Kia Sorento 7-seater SUV to debut at Auto Expo 2023

Kia will be showcasing the three-row Sorento SUV at the upcoming Auto Expo 2023. Currently in its fourth generation, which was globally unveiled in early 2020, the Sorento is essentially a cousin to the Hyundai Santa Fe. Globally, its positioned between the Kia Sportage (Tucson equivalent) and the flagship Telluride SUV.

Although a launch is not confirmed just yet, Kia will likely be showcasing the model to gauge customer interest in the three-row SUV. This, however, is not the first appearance of the SUV in India, as Kia had previously showcased the third-gen Sorento at the Auto Expo in 2018.

Design details
The fourth-gen Sorento has a familiar Kia family design, but it looks much bolder than the brand's current crop of SUVs in India. Up front, there is Kia’s signature tiger nose grille that merges with the three-pod LED headlamps with ‘tiger eyeline’ LED DRLs. In contrast, the front bumper is smoothly sculpted and houses a large central air intake. In profile, the Sorento has a typical tall and upright SUV stance that’s accentuated by flared wheel arches. It gets vertical LED tail-lamps and a sharply sculpted tailgate at the rear.

On the inside, the Sorento bears a very close resemblance to the Sonet in India. It gets a high-mounted 10.25-inch central infotainment screen with vertical AC vents and a stack of HVAC controls positioned below. Like in the Sonet, the infotainment screen is connected to the instrument binnacle that houses a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The centre console features an array of buttons, a rotary dial, a drive selector lever and storage spaces too.

Being a Kia, the Sorento is also well equipped with features. Some highlights include Kia’s UVO connected car tech, 64-colour ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree cameras, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system. It also gets ADAS features with level-two autonomous driving technology in international markets. Most importantly, the Sorento is a three-row SUV with seating for up to seven people.

Powertrain options
Globally, the Sorento is offered with a range of petrol and diesel engine options. There’s a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid engine that comes paired to a 44.2kW (60hp) electric motor, which is fed by a 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery. The hybrid powertrain produces 230hp and 350Nm of torque, driving the front wheel via a 6-speed automatic gearbox. There’s also a non-hybrid 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 191hp and 246Nm and is paired to an 8-speed automatic with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Kia also offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain that pairs the 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 13.68kWh battery for a combined output of 261hp and 350Nm of torque. This only comes with a 6-speed automatic gearbox and AWD, and has an electric-only range of 57km. Lastly, there’s a 2.2-litre diesel engine that produces 202hp and 440Nm, paired to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel drive system.

Competition
If brought to India, the Kia Sorento will be positioned against the likes of the Jeep Meridian and the Skoda Kodiaq. Hyundai, however, currently doesn't have any plans of bringing the Sorento’s cousin, the Santa Fe, back to India.