Driving Impressions
With either V6 under the hood, the 2009 Kia Sorento has plenty of power for both city traffic and swift highway cruising. The suspension provides a pleasant ride and adequate handling on smooth pavement, but when the road gets rough, the ride gets bouncy, with a good deal of the bumps transmitted directly into the cabin. The Sorento's brakes might also be a cause for concern; in previous testing, we noticed significant brake fade after just two panic stops from 60 mph. Drivers who plan on any traversing of mountainous roads should keep this in mind.
The Sorento's steering feel, however, is satisfying and there's a minimum of body roll when cornering. Thanks to the Sorento's low-range transfer case and truck-based origins, off-road excursions can be tackled with relative ease, but the Sorento's capabilities still fall short of those possessed by more competent vehicles like the Xterra and FJ Cruiser.
See also:
Maintenance services
You should exercise the utmost care to
prevent damage to your vehicle and
injury to yourself whenever performing
any maintenance or inspection procedures.
Should you have any doubts concerning
th ...
Enhancing occupant and pedestrian safety
Fitted as standard in most European countries, new safety features will
include ESC with a new Roll-over Sensor that deploys the side airbags, curtain
airbags and seatbelt pretensioners when requi ...
Lighting
Battery saver function
• The purpose of this feature is to prevent
the battery from being discharged.
The system automatically
turns off the exterior lights when the
driver removes the ignition ...


