More on the 2011 Kia Sorento

We’ve seen the Sorento that Kia will sell in Europe and the rest of the world, and they’ve even released a diesel hybrid concept of the small crossover. Now, we have fresh pictures of the U.S. version as well as some details.

The 2011 Kia Sorento will be 184.2 inches long — 3 inches longer than a Toyota RAV4 — and will be able to seat seven. We assume two rows will be standard and a third row will be optional like in the Dodge Journey and RAV4. Kia also says the Sorento’s cargo capacity will increase by nearly 5 cubic feet. The current model has 31.7 cubic feet; the Journey and RAV4 have 39.6 and 36.4 cubic feet, respectively.

Two engine choices will be offered: a 172-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 273-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. Both will be teamed to a six-speed automatic transmission and can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive.

Standard equipment includes a stereo with USB input and Bluetooth. Push-button start, navigation and a backup camera will be options.

More photos below.

2010 Kia Sorento Shown in Frankfurt, Including Diesel Hybrid

While some early reviews of the 2010 Sorento have hit the web — check out Motor Trend’s thorough testing of a European model — Kia isn’t offering up much information about the U.S. version. However, we do have some images of the new SUV, which will seat seven with an optional third row, and come in four-cylinder and V-6 varieties.

The hybrid diesel concept, which was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel teamed with an electric motor and dual clutch transmission. Lithium-ion batteries are also part of the powerplant. Overall, the hybrid is 8% lighter than a standard Sorento, and there are aerodynamic under-floor panels  to help with efficiency.  

There’s little chance the diesel hybrid will hit the U.S., but it’s part of a new EcoDynamics range of hybrids, which will likely produce a typical hybrid version of the crossover at some point. Perhaps we’ll hear more at the Los Angeles auto show in December.

2011 Kia Sorento to Be Built in U.S.

Kia is playing the PR game smartly. A day after news broke that Chrysler may build one of its most anticipated new models south of the border, in Mexico, the South Korean automaker announced "the name" for the crossover it will build at its new plant in Georgia. It will indeed retain the name Sorento for the 2011 model year.

The move serves as a reminder in the age of the American-Made Index that many foreign companies build their products stateside.

Georgia Town to Become 'Kia-ville'

The small town of West Point, Ga., was in the process of dying after it shed its base of textile jobs in the ‘90s. Now that Kia plans to open a plant there, the town is experiencing a renaissance.

After receiving $400 million in tax breaks and other economic incentives, Kia will build a $1.2 billion plant on 2,200 acres of former cattle farms. The plant, located roughly 80 miles south of Atlanta, has already hired 500 workers, but plans to employ 2,000 more by the time the plant opens. Several Kia suppliers will need 7,500 more people to meet demand created by the new plant. The plant will build the Kia Sorento SUV, and residents have already dubbed the town “Kia-ville.”

Last year, we wrote about the hope and potential devastation that automobile manufacturing can bring to small-town communities, using Indiana as an example. Building cars is a unique type of economic lifeblood, and one only needs to look at West Point to see why: The Kia plant has 43,013 applications already, with 75% coming from Georgia, 20% from Alabama and the rest from auto workers across the country, including Michigan, according to the plant’s director of human resources, Randy Jackson.

While obviously not all of those applicants will get a job with Kia, West Point will gain an estimated 20,000 jobs in the next five years thanks to the factory. The city is seeing its first new subdivision in 25 years going up, and local businesses have reported a strong uptick already.

Yet the industrial Midwest is the perfect example of why towns built around one employer stand to suffer the most in hard times: The pain of towns and cities across Michigan, Indiana and Ohio serve as a testament to just how quickly boom can turn to bust.

Town Hits Economic Jackpot to Become 'Kia-ville' (CNN.com)

Related
American-Made Index
Indiana The Pain and Promise of U.S. Automaking

Recall Alert: Nearly 140,000 Kia Vehicles

Kia has issued a recall for 139,844 Kia vehicles from the 2006 and 2007 models years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Affected models include the Amanti, Rondo, Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, all of which could potentially have been built with damaged stop-lamp switches.

This could result in the brake lights not illuminating during braking, or continuing to illuminate after the brake pedal has been released. Also, the shifter may jam in the Park position, the electronic stability control light may illuminate the “ESC Off” indicator, and depressing the brake may not deactivate the cruise control. Any of these malfunctions could create a dangerous driving situation.

Dealers will replace the stop-lamp switch free of charge. Owners can contact Kia’s customer center at 800-333-4542 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Madoff Heads to Court in a Kia Sorento

A lot was made about how the CEOs of the Detroit 3 arrived in Washington to plead for government loans. That made us wonder if we’re the only ones who noticed now-admitted white collar criminal Bernie Madoff’s ride to court this morning. It was a Kia Sorento SUV, which starts at around $22,000.

We’d guess it’s not his personal car, but it still struck us as odd that a man accused of swindling investors out of $60 billion or so was traveling through the streets of New York in a silver Kia, followed overhead by helicopters the whole way.

We’re also wondering if it’s one of those cases of “any publicity is good publicity” for Kia. We’re not sure, but not only does the Sorento start at $22,165 it currently has $5,000 in cash-back offers through March 31. That’s some good savings, especially if you’re watching pennies after your entire portfolio was wiped out by, say, an unscrupulous money manager.

2008|Kia|Sorento