Only one engine is available on the new Sorento - a 2.2-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder motor developing 197bhp at 3800rpm and 311lb ft of torque from 1800 to 2500rpm.
For anyone expecting the diesel four-pot engine to have emerged from its makeover as a more whispery or dulcet-toned item, their introduction to it will likely prove disappointing. At idle, there is much the same hard-edged, sharply audible voice.
Its vibrations have been sanded away to leave only the slightest buzz underfoot, but the clatter remains distinguishable when accelerating at slow speeds. While it is not particularly intrusive or irksome – or even unusual among its mainstream rivals – the continuous accompaniment around town does negate a certain level of polish that one might reasonably have expected for the sort of money that gets you close to a BMW straight six.
Otherwise, it is very obliging. The unit’s burliness makes it encouraging at low revs, aided no end by the swift lock-up of the torque converter and a prompt step-off. Such responsiveness is important in a car of this size because it makes it seem like a manageable prospect at roundabouts and junctions.
