Tag Archives: new 2014 Kia Sorento
Kia Cross GT Concept
Strengthening the brand-exceeding standard set by the Kia GT which was unveiled in 2011 at Frankfurt, the brand raised the curtains from the Cross GT crossover concept in Chicago. The earlier GT concept made a strong hint about the brand offering a full sized luxury car in near future. Now, the Cross GT concept is a clear indicator that Kia is making up its mind to step into the big and bold premium-crossover market.
Kia’s Design Center America takes pride in their group of California-based designers who presented the market with the 2014 Forte sedan along with the Track’ster and Soul’ster concept. The same group of designers has designed the Kia Cross GT and it looks a little bit like an Infiniti at the first sight. But that ought to be a great thing since Infiniti managed to capture sights and hearts at its revelation. As is the GT sedan’s armature, the Cross GT sports a similar 122 inch long wheelbase. 192.8 inches long and 79.1 inches wide clubbed with a 65.3 inch overall height makes Cross GT look fun and chunky. With comparatively shorter rear and front overhangs, the ride still manages to show off the brands familial resemblance especially though the C-pillar and the nose.
While the brand strictly claimed that the hybrid powertrain Cross GT concept boasts is “strictly a concept”, the probability of the crossover to actually go hybrid when it reaches production is close to one. A 3.8 liter V6 powerful engine mated to an eight speed automatic transmission will be seen working in conjunction with an evolution of Kia’s parallel hybrid system. This translates to a system providing torque-vectoring all-wheel drive that, the brand claims, will be able to produce a whopping 500 pound feet of torque and massive 400 horsepower with an all-electric range of 20 miles.
The four-passenger vehicle sports rear hinged suicide doors that allow easy access to the rear buckets. The interior materials exude harmony with nature. Selected from re-harvested stock, the American walnut stunningly compliments the instrument panel while the Almond-Terra colored leather seats are tanned with chemical free dyes. A fun element to the interiors is the saddle-inspired seats affixed to a central tunnel that almost appear to be floating within the cabin.
A touch screen and central mouse control help access the entertainment functions, climate controls and the telematics. The infotainment and the internet are not denied from the rear passengers for the head-rests of the front seat feature flat-panel screens to allow the access. The flat load floor in the cargo area efficiently hides beneath it, a large storage compartment.
Kia’s executive vice president of marketing and communications, Michael Sprague said, “Our customers are looking to the Kia brand to offer relevant vehicle in the premium segment that take value to new levels of sophistication. The Cross GT is the next logical step in that evolution. And while only a concept today, it signals one possible design direction we may explore for the future.” It is easy to read between the lines and make out what the Kia Cross GT will be if/when it sees the production lights.
2014 Kia Sorento Is The Safest SUV!
Among the vast number of compact SUVs that have been coming out in the market since crossovers gaining support over their truck based fathers, the 2014 Kia Sorento has stepped up and made a mark which might help in making the model a huge success in the SUV world. With the help of its brilliant safety features, the Sorento joined the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester in the category of five star winners from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Also, the 2014 Sorento gained a Top Safety Pick Rating from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).
Orth Hedrick, the director of product planning in the US was quoted as saying, “Already a compelling entry in the compact SUV category, earning a five-Star rating from NHTSA makes the Sorento an even stronger contender within its segment while underscoring Kia’s overall commitment to delivering safety and exceptional value to our customers.” Officials at KIA stated that the vehicle showed great results in all the three categories of frontal crash, side crash as well as rollover crash.
The trend of making changes to an existing model so as to keep them on the top continues to breed within companies and the 2014 Sorento is the result of the same. Although the changes that Kia has made to the Sorento can barely be seen directly, there are still a number of structural changes which led to the five stars that the SUV now flaunts. If the company is to be believed, then the Sorento now sits on a new platform. Further, you might find a few changes in the exterior looks as well!
The new 2014 Kia Sorento features a mighty 3300cc V6 engine which is capable of providing a massive torque of 252 lb.-ft. (290HP). Paired with a highly efficient 6 speed automatic transmission system, this engine provides as much or even more thrust to the vehicle that any average user would want. The vehicle comes with an all-wheel drive drivetrain. A peculiar thing to note about the Sorento is that even though it is a compact SUV, it features a third row of seats. Yes, it is a seven seater! We like to say that the Sorento is hence, a bit larger than compact SUVs but way smaller than the large truck based ones. A nice new technology equipped in the 2014 model makes the SUV’s ride a lot more fun. We’re speaking of the FlexSteer option. The driver can choose between three modes of steering control as per his needs – Comfort Mode, Normal Mode and Sport Mode.
The conclusion that one can draw is that the 2014 Sorento is absolutely worth investing in. Being a perfect choice for families on account of the third row of seats, the Sorento just earned a factor which places it above most of the vehicles of the same category. Featuring such a good number of safety features, the SUV definitely earned the amazing ratings!