New seven-seat SUV to shake up the market when it launches here in June.
THESE ARE THE First official images of the new Kia Sorento, confirming that the South Korean car manufacturer has indeed produced a radical restyling of its large seven-seat family SUV including a leap in interior design and technology.
The square, chiselled front and rear show that Kia has moved far from the current third-generation design cues, adopting the familiar ‘tiger-nose’ grille upfront and unique LED lighting in the head and taillights.
The car will go on display at the Geneva Motor Show early next month and the model shown here, in this specification, will go on sale in Europe soon.
Australia won’t really miss out, though, with Kia Australia confirming to Practical Motoring that it will launch the model here in June this year with a diesel drivetrain and follow with the petrol model in Q3 2020.
There are two hybrid variants available, a mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid, but neither will be produced in right-hand drive and Kia Australia also told us that it won’t offer the electrified drivetrains here. At least not for the foreseeable future, and not until the brand launches an affordable hybrid first.
What we will get is the 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and offered in front or all-wheel drive configurations. The petrol engines are a turbo and naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-pot, though no specs have been confirmed for Australia.
The model has also taken a leap forward in design inside, using premium materials and a large twin-screen display system on the dash configured to show the traditional drivers binnacle and also the infotainment entertainment. Other details include quilted leather on premium variants and crystal glass details.
The model will be detailed in full next month and Kia Australia is likely to confirm local specifications closer to June.
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