Kia has launched its new flagship ICE SUV, the Kia Sorento, with an ex-showroom starting price of Rs. 27.99 lakh. This 3-row 6- & 7-seater SUV is the facelifted model of the fourth-gen Kia Sorento, which launched in overseas markets in 2023. Loaded with plenty of tech and multiple powertrain options, including a strong-hybrid setup and an all-wheel-drive drivetrain, the Sorento will compete against the Jeep Meridian, Skoda Kodiaq, and Volkswagen Tayron. Here is a closer look at the Kia Sorento.
Kia Sorento: Prices & Variants
| Variant | 1-6-litre Strong-hybrid turbo-petrol | 2.2-litre turbo diesel | ||||||
| Front-wheel-drive | All-wheel-drive | Front-wheel-drive | All-wheel-drive | |||||
| 7-seater | 6-seater | 7-seater | 6-seater | 7-seater | 6-seater | 7-seater | 6-seater | |
| HTE | Rs. 29.49 lakh | – | – | – | Rs. 27.99 lakh | – | – | – |
| HTE(O) | Rs. 30.99 lakh | – | – | – | Rs. 29.49 lakh | – | – | – |
| HTK | Rs. 33.99 lakh | Rs. 34.19 lakh | – | – | Rs. 32.49 lakh | Rs. 32.69 lakh | – | – |
| HTK (A) | Rs. 34.99 lakh | Rs. 35.19 lakh | – | – | Rs. 33.49 lakh | Rs. 33.69 lakh | – | – |
| HTK(A) Black Line | Rs. 35.19 lakh | Rs. 35.39 lakh | – | – | Rs. 33.69 lakh | Rs. 33.89 lakh | – | – |
| HTX | – | – | Rs. 38.99 lakh | Rs. 39.19 lakh | – | – | Rs. 37.49 lakh | Rs. 37.69 lakh |
| HTX Black Line | – | – | Rs. 39.19 lakh | Rs. 39.39 lakh | – | – | Rs. 37.69 lakh | Rs. 37.89 lakh |
| HTX(A) | – | – | Rs. 39.99 lakh | Rs. 40.19 lakh | – | – | Rs. 38.49 lakh | Rs. 38.69 lakh |
| HTX(A) Black Line | – | – | Rs. 40.19 lakh | Rs. 40.39 lakh | – | – | Rs. 38.69 lakh | Rs. 38.89 lakh |
The Kia Sorento is available in six major trims: HTE, HTE(O), HTK, HTK(A), HTX, and HTX(A), and with the option of either a 1.6-litre strong-hybrid turbo-petrol engine or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine.
Kia Sorento: Engine & Transmission
As mentioned, the Kia Sorento is offered with two engine options: a 1.6-litre strong-hybrid turbo petrol engine and a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine. Below are the Sorento’s powertrain details.
| Engine | 1.6-litre strong-hybrid turbo petrol engine | 2.2-litre turbo diesel |
| Power | 180 PS from engine 65 PS from electric motor | 193 PS |
| Torque | 265 Nm from engine 264 Nm from electric motor | 442 Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed torque converter automatic | 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission |
| Drivetrain | Front-wheel-drive / All-wheel-drive | Front-wheel-drive / All-wheel-drive |
The Kia Sorento offers four drive modes: Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart, and three terrain modes: Snow, Sand and Mud. Notably, the Kia Sorento is the only car in India to use a turbo-petrol engine in its strong-hybrid setup, as all other strong-hybrid cars use a naturally aspirated engine.
Kia Sorento: Dimensions & Design
The Kia Sorento is 4,815 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,785 mm tall, and has a 2,815 mm long wheelbase.
The Indian-spec Kia Sorento looks largely the same as the international model. At the front, the Sorento gets Kia’s traditional ‘tiger-nose’ grille with a honeycomb-patterned air dam and chrome surrounds, vertically stacked, segmented, multi-pod headlights, unique inverted Y-shaped DRLs, wide air inlets on the blacked-out bumper, dual LED fog lamps on each side, and a faux silver skid plate. To the side, the SUV features an upright stance, conventional pull-type door handles, thin black cladding running along the bottom, 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, and roof rails. At the rear, the Sorento gets wraparound two-part LED taillights, a large rear spoiler, an angular tailgate design, dual exhaust tips, and a dual-tone bumper with a faux silver skid plate.
The Kia Sorento is available in 8 exterior colour options: Glacier White Pearl, Pewter Olive, Gravity Grey, Imperial Blue, Magma Red, Ivory Silver, Aurora Black Pearl, and Dark Gun Metal.
Kia Sorento: Interior & Features
Inside, the 2026 Kia Sorento offers options for two dual-tone interior themes: grey-and-black or brown-and-black. The SUV has a rather conventional interior layout. Like the Kia Seltos and Kia Syros, it gets a twin-screen setup consisting of two 12.3-inch displays: one for the touchscreen infotainment system and the other for the digital instrument cluster. To personalise the infotainment and instrument cluster user interface, nine themes from Marvel, Pixar, and Disney are available – a first for any Kia car in India. Other interior highlights include a 4-spoke steering wheel with physical controls and scrollers, as well as a haptic HVAC panel. As with most SUVs, the 6-seater layout has captain’s seats in the middle row, and the 7-seater layout has a bench seat there.
In terms of features, the Kia Sorento offers 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 12-speaker Bose sound system,dual-zone automatic climate control, 10-way powered driver and 8-way powered co-driver seats, electronically foldable middle row seats, ventilated front and rear seats, powered tailgate, front and rear dashcams, wireless phone charger, keyless entry, digital IRVM, head-up display, and connected car technology.
For safety equipment, the Sorrento packs 10 airbags, electronic stability control, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a digital inside rearview mirror (IRVM), all-wheel disc brakes, a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, hill hold assist, hill descent control, and a Level-2 ADAS safety suite.
