Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento is the brand’s new flagship SUV in India. Launched at an aggressive starting price of Rs 27.99 lakh, the Sorento might just be the right SUV for someone upgrading from their Creta or Seltos. 

Given its price tag, the Sorento competes with a host of vehicles. The entry-level variants of the Sorento can be considered (with a stretch) against top variants of the Tata Safari or Mahindra XUV 7XO, Toyota’s popular Innova Hycross is another hybrid rival, while the upper variants are priced to compete against the Volkswagen Tayron and Skoda Kodiaq. 

The Sorento has been a successful product for Kia globally, and it aims to write a similar chapter in India. 

To find out, I spent a day driving the Kia Sorento in Udaipur, exploring every facet of the new SUV. Having driven the new Volkswagen Tayron R Line and updated Skoda Kodiaq earlier this year, I was keen to see what the Kia does better.

At first glance, the Sorento looks large and upright. The proportions are that of a modern day SUV, with a large bonnet, tight overhangs and a massive glass area. It might not seem immediately apparent, but the Sorento is actually longer and wider than the current Toyota Fortuner. 

Viewed from the front, you’ll notice that the Sorento does not look similar to the smaller Seltos or Syros. In fact, it’s more in line with the design language of the Sonet and the Carnival. That’s because the Sorento we get in India was introduced globally in 2023 and has remained relatively unchanged since. Do you prefer the older design language or the newer one? Check out our detailed exterior gallery to form your opinion! 

In my view, it’s still quite a handsome looking front design with cube-shaped LED projectors enclosed in a large headlamp with daytime running lamps, a massive grille and smart looking LED fog lamps. The DRLs double up as dynamic turn indicators too. The bumper has an upright design, with some contrast coming in the form of the skid plate. 

From the side, the roof rails stick out, quite literally. I’d have preferred to see flush-fitting roof rails (like in the global model), that gives the profile a clean look. The raised roof rails look like a bit of an afterthought. 18-inch alloy wheels are offered as standard, whereas 19-inch alloy wheels are available from the HTK variant onwards. 

From the rear, the Sorento keeps it clean and simple. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have a connected lighting setup (almost a staple with Kia SUVs). An integrated spoiler with a wide high mount stop lamp, a hidden rear wiper and a shark fin antenna round things off. 

Kia Sorento colour options include Aurora Black, Glacier White Pearl, Magma Red, Ivory Silver, Gravity Gray, Imperial Blue and Pewter Olive. A Dark Gun Metal matte paint shade is also available from the HTX variant onwards. Kia also offers a ‘Black Line’ styling pack that replaces all the chrome on the SUV with gloss black elements, giving the Sorento a sporty feel. Having seen all colours in person, I found myself preferring the lighter shades on the Sorento, especially the white and silver. You can also personalise your cabin with armrest storage organiser, floor mat or even a rear seat entertainment screen that are available as an official accessories. Here’s a list of what all you can get.

The Sorento’s interior design mimics its clean exterior. The design is simple and functional, with lots of horizontal elements that emphasize the width of the cabin. The dashboard features a curved display panel that houses two screens, an infotainment-climate control ‘swap’ switch and large AC vents. There are two interior themes: Smoky Black and Grey [available from HTE to HTK (A)] and Premium Black and Olive Brown [HTX onwards]. Our test car featured the black-brown theme which is a luxury car staple — elegant and understated. 

Choice of materials and fit and finish is expectedly above average with no inconsistencies or uneven panel gaps. There’s a generous use of soft-touch leatherette materials on the top half of the dashboard and the door cards that makes the cabin feel richer. However, the textures of plastic used on the dashboard could’ve been better. It feels a little old school for 2026, but by no means feels low quality. 

Front Seats

The front seats are set at a relatively neutral height. You (and the elders in your family) will not have to put effort to climb into the cabin of the Sorento. Both front seats are XL-sized and very accommodating of large frames. There’s ample support for your shoulders, sides and lower back. Underthigh support is satisfactory.

Both front seats are electric — you get a 10-way adjust for the driver’s seat (with three memory settings, which also remembers the mirror and head up display setting) and a 8-way adjust for the co-driver’s seat. The steering can be adjusted for rake and reach, making finding a comfortable driving position easy. Do note that taller drivers (above 6ft) might feel the need for the driver’s seat to go down further. Even at its lowest, the seating position is tall and commanding, giving you a full view of the Sorento’s large bonnet and ample all round visibility. If it’s your first time driving such a large vehicle, this should put you at ease. 

The driver’s seat of the Sorento has a unique ‘ergo’ function. This function almost massages your back and thighs to keep fatigue at bay. It would’ve been great to have this function for the co-driver as well. However, both seats get a ‘relaxation’ mode, which essentially position the seat such that you can take a nap in utmost comfort while taking a break on your road trip.

Rear Seats

Second Row

I tested the 6-seater version, which has large, comfortable captain seats. These seats slide, recline and fold to offer a ‘walk-in’ access to the third row. With the driver’s seat set for my 6ft tall frame, I was plenty comfortable in the second row even without the seats slid all the way back. Here, you feel that the seat is placed too close to the floor compromising under thigh support. In the hybrid version, the floor seems raised further, eating into your foot room under the front seat. Headroom is acceptable, and you are unlikely to have troubles with shoulder room in the bench seat version either. My favourite bit about the rear seat experience are the winged headrests that add an extra layer of support to the neck and head. These should’ve been offered for the front seats as well. 

Window curtains and individual armrests amp up the comfort quotient. However, Kia should have considered offering seatback trays (the cheaper Clavis gets it!) at this price point. 

Third Row

This seat is virtually placed on the floor of the SUV. It is best suited for kids or pets, and adults only for (extremely) short trips. The seats can be individually folded down, and the occupants get a dedicated fan speed controller too. 

Storage and Practicality

In-cabin practicality is quite sorted too. The front doors have large bottle holders, there’s more than ample space in the XL-sized glovebox and floor console up front and then there’s some more space under the front armrest.

The rear door pad of the Sorento can accommodate a large water bottle, and there’s a dedicated cup holder on the door too. Third row occupants get their own cupholders. The only annoyance is the seat back pocket which seems too tightly wrapped to accommodate anything of consequence. 

Charging Options

For your devices, there’s a wireless smartphone charger up front, along with two USB Type-C sockets. The shoulders of the front seats also have a Type-C USB socket each.

Second row occupants can also use the 12V socket or the 220V socket provided under the rear AC vents. Finally, third row occupants get two USB Type-C chargers to charge their phones. 

Boot Space

There’s a nifty sticker on the rear bumper that tells you where the boot release switch is. Open up the massive powered tailgate, and you see a rather tiny 179-litres of boot space (measured up to the roof) with the third row in place.

This is enough to fit 3-4 backpacks and not much else. However, fold the third row away and you’ve got access to a massive 813-litres of space.

You could practically fit two full suitcase sets here (including a large, medium and cabin-sized trolley bag) and still have room to spare. If you want more space, the second row can be folded away too.

There’s nothing that stands out in the features set of the Kia Sorento. But there’s virtually nothing that’s missing. Staples include

Here’s a run-through of the highlights: 

12.3-inch Touchscreen: We’ve experienced this screen in other Kia SUVs. Crisp display, easy to understand UI and snappy responses makes this screen a joy to use. It also supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. I experienced no glitch, lag or software bugs here. 

Note: Kia AI assistant

The AI assistant uses Perplexity and can be used to converse, research and do anything an AI assistant can do. However, I could not test this reliably due to repeated network issues. Also, even basic vehicle function controls now require an internet connection, making it inconvenient. 

12.3-inch Driver’s Display: Again, a display shared with smaller Kias. The customisable themes, the side camera feed and wide variety of information available at a glance makes this display among the best in the segment. 

Bose Sound System: With 12 speakers, the Sorento delivers a crisp surround sound experience. It’s not extraordinary by any measure, but it’s unlikely that you’ll feel the need for an audio upgrade. 

Digital IRVM: A feature we’ve seen before in the Harrier EV, this uses a separate rear camera to display a video feed on the internal rear view mirror (IRVM). Quality is acceptable, and it doesn’t have a ghosting or glare issue. 

For a full list of variant-wise features of the Sorento, check out our quick guide

The Sorento has a solid safety package, right from the base variant. This includes: 

• 7 Airbags (HTX variants have 10)

• ABS

• Electronic Stability Control

• Vehicle Stability Management

• Hill-start Assist

• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

• ISOFIX Child Seat Mounts (2nd and 3rd Row)

• All wheel disc brakes

ADAS is offered in two flavours, the HTK (A) gets Level 2 with 21 features including auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control. The HTX (A) variant gets Level 2+ ADAS with additional features such as junction crossing and lane change collision avoidance, evasive steering, and navigation-based cruise control. There’s Remote Smart Parking too, that lets you drive forwards and backwards using the Sorento’s key. 

As is the case with all Kias, the ADAS is tuned well enough for Indian conditions. It’s not overly intrusive and can be relied upon for day to day driving. 

The Indian-spec Kia Sorento does not have a crash test rating yet. However, Kia says the Indian version’s structure has more reinforcements along the A- and B-pillars and the central floor to improve crash performance.

Kia offers two engine options: a turbo-petrol hybrid and a diesel. Both engine options are available with an automatic transmission only, and with front- and all-wheel drive options. Do note that base variants are FWD only (check Sorento variant-wise powertrain options here). Here’s a quick snapshot of the specifications: 

*AWD- All-wheel Drive, FWD- Front-wheel Drive, DCT- Dual Clutch Transmission

Kia Sorento Hybrid Drive Review

Start up the Sorento Hybrid and there’s pin drop silence. It starts up in pure electric mode and you have to rely on the ‘Ready’ read out on the instrument cluster to know it’s good to go. Like all strong hybrids, the vehicle decides when to use the electric motor, the engine or the combination of both based on driving conditions and load. Whenever the engine kicks in, it does so seamlessly without any perceptible lag or jerk. 

Even when the engine kicks in, noise and vibrations are at an absolute minimum. The refinement of the engine is impressive, and it’s only when you really push it hard do you hear it inside the cabin. It’s never jarring or disturbing, however. 

As you’d expect, the engine is responsive and the electric assist means picking gaps in traffic is an easy affair, both inside the city and out on the highway. You’d have no problems maintaining triple digit speeds and even pushing for overtakes. That said, this engine doesn’t have the same engaging and involving feel as the Tayron-Kodiaq duo. It feels more suited to a laidback driving style. The 6-speed automatic too is quick and smooth, just not as polished as VW’s DSG. 

Where it will significantly better the 2.0 TSI engine offered in the VW-Skoda SUVs is fuel efficiency. On our drive in and around Udaipur, the Sorento Hybrid returned a fuel efficiency of 13.7kmpl. This included a mix of incline, city and highway driving. Realistically, you could expect the Sorento hybrid mileage to be around 10-12kmpl in the city and 13-15kmpl on the highway — impressive for a large 7-seater SUV. 

Kia Sorento Diesel Review

There’s a mild shake and stir as the diesel engine wakes up. Very mild vibrations can be felt on the floorboard, expected for a large diesel like this. This engine has proven its reliability globally, and here too, doing duty under the bonnet of the Carnival and the older Hyundai Tucson. 

This engine too picks up pace gradually and doesn’t particularly pin you to your seat even if you went full throttle. It’s built for relaxed highway cruises at triple digit speeds where it is at absolute ease. While it isn’t outright exciting in any manner, it remains the ‘fun’ pick between the two. 

A DCT paired with a diesel engine is a first in this space, and the combination seems to work quite well. The gearbox is quick, smooth and decisive — exhibiting none of that low speed hesitation most DCTs have under crawling conditions. 

You can expect the Sorento diesel mileage to be similar to that of the Hybrid: 10-12kmpl in the city, and 13-15kmpl on the highway.

Note: All-Wheel Drive

While the Sorento is offered with all-wheel drive, it’s not something you’d need unless you foresee trips to places with snow, sand or mud. If the vehicle is intended for city and highway trips alone, front wheel drive versions should suffice. In any case, the all-wheel drive is intended to help over poor surfaces, and not enable off-roading abilities. 

Ride and Handling

The suspension provides enough cushioning to take the jolts and jerks out of surface imperfections. The ride still has a firm edge, but there’s no concerning vertical or side to side movement. At low speeds, sharper bumps are felt in the cabin, but never cause discomfort. It stays planted at high speeds, giving you confidence. If you intend on travelling in the Sorento with a full house or be chauffeur driven, you’d be happy with how the vehicle tackles bad terrain. 

Driving a large SUV like the Sorento around town is quite easy thanks to the superlight steering. However, it’s absolutely devoid of feel and feedback. Driving it around the twisties of Raita Hills near Udaipur had me question the steering’s calibration quite often.

The Kia Sorento in India is offered in three broad trims which split into a total of nine variants: HTE, HTE (O), HTK, HTK (A), HTK (A) Black Line, HTX AWD, HTX (A) AWD, HTX A AWD Black Line and HTX (A) AWD Black Line.

Here’s a detailed look at what these variants offer:

Kia Sorento HTE

• Premium design for a base variant with LED reflector headlights, LED DRLs with integrated turn indicators, LED stop lamp, rear spoiler with hidden wiper, satin chrome garnish and 18-inch alloy wheels.

• Gets solar and acoustic front windshield, solar front window glass, tinted rear glasses and heated rear windshield.

• Interior gets black and grey dual-tone theme with leatherette seats, metal door handles, matte black console and LED map lights.

• Manual tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, 10-way powered driver seat with lumbar adjustment, 6-way power passenger seat, 60:40 rear seat split with slide and recline, 50:50 third row split and 2-way adjustable headrests in all rows offer a versatile cabin.

• Covers all modern functional features with cruise control, auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, all windows one touch up/down, dual-zone AC with second and third row vents, 2x Type-C ports in all rows, and wireless charger. 

• Tech package gets a 12.3-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay,4.2-inch coloured MID display, and 6-speakers. 

• Hybrid variant gets paddle shifters.

• Safety package includes 7 airbags, rear view-camera with guidelines, electronic stability control, ISOFIX mounts, all-wheel disc brakes, front and rear parking sensors, rollover sensor and tyre pressure monitoring system as standard.

Kia Sorento HTE (O)

• No visual changes.

• Interior gets a panoramic sunroof for making it feel more airy.

• Adds feel-good features like 8-way powered passenger seat, front ventilated seats and a powered tailgate with anti-pinch. 

Kia Sorento HTK

• All variants moving forward now get both 6- and 7-seater options.

• Improved design with LED projector headlights, LED taillights, LED reflector fog lights, sequential turn indicators, and bigger 19-inch alloy wheels.

• More premium interior with leatherette soft touch door padding, metal step plates and alloy pedals.

• Captain seats have a slide and recline function.

• Feature additions include a 12-speaker Bose sound system and a 64-colour ambient lighting.

• Bigger displays with 12.3-inch driver display and connected car tech improve the tech package.

• Gets paddle shifters for diesel too.

• Safety kit gets a 360-degree camera with blind view monitor and side parking sensors. 

Kia Sorento HTK (A)

• Variant that specifically offers 21 ADAS features.

• Highlight features include front collision avoidance, lane keep and follow assist, high beam assist, driver attention warning, blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross traffic alert and collision avoidance assist, and adaptive cruise control.

Kia Sorento HTK (A) Black Line

• Offers the same equipment package as the HTK (A), but with visual changes.

• Blacked out exterior elements include Kia and Sorento emblems, alloy wheels, fender garnish, beltline and more.

Kia Sorento HTX AWD

• New dual-tone black and olive interior theme with embossing treatment on the seats.

• Adds hi-tech features like head-up display with windshield projection, AI assistant, digital IRVM, remote smart parking assist and digital key.

• Offers creature comfort like driver seat and ORVM memory function, second row ventilated seats, winged headrests, boss mode, and 220V power outlet.

• Stronger safety package, thanks to 10 airbags and front and rear dashcam.

• All-wheel drive system gets terrain modes like snow, mud and sand.

Kia Sorento HTX AWD Black Line

• Visual-only variant that brings an all-black exterior styling touch with black wordmarks, alloy wheels and fender garnish.

Kia Sorento HTX AWD (A)

• Adds 21 ADAS features that offer better functionality in the same features.

• Highlights include front collision avoidance assist with evasive steering wheel and navigation based adaptive cruise control.

Kia Sorento HTX AWD (A) Black Line

• Only aesthetic changes with an all-black exterior theme that blacks out Kia and Sorento emblems, alloy wheels, fender garnish and beltline.

CarDekho Says

• The base variant offers exceptional value with a modern design, creature comforts and strong safety package. If you were looking for an upgrade over the compact SUVs like Sierra, Seltos and Creta, but didn’t want to stretch your budget beyond Rs 30 lakh, this is the car and the variant to pick.

• HTK offers the most balanced package with important feel-good additions that you will actually use. It also comes with looks identical to the top spec variant and a stronger safety package, making it our recommended variant of the lot. It also has the 6-seater option for folks who want to be chauffeur driven. Pick HTK (A) if you need the added safety assurance of ADAS features on highways. 

• HTX trim does offer a lot of cutting technology features, but the premium is too high compared to other variants in the lineup, primarily because of the all-wheel drivetrain. But compared to its rivals, it offers a far better feature package and you can pick it for its capability and the luxury.

• Black Line variants are a subjective buy. If you like how the all-black treatment looks, opt for it.

The Kia Sorento is an extremely potent package. One that has the potential to be a natural upgrade for those who bought SUVs like the Creta-Seltos 4-5 years ago. It has the big car feel inside out, is spacious, feature loaded and has two efficient engine options on offer. Yes, it’s not the most fun to drive and it’s more of a 5+2 seater than a proper seven seater, but those aspects are unlikely to be dealbreakers. 

If you’ve wanted an SUV that could seemingly do it all, even if it didn’t feel extraordinary in any singular aspect, the Sorento deserves your attention. 

Other Cars To Consider

Mahindra XUV7XO

Reasons To Consider

• Substantially cheaper

• More fun to drive

Reasons To Ignore

• Low fuel efficiency (petrol)

• Prone to infotainment glitches and bugs

Tata Safari

Reasons To Consider

• Better 7-seater

• More affordable

Reasons To Ignore

• Inconsistent infotainment/tech package

• Poor fuel efficiency (petrol)

Toyota Innova Hycross

Reasons To Consider

• Better space in all rows

• Comfortable ‘Ottoman’ captain seats 

• Better fuel efficiency (hybrid)

Reasons To Ignore

• Cabin feels cheap

• Not as feature-loaded

Volkswagen Tayron 

Reasons To Consider

• More fun to drive

• Feels more luxurious

Reasons To Ignore

• Single-digit city fuel efficiency 

Skoda Kodiaq

Reasons To Consider

• Cabin and tech feels more upmarket

• Superior driving feel

Reasons To Ignore

• Poor fuel efficiency

Here’s how Sorento compares with Kodiaq.

One Liner: 

“If you’ve wanted an SUV that could seemingly do it all, even if it didn’t feel extraordinary in any singular aspect, the Sorento deserves your attention.”