Kia India has recently launched the Sorento in the country. This is their global vehicle and is offered in India with a Hybrid and a Diesel. Launch price starts from Rs 27.99 lakh and goes till Rs 38.89 lakh for Sorento Diesel and it starts from Rs 29.49 lakh and goes till Rs 40.39 lakh for Sorento Hybrid. Deliveries and dealer dispatches have begun already. Sorento is made in India and is offered in three broad trim levels – HTE, HTK and HTX.
These trims get further fragmentation spawning (O), (A), 6S, 7S, Diesel, Hybrid, 2WD and AWD variations taking the total variants to 32. Then there are 8 colour options – Glacier Pearl White, Gravity Grey, Imperial Blue, Magma Red, Pewter Olive, Ivory Silver Gloss, Aurora Black Pearl and Dark Gun Metal. Media drives of Kia Sorento were held in Udaipur and we drove both Diesel and Hybrid across multiple scenarios and compiled our thoughts to tell you all about it.
Kia Sorento Review
Sorento has been positioned by Kia India in a very niche position where it sort of creates a space for itself rather than clashing with rival SUVs. Sorento sits above monocoque SUVs by European and American brands and below the Toyota Fortuner. It is considerably larger than the European and American monocoque SUVs. Sorento is slightly longer and wider than Fortuner too, while packing a longer wheelbase than the Toyota.
Even with the Bridge-type roof rails, Sorento falls short in height, which makes Fortuner, a Fortuner. Now that we have established where Sorento falls in terms of size, we can easily conclude that Kia’s flagship ICE SUV for India is the most sensational looking than its rivals. We loved the way Sorento looks. It has the right blend of brawl, sophistication, panache and aura. Design is not polarizing too.
Large Tiger Nose grille, vertical ice cube effect LED headlights, funky LED DRLs, aggressive bumper design, horizontal fog lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, bridge-type roof rails, large window area, chrome highlights, LED tail lights which are not connecting (love that), large rear spoiler with hidden rear washer and wiper, sporty rear bumper and the likes. Kia India has a host of accessories to spruce up your Sorento further.
Well Appointed Interiors
Stepping on the inside, Kia Sorento feels inviting and the overall sense of space it has to offer is spectacular. Plastic materials used for Sorento’s interior do not feel like the materials Kia has been using in India for Syros or Seltos. However, these materials are good nonetheless. We liked soft-touch elements on dashboard with stitching, simple dash and centre console layouts with a tonne of practicality.
Dashboard is dominated by two 12.3-inch screens positioned in a curvilinear fashion, but the 5-inch centre touchscreen from Syros and Seltos is missing. Below the infotainment screen, we get a smart cluster which integrates adaptive physical and capacitive controls and can cycle between media and climate control related functions. Below this screen, we get USB charging ports, wireless charging pad, ventilated seat controls and more.
Centre console has a rotary gear selector with hard stops on either end and behind it is a dial that controls Terrain Modes and Drive Modes. In this vicinity, we have electronic parking brake, engine start / stop and parking sensor kill switches, auto hold hill descent control and 360-camera switches. Centre console has an armrest with screen for AQI readout and storage underneath.
Tech & Equipment
Front seats are electrically operated and supremely comfortable with decent shoulder room and underthigh support. 10-way powered driver seat gets memory and massage functions, while 8-way powered co-driver seat gets a relaxation mode where with one button press, it slides back and reclines. Glovebox is of decent size and door pockets are not lined with felt. Steering wheel has audio control on right and cluster controls on left and behind steering wheel is a HUD.
There’s a digital IRVM with Kia Sorento and it projects feed from a dedicated camera positioned at the rear. Execution of this IRVM is not perfect, but it is slightly better than what we saw in Harrier / Safari. View, brightness, contrast and zoom can be adjusted accordingly. Driver’s seat massaging is for both back and base, but it is more of a fatigue reduction feature than outright massaging seat.
The 12.3-inch displays are crisp and navigating them was lag free and slick. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are present and so are Kia Connect 2.0 suite of telematics. This infotainment screen also has built-in Maps and is paired to a 12-speaker Bose sound system. Audio system could have been better and offered punchier bass. Jazzing up the interiors are sophisticated ambient lighting system.
Comfort & Space
At the price point Kia Sorento is being offered in India, buyers expect some sort of executive chauffeur-driven experience. In this regard, Kia Sorento does not disappoint. Kia offers both 6S captain chairs and 7S bench options to suit varied needs. 6S version offers individual armrests, while 7S version offers centre armrest. Once here, rear occupants get ventilated seats, sun shades, cup holders, rear AC vents, reading lights, coat hooks, USB ports and 220V 3-pin socket.
Passenger sitting behind co-driver gets electric Boss Mode and these get one-touch function too, which is quite nice. Also one-touch, are rear seat fold and slide mechanism, which liberates a decent aperture to go into third row seats. Headrests are winged, but the wings are not adjustable. Third row occupants do not get as much room as first and second row and are best suited for kids or for adults in a pinch. Third row occupants get adjustable headrests, dedicated blower with AC vents, USB ports and cup holders.
Even though the hot and sunny Indian subcontinent doesn’t need one, there’s a panoramic sunroof. Boot space is around 180L with all three rows up and 813L with third row folded. To fold second row, you just need to press two buttons and they fold automatically. However, this only works when second row seat base and headrests along with first row seat back are in desirable positions. Lifting second row seats back up is a manual affair. A glaring omission here is a rear parcel shelf when third row is not in use.
Powertrains & Performance
Kia Sorento offers two engine options in India – a 2.2L Diesel and a 1.6L Hybrid (Kia’s first for India). The Hybrid is a self-charging one and not a more desirable and logical plug-in type. It has to be noted that Sorento offers PHEV setup in North America with a 14 kWh battery and around 60 km pure EV range. Sticking to what we get and tested, this system comprises a 1.6L Turbo Petrol engine, mated to a 64 bhp electric motor drawing juice from a 1.49 kWh battery.
Hybrid powertrain is rated at around 180 PS and 265 Nm, mated to a 6-speed torque converter automatic. Performance from this engine is brisk and it feels the quickest among this size and segment vehicles, if you don’t consider Tayron R Line and Kodiaq RS. This engine builds up pace beautifully as the electric motor fills up the torque band to mask turbo lag. This engine is smooth, vibe-free and mostly silent.
Like other self-charging strong hybrid powertrains, Kia Sorento’s Hybrid setup also does not have a valid pure electric range and electric intervention only happens in favourable conditions and slow city speeds. Kia is promising 19.6 km/l mileage with Hybrid 2WD and 17.7 km/l with Hybrid 4WD. You heard that right, a Hybrid 4WD combination that is very unique for Indian market.
Then, we have the 2.2L Diesel which is quite familiar as it also powers Carnival minivan. Just like in Carnival, this Diesel engine in Sorento has a pronounced throttle lag where engine revs on for 1 or 1.5 seconds after letting go of the throttle. Other than that, this Diesel engine is lovely and has exceptional torque reserves. The 8-speed wet DCT gearbox mated to this engine is quick and seamless.
4WD option is present with Diesel engine too. Prospective buyers are not likely to take this monocoque SUV extreme off-roading. However, if you’re like me who needs to go to their farm house and off-road at times, this 4WD could come in handy. Kia is promising 17.66 km/l mileage with Diesel 2WD and 15.79 km/l with Diesel 4WD. A 1,000 km tank range with one fill looks possible as the fuel tank is large at 67L.
Should You Buy One?
The best part about Kia Sorento is its ride quality as it is set up for Indian conditions. There’s multi-link independent suspension at the rear and they work well in soaking up bumps and bad patches quite well, considering it rides on 19-inch wheels. Chassis feels sophisticated and inspires confidence tackling Indian roads. There’s some body roll and nose dive, expected of a vehicle of this class and size.
Kia has one of the most reliable ADAS suite and smart autonomous features and they work well. Braking was quite nice and we tested the braking performance and returned impressed. However, we were not so impressed by floor-mounted rear AC vents. Would have been better if there were pillar mounted AC vents as well for rear passengers. Another is lack of cornering lights, missing full-screen Maps in instrument cluster and rear parcel tray.
The Sorento’s strongest arguments are its ride comfort, spacious first two rows and choice of diesel and hybrid powertrains. The third row is better suited to occasional use, and a few cabin details could be better resolved. For buyers prioritising family comfort and everyday road use, it deserves a place on the shortlist.
