Initial Impression : 1+ Month Later

I received a no. of e-mails from parties interested to purchase the Kia Sorento, on how has my experience been with the ride todate. Granted, it has only been 1+ month since I added the ride into my stable; so it would be a rather limited and qualified initial assessment at best.

The ride has been dependable as a daily ride, and I have clocked circa 2,000 km todate. There are 3 modes for driving- Eco, Normal, and Sport. I prefer the Eco mode for a more relaxed drive, plus improved fuel efficiency. My kids prefer the Sport mode for an initial launch during open, empty roads- they loved to feel the G-Force pulling them back into the seats at pedal to metal.

Oh, and the rear seats are now their de-facto seats. They loved to be cocooned back there, playing with each other, and having their own air-cond controller. And because the rear seats were essentially big enough for 2 medium-built adults, they were indeed quite a big space for my 2 boys to monkey around.

The ride was serviced at 1,700km and I requested the Kia service centre to look at the following areas :

• Air-conditioner did not feel very cold, even at the minimum temperature setting.
• Front fender flare was not screwed in properly and had gaps.
• Radio reception was poor.
• Car-link did not work.
• To check if up-grading the rims to 20" ones would have any effects on the warranty.

The first 2 problems were fixed in a jiffy; although for a brand new ride, the QC should have detected such problems and fixed it before it rolled out from the factory.

For the radio reception, the SC informed me that it was "memang macam tu punya". I informed them that I lined up 4 rides in a row- this Sorento, the Harrier, the X1, and the Forte; and all (except for the Sorento) could have clear reception towards Lite FM. The Sorento's had so much interference that I no longer tune in to the radio much these days. They told me that they could not assist on the matter, so I told them that I would get car accessories shop to check and perhaps change the antenna if that was the cause. To that, they informed me that if I change the antenna, the warranty for the whole entertainment system would be invalidated. 

Hmmm, so my best option would be to refrain from listening to the irritatingly unclear radio for the next 5 years.

For the Car-link, they told me to download the app from Google Play Store. And nope, it still does not work after the download, as it just would not sync. The system that I had on the Harrier and X1 was far more simpler and intuitive. 

I read online reviews and the other countries were getting far superior in-car AV system- better head unit, better speakers, UVO system, etc, yet we pay higher prices over here in Malaysia. Something is clearly wrong here. I'll have to write in to Kia HQ to inquire further.

As for the rims, the current 19" chrome ones are okay, I guess; but they ain't real attractive either. And since I had a pair of 20" BMW Style 433 M-Sport genuine rims with Eagle F1 Asymmetrical Run-Flat Tires purchased at RM32k @ http://bmwx1sdrive.blogspot.my/2017/08/wts-bmw-style-433-20-m-sport-genuine.html, that was recently taken off from my missus' ride for a change of look; the tire shop informed me that the 20" rims could be shoe-horned into the Sorento with 2 pairs of PCD adapters (from 114.3 to 120). I have searched online and seen that there were other Sorento overseas with 20" shoes, so I know that they would be alright.

The SC told me that they would check with HQ with regards to the warranty if bigger rims were fixed on the ride, and promised to revert to me. After more than a week, it's clear that they have forgotten to check on the matter.

Check to the below handsome example of Kia Sorento belonging to En. Ahmad from Brunei, with 20" CV3 rims. The grill and rims somewhat reminded me of the ones I made on the Harrier prior to getting the Sorento. Nice example indeed.

So far, I dare say that the Kia Sorento was a fine ride; and for the RM200k price-tag that it carries, I am getting a lot of car for the monies. However, the AV system malfunction had been disappointing, and the factory QC and SC customer services could have been better. Overall, I still found the Sorento to be a good purchase so far, but let's keep this review on-going over time.