Kia Sorento 2014 Tow Test

Ask any caravanner about their ideal tow vehicle and the Kia Sorento is unlikely to leap off the tongue.

Likewise, visit a caravan park and you’ll struggle to spot too many mid-sized, seven-seat SUVs like the Sorento amongst all the similar sized but heavy-duty 4WD ‘P’ wagons: Prado, Pajero and Patrol.

But that’s not to say the Sorento isn’t an excellent choice for medium-duty towing duties, as we discovered during a recent 7000km tow test of the top-spec Sorento Platinum Diesel, hauling a brand new 1800kg Swift Explorer caravan up the bitumen (and a few dirt roads) from Melbourne to the Red Centre and back.

Not only is it spacious, comfortable, and well-equipped (in $50,790 top-spec Platinum form) for the price, its muscular 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is ready made for hauling heavy loads (up to 2500kg braked with manual transmission or 2000kg braked with the six-speed auto tested here.)

While not the most refined powerplant in its class, it’s one of the most willing, and is easy-going when towing. With 145kW at 3800rpm and 421Nm at 1800-2500rpm, it gets up to speed and into its sweet spot quickly and rarely over-revs or gets raucous even when over-taking or accelerating up steep hills.

On the never-ending Stuart Highway, into a headwind or slight incline, it sat at a relaxed 2200rpm in fifth gear and when calm and flat, a leisurely 1700rpm in sixth (top) gear.

There’s some expected diesel clatter at idle, but it smooths out beautifully at speed, with any cabin noise attributed to tyre noise on the coarse Northern Territory bitumen or wind noise from our extended tow mirrors.

Aiding the almost effortless towing performance is a generally fuss-free, all-wheel drive system and a six-speed automatic which makes the most of the wide torque band by holding onto higher gears and keeping (smooth) changes to a minimum. As a result we largely left it in Drive with the cruise control on, only using the manual gearshift to enact some well-controlled engine braking on long, steep descents.

Fitted with the ($790) optional heavy-duty tow pack, the Sorento can take up to 150kg on the towball, which easily covered the caravan’s 80kg ball weight. Although our rig wasn’t set-up perfectly level, and there was noticeable sag in the Sorento’s rear suspension, it towed the lightweight 6270mm-long tandem-axle van like a dream, with only minor pitching on lumpy B-roads.

Even in serious head- and cross-winds from Melbourne to Adelaide, which caused some caravan sway, the Kia barely flinched. It certainly never felt like the tail was wagging the dog, even when overtaking at 110km/h or passing 50m-long road trains. Steeper ascents caused a drop or two in gears to keep on the pace, but the willing engine never laboured or struggled to maintain momentum.

While the Sorento was more than happy sitting on 100km/h, we settled on a more relaxed 95km/h on the highway due to some long daily stints behind-the-wheel, and it was often easy to forget that we were towing.

Hitched or unhitched, the Kia also felt sure-footed and confident over a range of surfaces, included graded and corrugated dirt roads, the absorbent ride only upset by some crashing over larger potholes.

The brakes were responsive with good pedal feel, while the electric steering offered adequate feel and response through the leather-wrapped steering wheel, regardless of what mode it was in (we left it in Normal). An artificial, over-assisted feel was only apparent during low-speed U-turns, which were easily achieved thanks to a compact 10.9m turning circle.

With the AWD system offering plenty of traction in slippery conditions, the availability of a centre diff lock to aid grip under 30km/h, and adequate 184mm ground clearance to inspire confidence over rougher tracks, we only had to bypass a couple of sights accessible only by serious 4WD vehicles.

The top-spec Sorento is also tailor made for long-distance family touring. It was easy getting comfortable on the multi-adjustable, well-cushioned front seats and we never suffered from a numb bum or excessive stiffness even after hours at the wheel.

Our two primary school aged kids also had little to complain about in the rear pews, with decent legroom, adjustable back rests, scuff-resistant black leather trim, two well located 12-volt power outlets for charging or powering portable video/music players, climate-controlled rear vents and handy internal pull-up blinds on the windows to block out the harsh Outback sun.

Adding to the pleasurable driving experience were easy to read instruments, a decent sound system, and a user-friendly interface for the 7.0-inch display including quality sat-nav and accessibility to a range of vehicle data and entertainment features via steering wheel buttons or the touchscreen.

The high-definition reverse camera with colour gridlines also made it a cinch when backing up to and hitching the caravan.

The only technology blight on an otherwise well integrated infotainment system, was the audio system occasionally getting confused when recharging an iPhone while also streaming music via Bluetooth on another phone, subsequently playing songs from both players simultaneously!

Unhitched, the Sorento proved more supermarket-friendly than harder-to-park utes and 4WD wagons, while still providing plenty of storage space. With the third-row seat folded flat, the generous-sized, carpet-lined rear cargo area easily swallowed all our suitcases. It was also handy for collecting piles of firewood, while the hidden, underfloor compartment was useful for stashing odds and ends like matches and hose fittings.

The large side mirrors are also worth mentioning. Not only the right shape for attaching our towing mirrors, they folded in with the central locking so we didn’t have to bother removing them or worry about them getting banged at busy caravan parks. Although they did occasionally get blown in by passing trucks, after which we would slow down slightly, open the window and push them back out.

But perhaps the biggest revelation was fuel efficiency. Towing almost two tonnes, it averaged around 12.5L/100km, getting as low as 11.0 on the return trip from Alice Springs to Melbourne, and averaging 14.5 while battling headwinds on the drive up.

It helped make the most of the smallish 64-litre fuel tank, ensuring a range of around 500km. Solo before the trip, the Sorento was down to 7.5L/100km around town, extending the range to 650km.

Solidly built and nicely finished, the Sorento exhibited barely a creak, rattle or groan over a total 8000km of driving, backed-up by solid-closing doors and no equipment glitches apart from the aforementioned streaming ‘confusion’.

Which makes it hard to comprehend why the five-year old, unitary bodied XM-series Sorento currently languishes at eleventh place in the congested Large SUV sales race?

Sure, it’s not the cheapest seven-seat turbo-diesel SUV out there – particularly in top-spec Platinum form – but considering the long list of positives including fuss-free towing and five-year warranty, it deserves greater attention.