production overseas because of the arrival of the newer generation . KIA PK, will fill this carnival price bracket with the introduction of Sorento . We will share more details as soon as we have it.
God knows, maybe KLM bless us with the 4th generation, a much better and refined vehicle. I hope that happens. Let's wait and see.
Share your thoughts ??
[f-w @PakWheels.com]
( this is an opinion post & noting is official as of now)
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