Accelerate Mpls

Recently I spent a weekend in Baltimore for a family event. Naturally, we needed wheels during our time there, and as such I was able to acquire a 2011 Kia Optima EX to cart our family of five around the city. The main questions I had were how the stacks up against the competition and how the driving experience would differ from the SX Turbo I drove to the Chicago Auto Show in February.

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If I asked you what the last generation Kia Optima looked like, you would probably have no idea. You would also probably not be able to tell me one thing about it. In fact, if you were looking at a group of de-badged cars, you probably couldn’t pick one out. That’s a problem. Though, once you see the new Kia Optima, you will have none of these issues. Read More…

Kia’s tagline is “The Power To Surprise,” and as of late they have truly been surprising. Revamping an entire vehicle line-upand adding new models all within a very short period of time is no small feat. First there was the new Soul followed by the new Forte, and now they have completely revamped the Sorento.

If you do not remember the last generation Sorento, no one will fault you. It was nothing special, just another body on frame SUV that got lost in the crowd selling on price, not features. Some compared its looks to the first generation Lexus RX300, which some would view as a compliment.

The front of the Sorento features Kia’s new signature grille, flanked by swept-back headlights. In some ways the headlights almost look related to the Acura TL. The honeycomb grille is matched by honeycomb surrounds for the fog lights, which which are placed in the bumper. The way light from the fog lights hits the ground makes them almost act more like driving lights then actual fog lights.

The sides of the Sorento have two sculpting points – one runs the length of the window sills until it flows into the C-pillar. The second sculpting point is low near the bottom of the doors. This brings in the sides to give the Sorento a less slab sided appearance.

The wheels on this particular Sorento were 18-inch alloys which fit nicely within the wheel wells. The side mirrors had LED repeaters while the tail lights continued with the honeycomb look from the front grille. While the front has more design character then the rear, I would say overall the exterior is a huge win.

Like the exterior, the interior is mostly a win. The new corporate steering wheel has buttons for most major functions, and they are strategically placed so your hands do not leave the wheel as often. The dashboard is made of hard plastic, but it looks decent. The interior lighting is ret and the gauges are white and red, which make them very easy on the eyes while driving at night.

The seats were all day comfortable, though the side bolsters on the front seat backs were a bit hard. The rear seat can easily accommodate three people, with a nearly a flat floor for your feet. The rear seats do fold down 60/40, but not completely flat due to the design of the rear seat bottoms.

If I had one major gripe about the interior, it would be the navigation system. The system itself works terrific and the street names are very legible with no jagged fonts. However, the system warning each and every time you turn on the car takes forever to allow you to hit accept and move past the warning screen. I am talking a ridiculously long time. There is standard iPod integration, along with Sirius satellite radio and Bluetooth.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the front seat heaters – they worked quite well, although they aren’t the fastest to heat up. Once on, they performed on par with what a Minnesotan would expect.

The only interior trim piece I could really find an issue with was the main center piece of plastic covering the front of the steering wheel. The top cut line was uneven and somewhat jagged. While disappointing, overall I was impressed with the build quality inside the cabin. While hard plastics are used in many places, all touch points such as arm rests and other areas were covered in a leatherette-like material. The interior is, without question, very class competitive.

The Sorento I was in had the base 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine putting out 175 horsepower and 169 pound feet to the front wheels. A V-6 and all-wheel drive is optional. The power is put down through a one-choice six-speed automatic with a manual shifting gate to the left. Off the line the Sorento has adequate power, but once up to speed you will need to plan your passes carefully. Highway passing is not a point and shoot decision. I also noticed that the transmission often got confused as to what it should do. When slowing to a stop from about 30 MPH the transmission would sometimes not know when to shift and suddenly make a large clunk as it shifted into a lower gear. It felt like a programming issue, though it could be an issue with this particular Sorento.

I wonder if Kia plans to put the four-cylinder from the new Optima, which puts out 200 hp and 186 lb-ft , into the Sorento as the base engine in the future. The slight bump in power would possibly help the situation with passing power on the highway. The new 2.0-liter turbo that is coming in the Optima would also be a good engine option, since it has more horsepower and torque then the optional V6.

Driving the Sorento was enjoyable for the most part. I averaged 18.8 mpg in the city and 25.2 mpg on the highway. A bit lower then the 21/29 EPA rating. The suspension is a little firm though that didn’t bother me. With that firm suspension came quite a bit of noise over rough surfaces. On the highway more road noise made its way into the cabin then expected, though it was acceptable, just not class leading.

The Sorento I was in was a EX with both the limited package and premium package 1. With a total of $3,750 in options the sticker price on this Sorento EX was $29,340 after destination. That puts it right in the heart of the CUV segment.

With competitors like the new Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota Rav4, Ford Edge and many others, the Sorento can’t be just good enough, it has to be great. There is no question that Kia has good design direction both inside and out. The four-cylinder powertrain is adequate, but I’d probably opt for the V-6. The bottom line, if you are in the market for a CUV to haul the family around, you would be making a large mistake if you didn’t have the Sorento on your list. Turns out Kia’s marketing slogan does work – with its new styling language, the new Sorento really does have the power to surprise.

Full Disclosure – The review vehicle was provided by Kia

I have already mentioned in another post about how good looking I think the new 2011 Kia Optima is.  Recently AutoBlog reported that Kia is considering a wagon and possibly a coupe variant as additions to the Optima line up.  Of course if this was approved we probably will not see it on sale until close to–if not–mid 2012.  Needless to say Theophilius Chin put together two renderings of what the wagon would possibly look like.  Not bad, not bad at all.

Source- This Week In Motors

2011 Kia Optima

If you asked me back in January what one of the best midsize sedans was, I would have instantly shot out the name Ford Fusion.  We are now three months later and I have to say, “What just happened?”  Remember Kia and Hyundai?  You know, the Korean car companies.  They used to make cars that you really did not want but you could afford them and they seemed to be safe enough.  Them times are a changin’ and now the Korean car companies are not only making affordable cars, they are making cars you want to buy.  Crazy concept, I know.

The new Optima and Sonata are sisters.  They share their platforms and powertrains although the sheet metal and interiors are completely different.  With everything from Bluetooth to navigation, these cars are every bit the car the competition is.  In fact, as standard on two upper trim levels of the Optima, Kia has now even launched Uvo, a new infotainment system licensed through Microsoft and based on the same underpins as Ford’s SYNC.  Uh oh….

2011 Kia Optima

2011 Kia Optima Interior

With three powertrain options ranging from a 2.4 liter direct injection four cylinder that achieves 35 mpg on the highway (yes, you read that correctly) to the new hybrid, the Korean car makers are making strides.  Let’s not forget that direct injection turbo charged four cylinder 2.0 liter putting out 274 hp while still achieving 34 mpg on the highway.  That alone is impressive but really, all these numbers are impressive in their own right.

The look of both these cars is distinctive.  Exterior styling has sculpting and strong lines while interior styling in both is just terrific.  No longer are these “budget cars.”  The reality is that these are terrific looking cars.  I overheard that a certain OEM was cursing under their breath at the New York Auto Show when the numbers on the hybrid and turbo engines were released.  That in itself is a sign of the changing times.  Do not just take my word for it just look at these cars.

I have recently been telling my friends how great Hyundai and Kia have become.  They have come a long way.  They have the product but the problem for some is still perception.  Many of my closest friends (car friends and non-car friends alike) have scoffed telling me “I would never drive a Kia/Hyundai.”  When I ask why, they exclaim how “junky” (their term not mine) they are.  I am going to venture a guess that the new Optima (which is just gorgeous) and new Sonata (again, a real looker) might help change their minds.  If not, it really ends up being their loss.  I am not sitting here and blindly saying these two heavily refreshed cars are the absolute best in the segment (they will be for some consumers).  There are plenty of great cars in this midsize segment to choose from.  I am merely saying this is a wake up call and the other OEM’s need to be watching and taking notes.  Kia and Hyundai should be seen as a serious threat because they are coming for you.

2011 Hyundai Sonata

2011 Hyundai Sonata Interior

2011 Hyundai Sonata