5 Features Kia Sorento Gets Over the Seltos: Worth Upgrading To The Bigger Segment?
Self-parking, 10 airbags, and a hybrid setup with AWD make the Sorento a true big brother over the Seltos.
Kia recently launched the Sorento 7-seater SUV at a starting price of Rs 27.99 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards. This is Kia India’s 7-seater premium SUV offering, sitting above the Kia Seltos, the popular compact SUV. Does the Sorento get some special feature upgrades over the Seltos? What do you get by spending Rs 10 lakh to 15 lakh over the Seltos? Let’s explore the top 5 features the Sorento gets over the Seltos:
Heads-Up-Display
This feature is useful for people who drive a lot on the highways and prefer information in their line of sight. Interestingly, while the rivals of the Seltos get a heads-up display with a separate screen, it does not get one at all. However, the Sorento gets one which projects the information onto the front windshield, which looks seamless.
The display includes vehicle speed, navigation, speed limits and the display for the ADAS features. While this feature is common in many cars today, the Sorento’s execution of the feature is well made and seamless.
More Airbags, Better Safety
The Kia Sorento gets 10 airbags in its safety suite. This is an upgrade over the Seltos’ 6-airbag setup. This is also the highest number of airbags offered in comparison to the Sorento’s rivals.
The airbags included are two on the front, one in each front seat, side curtain airbags, and a knee airbag. This covers a great area of the passengers in the event of a collision. This is one of many more safety features available on both SUV siblings.
Remote Parking System
The Sorento, being a fairly large SUV, can be stuck in some tight situations. And so, Kia has got you covered.
On the key of the Sorento, you will find two buttons indicating the vehicle to go forward and backwards. This is useful if you have parked the car in a tight spot and have to get your Sorento in and out of the space. If you don’t have enough space to get in and out, line the Sorento up correctly and let the car get into the tight space by itself with your command using the key.
Digital IRVM
The Sorento gets what many Indian SUVs are getting today. A digital inside rear-view mirror (IRVM). The Sorento includes a separate camera mounted at the back to give you a live feed of what is happening behind you, essentially acting as a rear-view mirror. This will come in handy during nighttime or when you want to see better on the mirror.
Generally, large 7-seater SUVs don’t have a great vision on the rear seat because the rear glass is far away and the two rows of seats separate the two. Hence, this can be a handy feature if you want a clean vision behind you.
Powertrain Flexibility
The Sorento today gets a hybrid powertrain setup which includes a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 6-speed torque converter automatic and a strong hybrid battery and motor setup. This is also available with front-wheel drive and an all-wheel-drive setup, should you wish to travel beyond the paved roads. While the Seltos does give you a wide range of petrol and diesel engines with different gearbox options, the Sorento’s powertrain options give further versatility.
The powertrain specifications of the Sorento hybrid are in the table below for your reference.
| Engine |
1.6-litre turbo-petrol with strong-hybrid |
| Power |
180 PS + 65 PS (Engine + Motor) |
| Torque |
265 Nm + 264 Nm (Engine + Motor) |
| Transmission |
6-speed AT |
| Drivetrain |
FWD/AWD |
AT- Torque Converter (automatic) / FWD- Front-wheel drive, AWD- All-wheel drive
Do note that the Seltos is also set to get the hybrid powertrain option, most likely by 2027.
Bonus: Seat Ergo Function
One of the unique features of the Sorento is that the driver’s seat gets an ergo motion function.
This is essentially a feature designed for long-distance journeys. One part of this feature includes something similar to a seat massage system, which activates small motions in the seats to reduce fatigue. The other function includes the seats' posture changing into a more relaxed setting. This means the seat extends thigh support and reclines the angle a little more.
CarDekho Says…
Kia’s popular compact SUV, the Seltos, got a new-generation update earlier this year. It got bigger, gained more features and pushed its segment’s benchmarks even further. That made sure that the Seltos stays among the top positions against its Korean cousin, the Hyundai Creta.
With the launch of the Sorento, Kia enters the next segment, which includes the 7-seater premium SUVs like the Mahindra XUV 7XO, the MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV, the Jeep Meridian and the Toyota Innova Hycross. On the premium end, we have the Volkswagen Tayron and Tiguan R-Line and the Skoda Kodiaq. And in typical Kia fashion, they like to shake up the segment with a value-for-money proposition.
However, the difference between the Seltos and the Sorento is apparent: they belong to two different segments, and the bigger one offers more premium features and more size.
Will you spend the extra money and upgrade to the Sorento? Let us know in the comments.