the Bucket: Car Test

The ever popular SUV segment is booming in the country and whilst many are opting for the smaller fuel efficient models, the larger 7-seater models are still the ones that most have their eye on. But with the increase in fuel prices and high economy averages that come with these big engine SUV's, its not a very attractive segment, this is why Isuzu took the decision to launch their popular mu-X model with a new value orientated 1.9-litre engine and I got the chance to experience it at their local media drive in Durban yesterday. This expands the local model line-up to a total of six mu-X models, the largest range yet for the company.

“Adding a new entry-level 1.9-litre model significantly broadens the appeal of the mu-X. It is perfect for customers who are drawn to the outstanding space, comfort and versatility provided by our popular SUV, but require greater affordability and lower running costs,” says Kevin Fouche, Department Executive: Product Planning and Programme Management at ISUZU Motors South Africa.

“This is the first time we’ve offered the mu-X with the proven 1.9-litre Ddi engine and at this price point. We believe the timing is perfect due to the continued growth of the SUV segment,” Fouche says. “The competitive pricing makes it an attractive proposition for family-oriented customers making the step up from a sedan, hatchback or bakkie, and we are confident that the proven 1.9-litre engine’s exceptional fuel economy will be a major drawcard too.”

Now I know what you must be thinking, a 1.9-liter engine propelling such a large SUV with 7-seats? Surely its not going to drive well, on the contrary my first impressions were rather surprised. Yes, its not going to win any 0-100km/h races but you have to look at the target market for this sort of car. I hate to use the term but soccer moms are top of the list. Spacious cabin, loads of space in the boot and just the right amount of tech that keeps the mu-X on par with most of the competitors in the segment. The 1.9-liter Ddi motor produces 110kW and 350Nm of torque, which is more that sufficient for the car. Yes with a full load it would tend to feel some strain but nothing out of the ordinary from your other smaller cars. The thing is, with the people who will be driving this model, they won't be in a rush to get that they will need maximum power and torque all the time and the roads would most likely be urban and not highway driving. That being said, on long distances, the mu-X 1.9 can give you well over a 1000km from a single tank, that is a return trip from Durban to Jhb!

Styling wise, Isuzu have done an amazing job, it is one of the most attractive looking SUV's on the market, nothing too brash but modern and stylish that is very easy on the eye. The new Bi-LED headlamps have a sleek finish which integrates well with the front end which has a very edgy molded grille and bumper. The fog lamps are fitting into isometric style housings on either side of the front bumper. It really gives the car a great modern look, the rest of the design is smooth with the back well rounded off with the rear lights being edgy and finished off in a smoked housing. The rims have a turbine blade like inspired design with the alloy colour being a light grey that picks up the profile of the car.

The interior is extremely spacious, the 7-inch infotainment screen is easy to use and has built-in mobile apps with wireless connectivity. There is a USB B outlet in front with an aux outlet as well as power point, the second row gets two USB B outlets so there's not fighting over who gets to charge their phones. The car comes with standard air-conditioning, no climate control but if it managed to quell the Durban humidity, I'm sure it will be fine anywhere else in the country. The seats are extremely comfortable and I'm told even the third row seating is comfy for adults, I'll have to check on that when I get it on test but on the road, little to none road noise, the ride quality was unfault-worthy and overall a very pleasant experience.

Isuzu have something special on their hands with this one, and with a starting price of R708,000 I can see it doing quite well in the local market.

When I was first told I would be receiving a KIA Sorento to test, I honestly thought it was the previous generation Sorento, the one with the revised rear lights that look a bit odd. I didn't even know KIA had launched a new one! So it was much to my surprise when heading home one day, I came across this rather good looking SUV next to me, it was in a metallic bronze colour. From general design and observation, it was clearly a KIA but not one that I've seen before, so when I glanced at the badge and saw it was the Sorento, I was a bit confused. So when I got a chance to, I visited the KIA website and saw that the new Sorento was available in SA, not sure how they managed to sneak such a large SUV into the country with not many knowing about it, unless it was just me who missed it? Anyway, from then on I was quite excited to get it and see what this range topping SUV from the Korean's had to offer, since I was already blown away from the smaller Sportage.

DESIGN

When the test unit arrived, I was pretty bleak to see it was white and not that fancy metallic bronze, (which the correct name is "Imperial Bronze"), I saw but never the less it still had those great looks. As mentioned previously, the older gen Sorento had this rather awkward looking rear, especially the tail-lights. It just looked out of proportion and something that was cut and pasted there. The new Sorento however has been crafted well, a bit of it's styling still comes from the older model but with subtle differences. The big changes are its size and in the front and the back. The front features a new grille with like a 3D effect with the KIA badge almost floating in the center. The front headlights have been re-sculpted and aren't fused with the grille as before. They're more edgy and sleek. The rest of the front is molded well with large openings for the front fog lights. The rear end has a very American look to it, with the rear lights looking to that of a Jeep but not overly similar that you'd think it is one. Overall the design is perfect and on the EX, SX and SXL models look even better with the chrome finishing.

PERFORMANCE

I had the 2.2 LS CRDi, which was one of the entry level Sorento's available, so while it didn't have all the bells and whistles on the inside, it still had that great 2.2 litre diesel engine, which delivers 147kW and 440Nm of Torque. Plenty of power to pull this big boy along on any surface. Actually the diesel engine was very eager to go as I found sometimes with quick acceleration from a stand still caused the tyres to spin! I thought the 6 speed automatic gearbox won't be adequate for the Sorento, seeing that many other manufacturers are opting for 7 speeds or higher but somehow KIA got this one right. It's got great timing on the changes and responds well when needed, all while keeping revs at a minimum and thus conserving your fuel. Speaking of which, in my 7 days with it, I clocked up over 700km and it still had a few 100 left on the range.

COMFORT

While you can get the Sorento in a 7 seater configuration, the model I had was a 5 seater, so space was a plenty and it made it for a very very big trunk. So big you could fit two adults in there...not that I tried...okay, maybe I did. If sitting in the trunk isn't your thing, then you will be glad to hear that the seats in the Sorento are extremely comfortable. The 2.2 LS CRDi comes with cloth seats and has the extra option of leather if you prefer it, however I had no real complaints about the cloth, normally I find that the cloth makes it a bit warm in the car but didn't really have that problem, unless it was the winter weather? The ride quality on the Sorento is exceptional, it's soft and smooth, suspension copes well from gravel roads to speed humps.

TECHNOLOGY

While I did have the entry level Sorento, it came with the bare minimum. Bluetooth Telephone and Audio streaming, multi-function buttons on the steering wheel to control everything from audio, telephone and the trip computer in the dash. Being a rather large vehicle, it was nice that it came with PDC's so that made parking it a bit much easier but a reverse camera would be nice, mind you with the radio being a normal LED type info screen it wouldn't be much of use unless they integrated it into the review mirror like their previous models. In saying that, the EX, SX and SXL models do have a colour screen infotainment display but it's rather tiny. It's a bit annoying that the previous KIA I had on test which was the Rio had this lovely, large touch screen display, capable of such wonderful things but then I got this and well, it didn't. But KIA have noticed this as well and just this week released a revised Sorento which I'm pretty such does have all these goodies as well as some minor design tweaks.

VERDICT

Overall, the KIA Sorento is a wonderful family SUV. The price tag makes it even more attractive when looking at large SUV's in its class and even though I had a base model, it was more than sufficient for my needs. During my time with it I gave as many people I knew rides in it as well, just to get a wider consensus on what others had to think of the vehicle. One of which was a KIA owner who currently drives an Optima, he was blown away by its size, ride comfort and what it had to offer, which makes me wonder what he'd think of the revised one that is yet to hit the shores. I do feel KIA missed the mark on certain aspects which they fixed up in the upcoming Sorento, not sure how big the gap of the release between this and the Rio was but if they picked up most items from the beginning, this would put some serious competition out there to the German and Japanese manufacturers.