Kia Sorento 2.5 CRDi XS

This vehicle won the All Wheel Drive over 1800kg class in 2008

An old Caravan Club Towcar of the Year favourite and past winner, the Sorento reappeared in its latest 2.5-litre diesel, manual transmission guise and showed exactly why it has done so well in this competition before.

The four-cylinder engine churns out torque aplenty and full-time four-wheel drive ensures the car is always well planted on the ground. Gear ratios are just right for towing. It pulls well from speeds below 50mph in top, 5th, gear yet even at 60mph the engine is doing only 2000rpm. There was never any trace of instability, even at high speed.

Inside, the Sorento is a comfortable and attractive car and a pleasure to drive and the only real criticism I had was that the handbrake only just held on our – very tough – 17% hill test. Restarting on this gradient was easy, even in high ratio.

A 120kg noseweight limit, bags of storage and extensive towing information in the handbook highlights the importance of the caravan market to Kia.

Caravan weight	Noseweight limit	Drive	Cyls/CC	bhp@rpm	lb/ft@rpm	CO2 g/km	Ins group	Price	Tested
1,755kg	120kg	AWD	4/2497	168@ 3800	392@2000	209	13	£23,465	2008

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