Kia is all set to launch its flagship SUV, the Sorento, in the Indian market. It has already started pre-bookings, and we have also seen multiple teaser videos of the same on Kia’s official social media handles. Now, Kia has come forward with a new teaser video where it has actually confirmed the AWD version for our market.
Kia is currently planning to launch the Sorento SUV in India on September 4, 2026. Before the official launch, it is releasing teaser videos hinting at the features and powertrain options that the SUV would come with. In the latest teaser video, we see Kia giving a brief overview of the history of the Sorento nameplate and how popular it is in international markets.
It has been on sale in over 132 countries, and Kia has managed to sell over 4.8 million Sorento SUVs globally in 24 years. Kia is now bringing the popular Sorento to India as its flagship model. The SUV is still under wraps, and as usual, we only get to see the silhouette of the vehicle, along with the LED DRLs, headlamps, fog lamps, and tail lamps.
From the teaser video, it is clear that the Sorento will come with a tall and upright design. While the SUV would remain more or less the same as the international version, Kia is likely to make minor changes to the design of the SUV to make it suitable for our market. The SUV will come with a vertically stacked, ice-cube-like LED headlamp design, and right next to it, we also see the 7-shaped dual-function LED DRLs. The ice-cube fog lamps seen in the teaser look like a signature lighting element specific to the Indian market.
The Kia Sorento is going to be a family SUV with three-row seating. While the teaser doesn’t say much about the interiors, we had come across a set of spy pictures recently that gave us a glimpse of the cabin of the SUV. It is a premium-looking SUV with features like leatherette upholstery, seat ventilation, a panoramic sunroof, multi-zone climate control, and a curvilinear display that includes a large touchscreen infotainment system and a fully digital driver display. The centre console gets a clean layout with rotary knobs for the gear selector and drive modes, along with buttons for the 360-degree camera, EPB, hill descent control, auto hold, and more. There are cupholders on the console, and we also see a decent number of physical buttons.
The SUV will come with captain seats for the second row, while the driver and co-driver seats will get electric adjustment and a memory function, along with a boss mode for the co-driver seat. Even the rear seats are expected to get a ventilation function. The SUV will also offer a host of safety features, including ADAS. In the teaser, Kia mentions Live Gen AI, which is likely to be a generative AI-powered voice assistant that would allow the driver to use natural, conversational language for vehicle controls, trip planning, and general inquiries.
Coming to the engine and transmission options, the Kia Sorento will be offered with both petrol-hybrid and diesel engine options. The hybrid version will use a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with the strong-hybrid system that is already offered in many international markets. The UK-spec version of the Sorento with the same engine gets a 1.49 kWh battery pack and generates 238 hp and 380 Nm. It is mated to an automatic transmission as standard.
The diesel version will use a 2.2-litre turbocharged unit from the Kia Carnival MPV. It will generate 202 bhp and 440 Nm of peak torque. This engine is likely to be offered with FWD and AWD options. It is likely to rival the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tayron in the segment.