THE new Kia Sorento SUV is just weeks away from being available in Australian showrooms, with the new look large SUV set to usher in a raft of new technology in one of the industry’s most competitive segments.
In what’s been described as a generational change for the multi-award Kia Sorento, the new model will be presented in four grades; GT-Line, Sport+, Sport and S, in both diesel and petrol models.
The diesel variants will be available first and will be followed by the petrol version within months. That petrol version is powered by a 3.5-litre V6, offering 200kW and 332Nm, while the diesel delivers 148kW and 440Nm from its 2.2-litre 4 cylinder CRDI engine.
Both are paired to an 8-speed automatic, driving through the front wheels on the petrol, and as an on-demand all-wheel drive for the diesel.
The new Sorento’s safety and equipment upgrades start at the entry level S model with the fitting of a segment first front centre side airbag (between driver and passenger), with the Sport also scoring a segment leading 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system.
It has full support for Apple Carplay, Android Auto and multi connection Bluetooth, while the Sport+ grade benefits from a pair of USB charging points in the back seat. The Kia Sorento lifts the bar again in the GT-Line model.
Kia has added a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster (a segment first), blind sport view monitor (another segment first), a shift-by-wire dial instead of a gear lever (you guessed it, another segment first) and remote smart parking assist.
Pricing for diesel variants will start at $48,850 for the S and top out at $63,070 for the GT-Line. Petrol pricing starts at $45,850 for the S and goes through to $60,070 for the GT-Line.
The new Kia Sorento will benefit from Kia’s industry leading 7-year warranty, 7-year capped price servicing and 7-year roadside assist package. Full specifications will be available closer to the full launch of the 2021 Kia Sorento.
