Kia Sorento Yosemite and Zion concepts get tough

Kia has teamed up with Californian tuner LGE-CTE Motorsports to tailor its fourth-generation Kia Sorento for both life in the mountains and scorching desert.

The two new concepts, named the Sorento Yosemite and the Sorento Zion, are said to have been upgraded to deal with alpine conditions and temperatures.

Painted Pine Green with gloss-black accents, the Kia Sorento Yosemite features bigger bash plates and custom fender flares that enable engineers to fit new 20-inch alloy rims wrapped with 32-inch all-terrain tyres.

The Kia Sorento Zion looks identical to the Yosemite but is said to have been developed to cope with adventures in the desert.

Finished in a 'Desert Sand' exterior paint colour (and also bearing gloss-black trim elements), the hot-weather high-riding Kia large SUV comes equipped with a roof-mounted cargo rack and, this time, two-tone 20-inch rims.

Helping the SUV perform better in both hot and cold extremes, LGE-CTE Motorsports has developed a new high-lift suspension kit that raises the body by a useful 211mm.

The San Dimas-based tuner also says it has "upgraded" the all-wheel drive hardware on both concepts, but has not revealed details.

Kia is also yet to reveal the powertrains in either of the more rugged takes on its latest Sorento, but it's thought both versions come powered by the US-spec 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, with power and torque turned up from the stock SUV's 210kW and 422Nm.

There's no word if Kia plans to offer some of its off-road accessories as dealer-fit options.

Instead, it's believed both the Sorento Yosemite and Sorento Zion concepts were created for the SEMA modified car show that's usually held in Las Vegas but this year has switched to an online event.