Kia Owners Talk: Eugene from UK

My name is Eugene and I am from Northern Ireland. After buying my Sorento back in 2004 I found a distinct lack of Sorento accessories, advice and knowledge about the vehicle.

I was staggered to find hundreds of Sorento owners in the same position as myself and today some 3 years later we have the largest Sorento forum in the UK with membership currently standing at just under 2000 and exclusive discounts on insurance and accessories available to members.

1. Tell us something about your Sorento ownership experience?
I have found the Sorento a real pleasure to own so far, a super vehicle and a real workhorse with many diverse uses and the ability to tackle anything I have thrown at it so far.

2. How long have you owned your Sorento?
I have owned my Sorento for over 4 years after buying it new in January 2004.

3. What cars did you own before?
I have owned many types of cars from 1976, memorable ones include a Vauxhall Chevette 2300HS, a BMW 2002 and an Audi Quattro. Ones to forget include a Mini, a Hillman Hunter and a Vauxhall Cavalier as well. I started to drive 4×4’s about 10 years ago and owned 3 Vauxhall Fronteras before production stopped in late 2003 and I replaced it with my Kia Sorento.

         

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4. Honestly, what was your intention when you bought your Sorento?
My initial intention was to keep it for 3 years then trade it for a new one but when the 3 years were up I found I had added so much to my Sorento and there wasn’t enough changes to the new model to make me want to change so I still have it.

5. In a few words, describe the style of your Sorento?
I like to describe my Sorento as “noticeable” though I have heard it described by others as many different things.

6. What do you like the most about Sorento?
My Sorento though customised is still an every day workhorse and gets little time to sit around and this alone makes it a great vehicle in my opinion. I like the Sorento’s ability to tackle different situations the most. I like the way it has the ability to tackle rough off road situations, having been on the Blue Stack Mountains in Donegal, Eire and on Ben Nevis in Scotland with it and it can also munch up miles of tarmac driving with relative ease, a great all round vehicle in my estimation.

7. Is there anything you don’t like about it?
Not a lot really, a few niggles during the warranty but sorted out by a great local dealer and I suppose I could moan about fuel consumption but I bought it knowing it was a 2 tonne lump of metal!

8. What is it that makes your Sorento look unique?
I think the contrast between the Black and the Chrome makes it stand out, hard to keep clean with many hours spent with the polishing cloths but definitely gives me the “smile factor” when it’s done.

9. What accessories have you installed so far?
The list is endless with accessories being replaced on a regular basis, so far they include:

Engine Bay Modifications
GriffinMotorTuning Powerbox
K&N Air Filter
Dual Horns

Exterior Accessories
Quad HID Headlight Conversion
Alteeza Dark Chrome Tail Lights
KDM Grille
KDM Badges
18” Chrome ATP Rims
Chrome Fog Light trims
Cobra Chrome A Bar
Cobra Chrome Side Bars
Dual S/S Full Exhaust System
LED Door Mirrors
Front Climair Wind Deflectors
Chrome Side Repeater Lights
Chrome A Pillar Trims
Chrome Rear Door Strip
BFG All Terrain Tyres
Chrome Wheel Trims
Chrome Centre Caps
Privacy Glass
Kia Roof Bars
Kia Sunroof Wind Deflector
Bosch Aerotwin wipers

Interior Accessories
Bluetooth DVD/CD Freeview TV System
Rear headrest DVD Players
Interior Chrome Accessory Pack
Scanguage 2 Data System
Parrot CK3100 Phone Kit

There are probably more but remembering them all is getting harder.

         

10. What’s next?
I’m in the process of upgrading the tuning box to a newer model with more settings and better performance from GriffinMotorTuning.

11. Products of which tuning company did you use?
The majority of my accessories have come from Taff at www.GriffinMotorTuning.net whose prices, service and after sales has been outstanding, nothing is too much trouble for him.
I have also got products sent from James at www.CustomSorento.com again some super products.
Kia themselves and good old EBay have also produced some good results when searching for accessories.

12. How would you rate your car; on a scale from 1 to 10?
It’s hard to rate your own vehicle I always think, I tend to be a bit critical of myself and would probably rate it about 7/10.

13. How would you pimp your ride if you had no limits?
No limits would see an awesome audio visual system and a massive suspension lift.

14. What do people say about your Sorento?
Comments are many and diverse depending on whether you like chrome or not and include:”how do you keep her sooooooooooooo clean”
“Very nice!!!!! It must be nice to be able to get up and drive down to the beach”
“very bonnie very bonnie in deed”

Other comments can be found dotted throughout www.UKSorento.Com

15. What would you advise to Kia owners who might be looking to customize their cars in future?
I would say that customising your Sorento is a very personal thing, what suits my taste is not necessarily what others find nice. It’s best to find a good company with good after sales willing to advise you about what they think and not just looking for the hard sell and get you out the door every time. Look around the forums and hear what other owners have done to their Sorento’s, there’s always plenty of pictures to get a good idea of how things will look.

16. Do you see yourself as a future Kia owner?
Hard to say, I feel Kia has a long way to go with their dealerships and customer service, the good dealers are getting harder to find and the new ones are concentrating on getting sales figures, unfortunately customer service seems to be becoming a thing of the past.

Thank you Eugene!