Kia's New U.S. Plant to Build Redesigned Sorento Crossover
Kia Motors has been preparing its first production facility in the United States for some time, and now it has a vehicle to build there. Kia recently announced that it plans to build the all-new 2011 Sorento crossover at the Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Ga. later this year. Not only will the new Sorento get a new design and a more spacious interior, but it will also grow in size to compete in the midsize crossover market that currently includes the Mazda CX-7, Dodge Journey and the Ford Edge. In addition to its added size, the 2011 Kia Sorento will likely receive a modest boost in price compared to the MSRP of the current model that starts at $21,545.
From a styling standpoint, Kia engineers took everything about the previous Sorento and threw it out the window when designing the second-generation model. Redesigned from the ground up, the all-new Sorento gets a much more aggressive design than its predecessor and uses stylish design cues shared with other Kia models including the Kia Soul and the new Kia Forte models. Up front, the new signature Kia grille is flanked by narrow HID headlamps that sit above large fog lights encased in a mesh-type surround giving it a look similar to the Volvo XC70. In profile, the new Sorento's design looks very similar to the Dodge Journey with its tall roofline, beveled greenhouse, but the rear of the vehicle is very stylish with large, LED taillights, hidden exhaust outlets and a mesh insert in the rear fascia that mimics the front fascia. The lower portion of the Sorento is surrounded by matte-gray plastic to give it a more rugged look and to lessen scratches and bumps should it ever be taken off road.
One thing that allowed the Sorento to include the two-passenger, third-row seat is having an overall length that has been stretched by four inches despite a wheelbase that actually shrunk by about a half of an inch. The all-new Sorento is also wider and taller than the outgoing model which opened up space for the optional third row to accommodate up to seven passengers - a five-passenger layout will come standard. With the full-size Kia Borrego already on the market, the 2011 Sorrento makes just the second Kia utility vehicle that can seat seven people. Compared to the much larger Borrego, a seven-passenger Sorrento will offer comparable head and leg room for all rows and even manages to offer an extra three inches of third-row legroom. All models will feature a 60/40 split middle row bench seat, but the seven-passenger models will include a double folding seat on the passenger side to allow easier access to the third row seats. Like recent Kia and Hyundai vehicles we've driven lately, the interior should offer better materials and a more upscale fit and finish in addition to the stylish layout. Luxurious touches also include a panoramic roof that stretches three-quarters of the Sorento's overall length, a rearview camera integrated into the rearview mirror and a heated and cooled front driver's seat.
Unlike the current Sorento, 2011 model will feature a choice of either an inline-4 engine or a V-6. The 2.4-liter inline-4 will be the base engine producing 174 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque, while the optional engine will be a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 277 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque (no figures have been released yet for fuel economy estimates). A choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions will be available with the smaller engine, but the V-6 will only come equipped with a six-speed automatic.
Front- and four-wheel drive will be available on the 2011 Sorento, but design specs will remain the same for both models. Ground clearance will be rather minimal at just over seven inches, while approach and departure angles are rather impressive at 25.1 degrees and 23.1 degrees respectively. In four-wheel drive layout, the new Sorento will have the ability to tow about 4,400 pounds. Kia will also offer downhill brake control and hill-start assist control on the 2011 Sorento to better navigate steep terrain.
The new plant, which measures approximately 2 million square feet, sits on 3,300 acres about 80 miles southwest of Atlanta. Construction for Kia's new facility commenced in 2006 and by the time it's up and running, it will have a production capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year. The new plant should definitely help the Atlanta area which has seen plant closures from both General Motors and Ford Motor Company, and it is expected to directly employ around 2,900 workers. Kia estimates that the new facility will also attract new suppliers to the area which will likely add around 2,600 more jobs to the area as well. In total, the new production plant cost Kia an estimated $1.2 billion to construct, but received $410 million in tax credits and other funding from the state of Georgia. At this point, it's not clear which, if any, other Kia models will be produced at the plant.