2010 Kia Sorento SUV Geared up by Cobra Technology & Lifestyle

The new generation Kia Sorento that made its debut earlier this year is the latest object of Cobra Technology & Lifestyle's tuning affections. Not that most Sorento buyers will actually ever need bull bars - that is, unless your parking skills are worse 16-year-old that just got his license, but Cobra offers a variety of front, rear and rocker panel guards including a lower front bar with integrated LED daytime running lights.

Once you're done with the body armor, you can also choose from numerous alloy wheel designs with diameters of 19 and 20 inches. The largest alloy wheels can be fitted with tires in size 265/45 R 20.

Kia Presents U.S. Market 2011 Sorento SUV, Available with 2.4L and 3.5L V6 Engines

Following its European debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Kia has now released details on the U.S. market 2011 Sorento that will be the first vehicle to be built at the firm's new plant in West Point, Georgia. The second generation Sorento that ditches the previous model's ladder-frame chassis for a unibody design has grown in size measuring 184.4 inches in length and 74.2 inches in width and can fit up to seven passengers in three rows of seats.

According to Kia, aside from the increased head and legroom, the 2011 Sorento also boasts nearly five cubic feet more in cargo capacity (9.1 cu.ft. with all seats up; 37.0 cu.ft. with the third row down; 72.5 cu.ft. with all rows down).

The U.S.-spec model will be offered with two gasoline engines that can be mated to either front- or all-wheel-drive configurations.

The line-up includes an entry-level 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine outputting 172 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 166 lb-ft of torque at 3,750 rpm that can coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox or optionally, an electronically-controlled six-speed automatic transmission.

The FWD Sorento 2.4 returns 21mpg city and 28mpg highway with the manual gearbox and 21mpg / 29mpg with the automatic while the 4WD model with the auto box, 20mpg / 28mpg respectively.

The range-topping Sorento comes with a larger 3.5-liter V6 unit producing 273 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 247 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. Offered exclusively with a six-speed auto, the Sorento 3.5 returns an estimated fuel economy of 20mpg city and 28mpg highway for the FWD model and 19mpg / 27mpg for the 4WD version.

The vehicle's standard equipment in the States will include an AM/FM/CD/MP3/Sat audio system with SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service, auxiliary and USB audio input jacks for connecting personal MP3 players, and Bluetooth connectivity with steering wheel-mounted voice activation controls.

Available options include push button-start ignition; voice-activated navigation; rear sonar back-up cameras; air ionization purification technology and a large panoramic sunroof.

Kia to Build 2011 Sorento at its first U.S. Plant in Georgia

The all-new 2011 Sorento CUV will be produced at Kia's first U.S. plant in West Point, Georgia, making it the company's first domestically built vehicle, the Korean automaker announced today. The first examples of the new Sorento that has already been unveiled in its home market are scheduled to begin rolling off the assembly line before the end of the year.

"It will be a historic milestone when the first Sorento rolls off the assembly line at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia later this year," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing, KMA. "Our first domestically built vehicle, the all-new Sorento will be built by team members who have undergone rigorous training and who have great pride in their newly learned skills."

The 2011 Sorento gets seating for seven while it also features a unibody design rather than the previous model's body-on-frame setup.

Frankfurt Preview: Euro Spec 2010 Kia Sorento SUV

The all-new, second-generation Sorento SUV will have its European debut alongside the facelifted Cee'd at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, Kia announced today. Featuring a all-new unitary monocoque set up instead of the current model's ladder-frame chassis, the new Sorento promises to offer sharper driving dynamics and greater body control. Furthermore, at 4,685 mm long, the seven-seater SUV is also bigger than its predecessor while Kia claims that its drag coefficient is now 0.38, down from 0.43

The Korean automaker has yet to release full details on the European market line up, but Kia said that it expects the all-new 2.2-litre diesel unit to be the most popular engine choice in Europe. The new diesel produces 197 horsepower and 421 Nm of torque, and will be offered with either a six-speed manual or Kia's all-new world-class six-speed automatic transmission.

Panu Vainamo, General Manager Marketing, Kia Motors Europe said: "With the new Kia Sorento, we have created an all-new, 'Highline Cruiser' that we believe offers buyers the benefits of an exciting all-rounder with a much broader appeal."

"Kia engineers have ditched the original Sorento's body-on-frame structure and designed an all-new monocoque bodyshell – achieving a weight loss of up to 215 kg, greatly improving fuel economy and contributing to a more controlled ride than expected from a 4x4," Vainamo added.

Sales of the new Sorento are expected to start in most European markets towards the end of 2009 while the UK will get the SUV in February 2010.

Kia Releases Limited Run Sorento "Edition by Irmscher"

Kia's German arm has joined forces with the tuning firm Irmscher for the development of a supposedly special edition version of the soon-to-be replaced with a newer generation model, Sorento. Offered exclusively in black or a silver metallic finish, the Sorento "Edition by Irmscher" gets two-tone leather seats embossed with Irmscher's logo which also appears on the side sills and the tailgate. Other features include a choice of two different alloy wheel designs (18-inch), protective side bars and a roof-mounted DVD player with a large 8.5'' screen.

The special edition version of the Sorento is available in LX and EX models with customers having the choice between manual and automatic transmissions. Kia has yet to announce pricing details on the model.

China-Made Kia Forte Debuts at Shanghai Show

Korea's Kia Motors is extending its Chinese portfolio with the introduction of the locally-built Forte sedan (known in many markets as the new Cerato) as well as the Korea-produced new Sorento Crossover that made its world premiere earlier this month at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. The vital for Kia's future success in China, Forte sedan, will be produced at its joint venture Donfeng Yueda Kia (DYK) plant in the Jiangsu province and it will be sold alongside the current generation model, called the Cerato.

The Korean automaker said that it also plans to introduce to the market the Forte Koup, which was unveiled last week at the New York Motor Show and is scheduled to go on sale globally in late 2009.

For the Chinese market, the four-door Forte sedan will be offered with a choice of a 2.0-litre gasoline and a locally produced 1.6-litre gasoline engine, with manual or automatic transmissions, in a selection of 10 exterior and two interior colors.

As for the new Sorento SUV / Crossover, Chinese buyers will be able to choose from two engines, a Theta II 2.4-liter gasoline with 4WD and 6-speed automatic transmission and a R 2.2-liter diesel also with 4WD and 6-speed automatic transmission.

Even though it is expected that the new Chinese car market will slow down to single digits in 2009, Kia said that its sale target for the year is over 195,000 units, or 30 percent more than 2008 when it achieved sales of 151,000 vehicles.

2010 Kia Sorento Crossover Teaser Photo

This is the first official teaser picture of Kia's second generation Sorento crossover that's set to go on sale by the end of the year in some markets and early 2010 in others. The 'smoked' photo outlines the new Sorento's boxy looks which are partially inspired from the KND-4 concept that was penned under the guidance of Kia´s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer.

The 2010 Sorento will most likely offer buyers the option of adding a third row of seats, increasing passenger capacity to seven.

Depending on the market, the Korean crossover will be available with three gasoline engines - a 2.4-liter four-pot, a 3.0-liter V6 with 240HP and a larger 3.8-liter V6 delivering 260HP.

In Europe and other selected international markets, the Sorento will also be offered with Hyundai's newly developed 2.0 and 2.2-liter turbo diesel engines with outputs of 184HP / 392Nm and 200HP respectively and a new 3.0-litre V6 CRDi turbo diesel producing 240HP.

It has yet to be confirmed if the 2010 Sorento will make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show or if Kia will prefer to take the covers off the crossover at the Seoul Auto Show in April.

Via: Kia-World