First Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid detailed

Kia has announced details of the cleanest and most powerful Kia Sorento yet, and it could well be sold in Australia after all.

First revealed in February, the fourth-generation seven-seat SUV arrives Down Under in diesel form from next month, followed by petrol versions later this year.

But while Kia Australia previously told carsales it would not be available with hybrid power here, the Korean brand now appears to be leaving the door open.

“The possibility of adding an alternative powertrain to the new Sorento range will no doubt be a popular topic at the upcoming online launch and can be discussed in detail then,” said Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith today.

Revealed in full globally today, the first Kia Sorento hybrid will incorporate a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain comprises a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine paired to a 13.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack and is good for combined outputs of around 169kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

It will come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission and be offered in some markets alongside a (non-plug-in) hybrid version of the new Kia Sorento, which is also unconfirmed for the Australian market.

Kia says the Sorento PHEV’s pure-electric driving range and CO2 emissions are TBC pending homologation and will be announced closer to its launch.

Despite its extra running gear, the Korean car-maker says the plug-in hybrid Sorento will continue to offer ‘generous’ cabin space for luggage and seven occupants – 898 litres of boot space for five-seat variants and 809L for seven-seaters; although that’s squashed down to 175L with all seven seats in use.

The 2021 Kia Sorento will initially come to Australia with carryover petrol and diesel engines, including a 200kW/332Nm 3.5-litre petrol V6 (front-wheel drive only) and a 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder CRDI turbo-diesel (all-wheel drive).

It’ll also come at a cost, with the all-new Sorento SUV set to arrive with price increases of around $4000, to account for its higher levels of technology including a new blind-spot view monitor built into the instrument cluster.

Other new tech will include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Depending on the variant, a Bose surround sound system and a 64-colour cabin Mood Lighting system may be available.

On-board driver assistance features include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping assist, rear cross traffic alert, speed sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and more.

Safe Exit Assist – a feature currently found on the flagship Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander in Australia – will also be available, to prevent rear seat passengers opening their doors if the vehicle detects a hazard (eg: vehicle or cyclist) approaching from behind.