New Kia Sorento Spied
Kia Sorento is gearing up for its India launch on September 4. Ahead of that, undisguised units have now started reaching dealer yards. New images credited to Auto Helper Marathi provide the clearest look yet at India-spec Sorento, revealing exterior details, cabin layout, seating configuration and several features.
Its road presence also comes across strongly in the latest sightings. Sorento has been captured alongside SUVs including Hyundai Creta and Toyota Fortuner, giving a better perspective of its overall size and proportions. Interestingly, this particular Sorento appears to be a variant positioned below the fully-loaded version seen earlier. It gets a seven-seat layout with a second-row bench instead of captain seats, while some premium equipment is also missing.
New Kia Sorento
Kia Sorento Diesel DCT Spied
One of the biggest details visible in the latest images is the DCT badge on the tailgate. This points towards the 2.2-litre diesel powertrain, which produces around 202 PS and 441 Nm and is paired with an 8-speed DCT.
Same engine which also powers the Carnival in India currently. The hybrid petrol Sorento is powered by a 1.6 liter engine mated to a 6 speed AT, likely to deliver max power of 240 PS and 380 Nm. This same hybrid setup will soon be launched with Carnival MPV.
New Kia Sorento Diesel DCT
Talking about the Sorento diesel SUV spotted at dealer yard, it is finished in white and gets 19-inch alloy wheels. It has an upright front fascia, large grille, vertically stacked lighting elements, prominent roof rails and a relatively boxy rear profile.
The latest unit also reveals a light-coloured interior theme. Kia’s earlier official TVC showed Sorento with a brown cabin, suggesting multiple interior colour combinations could be offered depending on the variant.
New Kia Sorento Diesel DCT
7-Seater Cabin, Premium Features
This particular Sorento gets a three-row, seven-seat configuration with a 60:40 split bench for the second row. The seats can slide and recline, while rear passengers get dedicated AC vents and Type-C charging ports. Retractable sunshades can also be seen on the rear doors.
New Kia Sorento Interiors
Up front, there is Kia’s curved panoramic display incorporating the touchscreen infotainment system and digital instrument cluster. Other visible equipment includes leather upholstery, powered and ventilated front seats, Bose audio, soft-touch dashboard and door materials, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls for audio, driver assistance and other functions.
New Kia Sorento
The centre console houses a rotary gear selector along with controls for drive modes, electronic parking brake and auto hold. There’s plenty of storage as well, including cupholders, an armrest compartment with felt lining and a sliding section housing the phone storage/wireless charging area. Type-C fast-charging ports and a 360-degree camera are among the other features visible.
New Kia Sorento
Third Row Gets Dedicated Amenities
Kia appears to have paid particular attention to third-row usability. The latest images reveal dedicated AC vents, cupholders, a Type-C charging port and a 12V socket for third-row passengers.
New Kia Sorento
The third-row seats can be folded from the luggage compartment by pulling straps. Buttons located in the boot can also electrically release/fold the second-row seats, making it easier to expand the cargo area. Even with all three rows in use, the available luggage space appears reasonably usable. A powered tailgate is also present.
New Kia Sorento
Importantly, this particular vehicle doesn’t appear to represent the highest Sorento specification coming to India. Earlier sightings revealed equipment such as second-row captain seats, ventilated second-row seats and a brown interior theme. Kia could therefore offer Sorento with both six- and seven-seat configurations, along with multiple equipment levels.
New Kia Sorento – Powered Tailgate
New Kia Sorento – One Touch Tumble 2nd Row Seat
New Kia Sorento
New Kia Sorento – 3rd row legroom
New Kia Sorento Bootspace
New Kia Sorento Road Presence
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