Kia Sorento bumps up ball weight
The appeal of Korea's stylish seven-seat SUV to caravanners has increased, thanks to a new heavy-duty tow kitThe towing capacity of Kia’s mid-sized Sorento SUV has been beefed up, with the Korean manufacturer now offering a heavy-duty towing package that boosts the maximum downball rating from 120kg to 150kg.
However, fitting the new heavy-duty tow kit, doesn’t alter the Kia’s maximum braked towing capacities, which remain at 2000kg for automatic and 2500kg for manual transmission vehicles.
The heavy-duty kit is available for both 2WD and 4WD variants, and Kia says fitting it will not affect the Sorento’s locally-tuned ride and handling performance.
The complete heavy-duty pack of tow ball, trailer wiring harness, new rating labels and uprated rear suspension springs is available from Kia dealerships for $977.34 plus fitting.
Existing owners with a genuine Kia tow bar with 120kg down ball weight already fitted, can upgrade to 150kg with the purchase of the uprated springs and labels kit, priced at $239.78 plus fitting.
The upgrade puts the Sorento streets ahead of its mechanical twin, the Hyundai Santa Fe, which has similar braked towing capacities of 2000kg (auto) and 2500kg (manual), but a downball rating of just 100kg. The previous generation Santa Fe had a higher downball rating of 150kg before it was replaced by a newer model in September 2012.
The Sorento is available in three grades, priced from $37,490. Engine options include a 204kW/335Nm 3.5-litre V6 petrol, or 145kW/421Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, matched to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
