Kia has started production of its new Sorento Hybrid, representing the first application of electrified power in Kia’s global flagship SUV. The new fourth-generation Sorento is manufactured at Kia’s Hwasung production facility in Korea, with hybrid, petrol and diesel variants of the SUV assembled on the same production line.

The first Hybrid models to roll off the production line are destined for the European market, and the car will also soon enter production for North America at Kia’s West Point, Georgia, USA production plant.

The Sorento has been a mainstay of Kia’s global line-up for almost two decades – more than three million Sorento models have been sold worldwide since it was launched in 2002. European sales of the fourth-generation Sorento are due to commence in the third quarter of 2020; the car will go on sale in most of Kia’s global markets by the end of the year.

Towards end-2020, the new Sorento will also be available in certain markets for the first time as a Plug-in Hybrid, with production due to start at Hwasung later in the year.

The new Sorento is the first vehicle to be based on Kia’s new-generation midsize SUV platform. Paired with a larger body to maximise cargo and luggage space, the platform ensures the Sorento is one of the most versatile and spacious three-row SUVs on the road. Kia says the innovative interior packaging means the car can also accommodate its new ‘Smartstream’ electrified powertrains.

The Sorento Hybrid’s new ‘Smartstream’ electrified powertrain pairs a 1.6-litre T-GDi (turbocharged gasoline direct injection) engine with a 1.49 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack and 44.2 kW electric motor, which develops 230 hp and 350 Nm torque.