Kia Sorento Detailed: Top 10 Facts About Specs, Features, and Pricing

Kia will introduce the Sorento SUV as a flagship 3-row SUV on September 5, 2026. This SUV will bridge the gap between the Seltos and the luxury Carnival MPV. It will also mark the debut of Kia’s hybrid technology in the Indian market. From its advanced hybrid engineering to local assembly plans, these are the top 10 facts of Kia’s upcoming 7-seater Sorento. 

1. Dual Powertrain Choices: Strong-Hybrid & Diesel

The Sorento will be Kia’s first strong-hybrid model in India, featuring a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol-hybrid engine producing 238hp and 380Nm of torque. For torque lovers, the SUV also gets a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine generating 202hp and 441Nm of torque. This is the same diesel engine that powers the Kia Carnival. 

2. Segment-First AWD Hybrid

While the current strong hybrids in our market comes as a front-wheel drive models, the Kia Sorento pairs its 1.6-litre strong hybrid with an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system. This setup claims to deliver strong urban fuel economy without compromising off-road and wet-weather traction. 

3. Local Assembly via CKD Route - Aggressive Pricing

Kia has commenced assembly of the 3-row Sorento at its manufacturing facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. By utilising Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits, Kia bypasses heavy import tariffs on CBU models. This helps the company to achieve aggressive ex-showroom pricing estimated between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 35 lakh. 

4. Global debut of the Kia AI Assistant

The Kia Sorento will be high on tech, as it will mark the global debut for the brand’s new integrated Kia AI Assistant. This system uses contextual voice recognition to control AC settings, navigation and vehicle parameters on the go. 

5. Flexible 6-and 7-seater layouts

The new 7-seater Kia SUV comes in both 6-seater and traditional 7-seater bench configurations. The six-seater model gets captain seats in the second row. Measuring 4,815mm in length and a 2815mm wheelbase, the Sorento ensures generous legroom across all three rows. 

6. Bold Exterior Design

The new Sorento adorns Kia’s latest global styling identity, called the ‘Opposite United’. The design is highlighted by a broad Tiger Nose front grille, vertical LED headlight clusters, Y-shaped Star Map DRLs, and 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. 

7. High-Tech Dual-Screen Glass Cockpit

The new SUV gets a layered dashboard dominated by a curved glass panel housing a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The SUV retains the physical buttons for climate and audio controls. 

8. Comprehensive LEVEL 2 ADAS Suite

The new Sorento comes with a complete LEVEL 2 ADAS suite or advanced driver assistance system. It gets adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, blind-spot collision-avoidance, and rear cross-traffic assist. 

9. High-end Comfort Features

The interior is packed with premium comfort and convenience features, including a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats with massage capability, a digital inside rearview mirrors or IRVM, a 360-degree surround view camera, dual-zone climate control, and a powered tailgate. 

10. Multi-Terrain Drive Modes

The Kia Sorento comes with selectable terrain responses modes - including Eco, Sport, Smart, Snow, Mud and Sand. The system automatically adjusts engine torque mapping, traction control thresholds, and transmission shift logic based on surface conditions.