Photo: Clien
The Kia Sorento was testing at the Nurburgring throughout 2019, so we got to take a really good look at it. However, we never expected that under all the camo was such a beautiful crossover.
Kia has been doing a decent job with its designs, but the Sorento is their home run. It's got just the right combination between simple lines, ruggedness and modern tech. At the front, the grille-to-headlight combo extends across the entire face of the vehicle, while the back sports simple vertical blocks as taillights. Maybe the black paint and range-topping trim are also helping here.
The exterior photos shot by the Korean website Clien have spread across the Internet like wildfire, indicating that everybody is just as impressed as we are. But the interior is the real masterpiece, as seen in the shots obtained by Sorento Club MQ4.
They show hints of Range Rover thinking, like a dial for the gear shifter and blocky air vents. The engines will be entirely dependent on the market, of course. For North America, the main one is going to be a new 2.5-liter replacing the 2.4L and adding a bit more power.
The turbocharged version of the 2.5L is also highly likely. This makes about 290 horsepower and has been confirmed for mainstream cars like the Sonata and Optima/K5. This would give the Sorento a fighting chance against the Mazda CX-9, its 3-row rival from Japan.
Over in Europe, Kia could still offer a diesel 2.2-liter with about 200 horsepower, perhaps equipped with the mild-hybrid technology they fitted to the Sportage facelift. However, the more economical, sensible choice will be either a hybrid or a plug-in.
Toyota, Nissan, Honda - everybody is offering green powertrains almost exclusively on their European crossovers. The ones for the MQ4 Sorento have been confirmed, but never detailed. But you can expect the usual EV range of about 40-50km from the plug-in model.
The exterior photos shot by the Korean website Clien have spread across the Internet like wildfire, indicating that everybody is just as impressed as we are. But the interior is the real masterpiece, as seen in the shots obtained by Sorento Club MQ4.
They show hints of Range Rover thinking, like a dial for the gear shifter and blocky air vents. The engines will be entirely dependent on the market, of course. For North America, the main one is going to be a new 2.5-liter replacing the 2.4L and adding a bit more power.
The turbocharged version of the 2.5L is also highly likely. This makes about 290 horsepower and has been confirmed for mainstream cars like the Sonata and Optima/K5. This would give the Sorento a fighting chance against the Mazda CX-9, its 3-row rival from Japan.
Over in Europe, Kia could still offer a diesel 2.2-liter with about 200 horsepower, perhaps equipped with the mild-hybrid technology they fitted to the Sportage facelift. However, the more economical, sensible choice will be either a hybrid or a plug-in.
Toyota, Nissan, Honda - everybody is offering green powertrains almost exclusively on their European crossovers. The ones for the MQ4 Sorento have been confirmed, but never detailed. But you can expect the usual EV range of about 40-50km from the plug-in model.
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