2026 Kia Sorento Unveiled In India; Gets Hybrid And Diesel Powertrain Options!
Mile munchers, rejoice! Kia is bringing a hybrid & a diesel too!
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Kia India has unveiled its latest offering for the Indian market, the Kia Sorento SUV. With this new seven-seater SUV entering this segment, it packs in some new features as well as the first-ever hybrid powertrain from Kia.
The Kia Sorento was long awaited for the Indian market as it fills the gap between the Seltos and the Carnival. But what is the Sorento going to offer for the Indian market? Let’s have a look at it:
Design
Kia has revealed the design of the Sorento SUV, ahead of its official launch in India on September 4, 2026, with images of the exterior and interior being showcased. Let’s dive deeper into what the images tell us about this premium SUV.
On the exterior, it has a bold new look with ice-cube-shaped LED headlamps with LED DRLs, along with the signature Kia nose upfront, and a split air-intake setup down the bumper with LED fog lamps present in it.
In the profile, you can see the chrome window line that rises down at the end of the rear quarter of the body, coloured door handles, and side door cladding as well. It also has huge dual-tone finish alloy wheels that look good with it.
At the rear, the Sorento features split LED taillamps, along with a sculpted tailgate look, with the Kia logo in the centre. It also has an integrated spoiler with a high-mount stop lamp and a neatly hidden rear wiper as well. Over to the rear bumper, it gets a silver skid plate along with the reverse lamps positioned in it.
Interior
Coming to the interior, the Sorento has a completely new dashboard setup with twin displays, which include a large infotainment system and a digital driver’s display, neatly integrated AC vents into the dashboard, ambient lighting which also extends into the front door panel which has a textured look on it, and a dual-tone beige and grey cabin theme that also carries over to the new steering wheel as well.
The Sorento has plenty of storage space as well, with two cup holders on the centre console, large door pockets, and, to increase the sense of space, it does offer a panoramic sunroof as well. Moving to the second and third row seats, it is offered with a captain's seat configuration and will add to the premium appeal for this segment.
Features & Safety
The all-new Sorento is expected to have features such as a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and new first-in-the-segment generative AI with connected car technology as well as a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. Looking at the interior images, it is also getting powered and ventilated front seats with a memory function for the driver’s seat, a premium Bose sound system, and the crowd favourite panoramic sunroof.
While not much is known about the safety equipment, it is expected to have 6 airbags, Level-2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System), a 360-degree camera, an in-built dashcam for front and rear view, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), electronic parking brake (EPB), electronic stability control (ESC), digital IRVM for added visibility, and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
Expected Powertrain Options
While Kia has officially confirmed that the India-spec Sorento will feature a diesel engine alongside an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain setup, the actual details remain undisclosed.
But, as the global version of the Kia Sorento also has similar powertrain options, here are the expected specifications of both powertrains:
| Engine |
1.6-litre Turbo-Petrol Hybrid |
2.2-litre Diesel |
| Power |
238 PS (combined) |
202 PS |
| Torque |
380 Nm (combined) |
441 Nm |
| Transmission |
eCVT |
8-speed DCT |
| Drivetrain |
AWD |
FWD |
*AWD- All-wheel Drive, FWD- Front-wheel Drive, DCT- Dual Clutch Transmission
*Global-spec Kia Sorento Engine Image
Expected Price & Rivals
The Kia Sorento is expected to be priced around Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom), which puts this premium SUV in competition with the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tayron, Jeep Meridian, Honda ZR-V, Toyota Fortuner, and the MG Majestor.
CarDekho Says….
The Kia Sorento is Kia’s first premium offering for this segment, and with it being locally manufactured in India and the introduction of a hybrid powertrain for this segment, we expect it to be priced aggressively alongside its German competitors.
It is expected to be priced around Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom); it does have to cross the Kia identity for this segment, as buyers might prefer some of the German offerings or even an entry-level luxury car for that matter.
