Kia Opens Official Bookings for Sorento Ahead of Launch
Kia India has started official bookings for the Sorento SUV and released a fresh teaser image.
The teaser confirms design highlights and a strong-hybrid powertrain, though pricing and launch date are still under wraps.
Kia India has opened official bookings for its upcoming Sorento SUV. The move comes alongside a fresh teaser image, giving buyers their first proper look at the model.
Interestingly, this isn't the SUV's first brush with bookings. Dealerships had reportedly started taking unofficial reservations for the Sorento a few weeks earlier, well before Kia made anything official. Now that the process has been formalised, interested buyers can reserve their unit either at a nearby Kia dealership or through the brand's website.
There's no word yet on when the Sorento will actually launch. Buyers eager to get behind the wheel will simply have to wait for Kia's next announcement.
The teaser keeps most of the SUV hidden under a wrap, but it does offer a few useful clues. T-shaped daytime running lights feature up front, paired with headlamps that carry a vertical LED stack. The fog lamps make a brief appearance too, though only partially.
Beyond the lighting, the image also draws attention to the roof rails and the SUV's long, imposing profile. For some sense of scale, the international-spec Sorento measures 4,815mm in length, 1,900mm in width and 1,700mm in height. That should give buyers a fair idea of just how substantial this SUV really is.
Kia hasn't revealed the interior just yet. That said, the global-spec car and test mules spotted on Indian roads offer a fairly good preview of what's coming.
Expect twin 12.3-inch displays for the infotainment system and driver's instrument cluster, along with a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats and a powered driver's seat.
A 360-degree camera, a head-up display and Level 2 driver assistance systems are also likely to be part of the package. Test mules have also shown a rotary gear selector and an electronic parking brake on the centre console, so those are worth keeping an eye out for.
Globally, the Sorento comes in five, six or seven-seat layouts. For India, expect Kia to stick with six and seven-seat versions.
Along with the teaser, Kia has confirmed one important detail. The Sorento will get a strong-hybrid powertrain.
Full specifications haven't been shared yet, but it's widely expected that the India-spec SUV will use the same 1.6-litre turbo-petrol strong-hybrid setup sold in international markets. That unit produces 238hp and 380Nm, drawing power from a 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. A six-speed automatic gearbox is expected to handle gear changes.
As for pricing, industry estimates put the Sorento at around Rs 40 lakh, ex-showroom. At that price, it would compete with other premium SUVs already well established in the segment, giving buyers another option worth considering.
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