Kia has launched its first hybrid product for the Indian automotive market, the Kia Sorento. The Sorento offers a self-charging hybrid powertrain, along with the option of a diesel engine as well.
It has been equipped with tons of features and safety equipment and offers a 7-seater layout as well. Today, we will be diving deep into the Sorento’s details and exploring what this premium SUV is going to take on the competitors! Let’s start with the design:
Design
Front
Side
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On the door, you even have silver door cladding that enhances the appeal of the Sorento, and pull-type door handles which have a request sensor present on both sides for the keyless entry.
Rear
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Over to the center of the tailgate, you have the Kia logo, space for housing the registration plate, and below, a Sorento badge as well.
Dimension
|
Parameter |
Kia Sorento |
|
Length |
4815 mm |
|
Width |
1900 mm |
|
Height |
1700 mm |
|
Wheelbase |
2815 mm |
To know more about the launch details, check out this article.
Colour Options
The Kia Sorento is available in 8 colours. Here’s a list of colours offered in it:
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Glacier White Pearl
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Pewter Olive
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Gravity Grey
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Imperial Blue
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Magma Red
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Ivory Silver Gloss
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Aurora Black Pearl
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Xclusive Matte Graphite
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Our Pick: The Sorento looks more appealing and rugged with the Xclusive Matte Graphite shade, which will make it stand out from the crowd. |
Interior
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On the doorpads, there are multiple patterns and textures that work along with the ambient light, silver-finished inside door handles, and block patterns over the door panel.
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In the center, it gets a large 12.3-inch infotainment unit that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, built-in navigation, and connected car features as well.
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Furthermore, it gets a wireless phone charger, two USB Type-C charge ports, buttons for ventilated front seats, two cup holders, a gear selector dial, and a traction modes dial in the centre.
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You also get to see a leatherette four-spoke steering wheel which has controls for the music, calls, and the digital driver’s display.
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As part of the dual-display setup, this also includes the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display unit, which displays multiple pieces of information such as turn-by-turn navigation, tyre pressure, and trip data.
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The second-row seats are also equipped with a ventilation function, which will make rear passengers comfortable in a hot climate like India.
Features & Safety
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As we saw in the pictures above, it gets a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and new first-in-the-segment generative AI with connected car technology as well as a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display.
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It is also equipped with 10- way powered driver’s seat and ventilated front seats with a memory function for the driver’s seat, a premium Bose sound system, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, and rear sunshades
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In terms of safety, this Korean SUV does pack in a lot of equipment such as 6 airbags, Level-2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System), a 360-degree camera, an in-built dashcam placed at front and rear windshield, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), electronic parking brake (EPB), electronic stability control (ESC), hill start assist, hill hold assist, traction modes and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
Powertrain Options
The Sorento is powered by a choice of 1.6-litre petrol-hybrid engine and a 2.2-litre diesel engine, both of which are available with an all-wheel drive drivetrain.
Here are the detailed specifications of the India-spec Sorento:
|
Engine |
2.2-litre Diesel |
1.6-litre turbo-petrol with strong hybrid |
|
Power |
180 PS + 65 PS (Motor) |
193 PS |
|
Torque |
265 Nm + 245 Nm (Motor) |
440 Nm |
|
Transmission |
8-speed DCT |
6-speed AT |
|
Drivetrain |
FWD/AWD |
FWD/AWD |
*AWD- All-wheel Drive, FWD- Front-wheel Drive, DCT- Dual Clutch Transmission
The Sorento is the first offering from Kia with a strong hybrid powertrain in India.
Price & Rivals
The Kia Sorento starts at Rs 27.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base variant and goes up to Rs 40.39 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-spec variant. It rivals the Jeep Meridian, Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tayron.
CarDekho Says..
The Kia Sorento enters the premium seven-seater SUV space with competitors like the Mahindra XUV 7XO, Jeep Meridian, and even the Tata Safari. It will be interesting to see how well it performs against its rivals.
As emission regulations become more and more strict for vehicles, manufacturers are finding alternative solutions for diesel lovers. Kia, however, takes on this challenge by providing two long-distance-friendly engine options, ensuring buyers won’t feel let down.
Will the Sorento now dethrone the German SUVs? Let us know your thoughts!
