The 2011 Kia Sorento is the first vehicle that will roll out of Kia's brand-new manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia. Called Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), the plant lies on a sprawling 2,200-acre plot in the rural rolling hills near the Alabama border, and it has been built to support the production of up to 300,000 vehicles per year. KMMG takes the concept of "just in time" manufacturing one step further. Some 90 percent of the Sorento's parts suppliers are situated within 20 miles, and its Kia-designed six-speed automatic transmission is assembled on-site. In other words, it isn't your ordinary $1-billion auto plant.
Riding on a new platform the 2011 Kia Sorento's height, wheelbase and ground clearance are fractionally smaller than the outgoing Sorento.
However, the 2011 Sorento is a full 3.7 inches longer and about an inch wider. This hasn't paid dividends in interior space for front- and middle-seat occupants, but it has allowed the inclusion of an optional third row of seating for seven-passenger capability (the outgoing Sorento was strictly a five-place affair). A 2-inch drop in the center of gravity compared to the outgoing Sorento further enhances carlike dynamics.
You'll have a broader selection of powertrains from which to choose in the new Sorento. A new 3.5-liter V6 that turns out 273 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque replaces the current Sorento's 3.3- and 3.6-liter V6s. Said to be up to 30 percent more efficient than the old V6 in certain driving circumstances, the new V6 will be offered only with a six-speed automatic transmission.
A new 172-hp 2.4-liter inline-4 is also available, and it can be married to said autobox or a six-speed manual. Both engine choices are available in front wheel- or all-wheel-drive configurations.
Kia is doing more than simply moving in the right direction with the 2011 Kia Sorento. The sheer variety of available configurations alone — I4 or V6, FWD or AWD, five-passenger or seven-passenger, plus various trim levels — represents a full frontal assault on the compact SUV class. Refinement, styling and equipment are all there, too.
The Sorento has stepped up its game in a big way for 2011!
