New Kia Sorento – What to Expect? » MotorOctane

Kia has now gotten a foothold in the Indian Automotive scene. With the Sonet, Seltos, and now Carens, Kia is now one of the leading manufacturers in India. Even Kia couldn’t have anticipated the magnitude of its success. And now, Kia is planning to expand its range with the new Syros and the EV9, but there is still one gaping hole between its cheaper and more expensive models. They are yet to launch a full-sized SUV.

This gap would be filled with the upcoming Kia Sorento. This model is already on sale in the UK and US markets, and now Kia will bring it to India to take on the sought-after Toyota Fortuner. Here is all the information that we know about the new Kia Sorento.

Looks

Recently, a camouflaged Kia Sorento was spotted on Indian roads. Many suspected it would be the next-generation Seltos, but after a closer look, it became clear that it resembles the Sorento and not the Seltos. The dimensions are significantly greater than those of the outgoing Seltos.

The US-spec Sorento is 4.82m long, 1.9m wide and 1.7m high, with a 2.82m long wheelbase indicating a spacious cabin. However, the 175 mm ground clearance is relatively poor in that regard (for perspective, the Fortuner has a ground clearance of 225mm). But Kia may decide to increase the ground clearance for the Indian market.

The overall design language matches the newer Kia models. Vertical LED headlights and an enormous grille are the first things that draw your attention. It commands road presence, and Kia has done a decent job with its look.

The Sorento is offered in plenty of variants, with the lowest being the LX and the X-line Prestige SX being the top of the range. The base variant comes with 17-inch alloys, but as you move up the range, you can opt for 20-inchers. Along with bigger alloys, you get additional touchups like roof rails and a blacked-out grille.

Read More: New Fortuner Rival Spotted In India For The First Time!

Interiors

Step inside, and soft-touch materials surround you. The Sorento boasts a plush cabin. Apart from the ginormous 24″ dual-screen layout, the matte wood grain inlays stand out to give you that premium feel.

The dual-tone cabin gives it an airy look. For the top variants, you can choose quilted nappa leather seats, while for lower variants, you can choose from embossed cloth seats or leather seats.

The feature list is pretty extensive. Luxury amenities include a 14-way power driver’s seat, 10-way power passenger seats, a heads-up display, a wireless charging port, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, etc. The list of features for the lower trims may not be as extensive, but you still get all the necessities as standard.

You get the Sorento as a 6 or a 7-seater. The Indian-spec model would likely come with 7 seats as standard.

Powertrain

The US-spec models come with 4 powertrain options. You can choose from a plug-in hybrid, conventional hybrid, a 2.5L Petrol and a 2.2L Diesel. The 2.5L turbo-petrol 4-cylinder produces 281 horsepower and 421 Nm of torque, while the 2.2L Diesel churns out 191 horsepower and a healthy 441Nm of torque. The hybrid models get a weaker 1.6L petrol engine, but it works in tandem with an electric motor.

The Sorento comes with an automatic gearbox as standard. But there are two automatic gearboxes to choose from: an 8-speed DCT and a 6-speed AMT.

Given its size, it is pretty apparent that the Sorento comes with AWD drivetrain options. Unfortunately, AWD will only be equipped on the high-end variants, with the lower trims getting FWD as standard.

With Kia’s future plans to showcase the hybrid powertrain in India, the chances of the Sorento being launched with a hybrid option are very high. Due to a low demand for plug-in hybrids, Kia won’t be planning to release the PHEV variant but will settle with the petrol, diesel and strong-hybrid options.

Rivals

The cars that would be concerned with the Sorento’s arrival in the Indian market would be the Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster, Jeep Meridien and the Skoda Kodiaq. All these cars demand solid road presence and have an impressive feature list to go along with it.

The Toyota Fortuner has had a long-standing monopoly in this segment. Its competitors have offered more features and luxuries, yet the Fortuner keeps its throne. Could the Sorento give the now-outdated Fortuner a run for its money?

Expected Price and Launch

The price could be the major differentiating factor in this segment. The Sorento is expected to be launched at an introductory price of 38 lakh rupees (on-road), but the top models could easily touch the 55 lakh mark (on-road, Mumbai).

Spotting the camouflaged Sorento indicates that an official launch is closer than expected. We could see Kia’s flagship SUV on Indian roads by early to mid-2026.

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