Kia’s Next-gen Sorento Debuts Electric Power In Its SUV Lineup

• Exterior changes include a revised front end, a split-taillamp setup and multiple alloy wheel options.
• Interior highlights include a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as well as UVO connected car tech.
• Engine options include a 230PS/350Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid and a 202PS/440Nm 2.2-litre diesel motor.
• It could make it to Indian shores by 2021.

While Kia Motors’ current future plans for India involve bringing the Sonet sub-4 metre SUV to its dealerships soon, the carmaker has finally unveiled the fourth generation of the Sorento SUV in international markets. It is the first SUV to feature electric power in the carmaker’s lineup and gets a variety of upgrades inside-out. 

Exterior changes include the new Sorento being longer by 10mm, wider by 10mm and its wheelbase extended by 35mm to 2815 mm. Design highlights include a tiger-nose grille, sleeker LED headlamps, tiger-eye DRLs and vertically stacked LED tail lamps. It also offers alloy wheels in 17-inch, 18-inch, 19-inch and 20-inch options and a total of 10 colour options. 

 

Interiors also receive an overhaul with highlights such as a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Car Play and Android Auto paired with a 12.3-inch digital driver instrument cluster. It also comes equipped with bits such as UVO connected car tech, ambient lighting, trapezoidal air vents, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system, Safety features consist of equipment like seven airbags, ESC, vehicle stability management (VSM), as well as Level 2 autonomous driving tech. It also comes with driver assists such as blind-spot view monitor,  forward collision avoidance assist and smart cruise control.  

Under the hood, the next-gen Sorento is powered by petrol and diesel engines.  The petrol motor is a 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid paired to a 44.2kW electric motor and a 1.49 kWh battery pack to produce 230PS of power and 350Nm of torque. The 2.2-litre diesel engine, on the other hand, produces 202PS and 440Nm of torque. The petrol-hybrid option is paired to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, whereas the diesel mill is coupled with a 8-speed wet DCT gearbox. It gets front-wheel drive as standard with an all-wheel drivetrain and terrain mode available as an optional feature.  More engine options including a more powerful hybrid variant will be introduced later.

 

The next-gen Sorento is expected to go on sale by the third quarter of 2020 with deliveries starting towards the end of this year. An India launch could be possible for 2021 depending on the market demand. It could take on the likes of the Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner, Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson if launched in India.