Interiors sell cars, and boy – Kia sure got that memo. Just about everyone will appreciate the cabin of the 2007 Kia Sorento, from the high quality plastics and leather seating fabric to soft touch surfaces and controls that feel good to the touch and are placed in correct and obvious positions. There’s no hunting here, not for fan control, temp adjustment or radio band. Problems inside the cabin revolve around a slightly noisy ride, thanks to some wind whistles emanating from the sunroof, and some loud freeway tire complain’.
The front seat also felt slightly uncomfortable, though this may be more the playa than the car. It took about 20 minutes to get used to the seat’s configuration and sight angles, though once in place the ride was pleasant. Performance-wise, Kia’s 3.8-liter V-6 engine motivates to the tune of 262 horsepower/262 lb.-ft. of torque, and that’s plenty, thanks much – though I suspect fuel economy will be more than a little disappointing. Brake pedal play was also a tad of a let down: “slamming the brakes” elicited more of a fast slow down than a hard stop. Once on its way, however, the Sorento was a pleasant driver with a light steering feel, good visibility and smooth gear changes from its five-speed automatic, though it did take a bit too long to get into the Kia’s powerband. That’s no bother though, really. Kia got the memo alright, and about more than interiors. The Sorento is a good value on its own, but is also loaded with safety equipment like a standard side curtain airbag.
Yep, it looks like Kia got the message – the one about building good, sturdy transportation for families and selling ‘em at a decent value. Hmmm. A novel concept, that.
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