Kia Sorento Pacwest Adventure Concept (2015)

Kia Sorento Pacwest Adventure Concept

Home to both the Emerald City (Seattle) and the Rose City (Portland) and thousands of square miles of forest in between, the Pacific Northwest embodies a relaxed, no-hassle lifestyle that helped launch a music revolution in the 20th century and a craft beer revolution in the 21st century. People who call this territory home thrive on the outdoors and nature, and the PacWest Adventure Sorento is the perfect companion to get them there.

Designed and hand-built by the creative team at LGE-CTS Motorsports, the exterior of the PacWest Adventure Sorento is the product of a labor-intensive, completely custom, multi-layer painting process utilizing pearls and candy effects that give the vehicle an ever-changing chameleon effect. Toned-down hues of electric and deep-forest green combine to capture the rugged beauty of the region. All chrome accents are painted matte black to provide some visual toughness to the Sorento's sporty appearance. To scare away the shadows and potentially spot an errant Sasquatch running through the trees, the Sorento is equipped with twin LED low-profile light bars, one of which is mounted within the tubular sculpture of the front bumper, the other nestled into the roof rack.

To provide the PacWest Adventure Sorento with go-anywhere capability, LGE-CTS fabricated an all-new front under carriage assembly to allow for greater wheel travel and a taller stance. At the rear, retooled and lengthened connecting and trailing arms better locate the tires for off-road excursions and lend to the vehicle's menacing stance. In all, the PacWest Adventure Sorento rides six inches higher than a standard Sorento. The high-riding suspension enabled LGE-CTS to bolt on some serious off-road footwear in the form of LT285/70R17 Nitto Trail Grappler M/Ts, which are wrapped around a set of BMF's new S.S.D. 17x8.5-in. beadlock-style wheels lurking beneath custom fender flares. Soaking up the rough-and-tumble Pacific Northwest landscape and keeping the PacWest Sorento sunny side up are Fox Racing 2.0 coilover shocks embraced by Eibach springs. New fabricated front and rear bumpers with integrated wraparound steel skid plates and side bars protect the artistic paint job when the going gets rough. A MileMarker PE4500ES winch threaded with an ultra-strong synthetic strap will come in handy when others are mired in mud. LGE-CTS retained Kia's signature "tiger nose" grille frame while utilizing free-breathing wire mesh from GrillCraft as a tasteful custom touch. The tailor-made roof rack holds everything needed for an overnight camping trip, including an ARB tow strap and E-Z deflator kit. The stock Sorento's 290 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque are enough for anything short of a vertical climb, but the new WFJ snorkel intake system allows the PacWest Adventure Sorento to be a land-based submersible.

The stock Sorento is focused on cosseting its occupants in supreme comfort. The PacWest Adventure Sorento, while still very comfortable, is more focused on its intention to get its passengers deep into the forests of the region and safely back out again. Interior features include custom painted dash- and door-panel inserts, a Daystar switch panel and rocker switches to activate the LED lights, and rugged floor mats. Stitched Kia logos found in the headrests and the seat cushions include custom tire-tread embroidery with green leather back and thigh supports. A color 8-inch Alpine Mobile Media entertainment system with front camera rounds out an artfully crafted off-roader.