Kia Motors' Sorento (MQ4) has faced numerous issues related to the unreleased 2.5 gasoline turbo, leading to significant complaints from prospective buyers.
Despite these concerns, the vehicle recorded the highest number of pre-orders ever on the day of the launch. The introduction of the first-in-class 1.6 turbo hybrid powertrain likely contributed to its popularity, offering a spacious SUV with high fuel efficiency and eco-friendly benefits. Prospective owners must have judged that the merits outweighed the high price tag..^^;;
The image above captures an announcement updated on Kia's official website on the afternoon of the 21st.
Upon reading the content, we learn that the new Sorento hybrid failed to meet the government’s energy efficiency standards as of the 20th, disqualifying it from eco-friendly vehicle tax benefits. The most critical part is likely the line below.
'As a result, the previously announced pre-order price for the Sorento hybrid model will change, and we will contact pre-order customers with a separate compensation plan.'
For those uninterested in cars, this might be confusing. "What does the eco-friendly vehicle tax benefit have to do with the price!?!?"
Let’s examine this slowly. On the day before pre-orders began, the 19th, Kia Motors officially released parts of the catalog.
The photo reveals the detailed specifications of the Smartstream turbo hybrid. It boasts a maximum output of 230 horsepower and a torque of 35.7, with a combined fuel efficiency of 15.3 km/l. Oh! One more thing, the engine's displacement is exactly 1,598 cc, which rounds up to 1,600 cc.
The image above shows the hybrid vehicle standards published on the official website of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
As mentioned earlier, the exact displacement of the 1.6T hybrid Sorento, which uses gasoline, is 1,598 cc. Therefore, to be classified as a hybrid, it must meet the condition of 15.8 km/l.
But Kia Motors officially reported a fuel efficiency figure of 15.3 km/l. Hmm...
It’s puzzling that a large corporation like Kia Motors did not know the conditions for hybrid vehicle certification after pre-orders started.
I find this somewhat hard to understand.
Moreover, many prospective owners who pre-ordered the Sorento (MQ4) 1.6 turbo hybrid are expressing their dissatisfaction, questioning whether this was intentional.
The image above is from an exclusive article published today. You can view the article at the link below.
If the article is accurate, it suggests that Kia Motors accepted pre-orders before applying for hybrid vehicle certification.
This is indeed unfortunate news. Personally, I have a strong interest in the Sorento and have made several posts to share information about it,
so it saddens me to share this news.
Currently, the previously announced price for the Sorento (MQ4) 1.6T hybrid vehicle will see an additional consumption tax of 1.43 million KRW (approximately $1,070 USD). Although hybrid vehicles can benefit from a reduction in registration tax of 900,000 KRW (approximately $674 USD), this will not apply here due to the hybrid condition not being met, resulting in a loss of 900,000 KRW.
However, Kia Motors is reportedly preparing a separate compensation plan for those who pre-ordered. Nevertheless, it seems inevitable that the company's image will suffer significant damage. Ultimately, it is crucial that a satisfactory resolution for prospective owners is reached as soon as possible.
This concludes today’s post. Thank you.
- 2020. 02. 25 By. Baek Moonjo