Buoyant Kia goes for style over substance

The Cerato Koup will appeal to the image conscious. Photo / Supplied

Kia has both given and taken away at its latest product launch. It's added a good-looking two-door coupe, the first it's ever offered, but has introduced a new version of its Sorento SUV that's been stripped of much its predecessor's off-road ability.

The company believes that price, looks and specification of its Cerato Koup will make it a viable alternative to used-import coupes for image conscious buyers, as well as attracting new-car buyers to the brand. And it's also fingers-crossed that SUV buyers won't be overly concerned that the Sorento is now more at home on suburban streets than bush tracks.

The arrivals are part of Kia's ambitious plan to add 20 new models worldwide over the next four years, buoyed by growing market share. It's doing well in New Zealand and was the fastest growing passenger car brand in 2005 and 2006. This year's sales are ahead of 2008 despite the difficult economy.

Cerato Koup is meant to give Kia a more dynamic image and attract younger buyers to the brand. As the name suggests, it's based on the Cerato sedan, although the only interchangeable body panel is said to be the bonnet. It arrives for $27,990 for the LX manual and $33,990 for the higher-specification SX with either automatic or manual.

Sorento R inherits only its name from the earlier model, which was introduced here in 2003. Built on a separate ladder chassis with beam axle rear suspension and low-range gearing, the vehicle had genuine off-road ability and could tow up to 2800kg, braked.

However, Kia and many other manufacturers have realised that off-road ability means little to most SUV buyers, who are looking for utility, good space, easy access, towing ability and a high seating position compared to a car's.

In the past seven years, the market for traditional SUVs has changed and is increasingly giving way to vehicles that cross-over to become more car-based, reducing their bulk and offering better fuel economy, says Kia's New Zealand general manager, Todd McDonald.

So the new Sorento, which has unibody construction that's 200kg lighter, independent suspension front and back and no low-range gearing, has been designed to meet the market and provide better on-road ride and handling.

Pricing starts at $49,990 for the manual LX with five seats and goes to $63,990 for the limited seven-seater. However, a model with front-wheel-drive only is in the lineup at $46,990 with automatic.

Overall performance is better than the previous model, thanks to a new powertrain comprising a newly developed top-notch 2.2-litre turbodiesel and a new six-speed automatic with manual sequential shifting. A six-speed manual is also available.

The R2.2-litre diesel developed by Kia in Germany produces 145kW of power, 16 per cent more than the older engine, and 445Nm of torque between 1800-2500rpm and 13.5 per cent over the previous 2.5-litre engine. The 7.4 litres/100km combined cycle fuel consumption for the automatic 4x4 Sorento is 16.5 per cent lower than before. CO2 emissions are down 18 per cent to 194g/km on automatics and 174g/km on the manual.

In normal driving, the Sorento R is in front-wheel-drive, but can send up to half of its drive to the rear wheels when sensors detect slippage. Hill descent control and hill-start assist are part of the drivetrain package.

Towing has suffered with the changes, dropping to 2500kg from 2800kg, and to 2000kg for the automatic.

Meanwhile, despite its good looks, performance of the Cerato Koup is similar to the sedan's, although the suspension and steering have been tweaked to improve handling and roadholding. The exhaust has also been retuned to give a sportier note.

The concept car on which it's based had all-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine, but these were lost on the road to production.

Kia's non-committal about whether hotter versions will be made available.

So it comes on the market with the sedan's front-drive layout and 2.0 litre all-alloy 115kW naturally aspirated Theta II engine. The motor produces 194Nm of torque at 4300rpm and is bolted to either a four-speed automatic with sequential shift or five-speed manual.

Interior design is almost identical to the sedan's. Room in the front is barely changed, although the coupe styling cuts space in the back. Fortunately, a pair of adults can still ride reasonably comfortably there, and access is good.

Boot space is down by 50 litres to 358 litres, but is still a reasonable size.

Built on the sedan's 2650mm wheelbase, the Koup is 60mm lower, 50mm shorter at 4480mm and 10mm narrower than the sedan.

The LX model sits on 16-inch rims with 205/55 tyres, while the SX moves to 17-inch rims and 215/45s.

Other gear on the SX includes a sunroof, climate-control air, an upgraded sound system and leather upholstery.

The manual Koup uses 7.7 litres/100km overall and has CO2 emissions of 183g/km.

Both vehicles are built at the same factory in Hwasung, South Korea.