Next-gen Kia Sorento Revealed Ahead Of Debut At Geneva Motor Show

The Kia Sorento is one of the best-selling models from the Korean brand in the European market. It was one of the models that was expected to be launched in India back when Kia confirmed their presence in India.

Well, Kia took the mid-size SUV route in India and has become extremely successful. Kia Motors India followed-up the Seltos' success with the launch of the Kia Carnival luxury MPV. At the recently-concluded 2020 Auto Expo, Kia showcased the Sonet compact SUV as its next product for India.

So it is quite clear that the Kia Sorento would not make it to the Indian market anytime soon. Kia however, is launching the fourth-generation of the Sorento for international markets in the coming months.

The fourth-gen Kia Sorento is brand-new inside-out. The design and styling appears to have been derived from the Kia Telluride, which is a larger SUV that has been really successful in the American market.

The shift to a slightly American design shows the attention Kia is showing towards its American venture. The next-gen Kia Sorento sport a few typical Kia design traits and a lot of new American-inspired design traits.

Right up front is the signature tiger-nose grille and the bumper with integrated LED fog lamps. It also has muscular design lines. The chunky wheel arches and character lines on the side profile too makes a big difference to the design.

The rear features a split tail lamp design with a faux diffuser flanked by exhaust outlets on both sides at the bottom. The next-gen Kia Sorento looks much bigger, especially in terms of the length.

While there hasn't really been a massive increase in length, the wheelbase figures have seen an increase. Kia has reduced the front and rear overhangs and this has helped in a 35mm increase in wheelbase. The length, width and height have all increased by around 10mm.

Powering the next-gen Kia Sorento is a range of petrol, diesel and hybrid drivetrain options. Although, initially it will be available with just two powertrain options - a 2.2-litre diesel engine with an output of 202bhp and a 230bhp petrol-hybrid system with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 60bhp electric motor driven by a 1.5kWh battery.

Drive options include front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive. At a later stage, Kia will introduce a new, more powerful plug-in hybrid variant. The plug-in hybrid will come with a 16.6kWh battery powering a 90bhp electric motor. This variant will be available only with four-wheel-drive.

The next-gen Kia Sorento gets brand new interiors. The pictures released by kia reveal the Korean-spec interiors, but the layout is expected to remain the same in European markets, although there might be a change in the colour scheme.

The dashboard looks modern and has many new features, including a connected infotainment system. It is a Mercedes-Benz-style system wherein the infotainment display and the instrumentation display have been merged together. It also has a separate climate control display and control panel with AC vents on both sides. It will feature top-of-the-line safety features as well.

Thoughts On Next-Gen Kia Sorento Being Revealed Ahead Of Geneva Motor Show Debut

The Kia Sorento is already on sale in America, but it now features a slightly European design. With the Telluride, Kia has seen the benefits of having a butch, American design. This might have had an effect on the design of the new Sorento.

Well, we do love a more muscular design and the Sorento already looks good for the Indian market. Although, we might have to wait a bit before Kia even considers the Sorento for India.