Photo: CarPix
Kia is actively preparing the refreshed Sorento for the 2023 launch. The prototypes spotted by our photographers suggest more profound modifications for the mid-life update. These include a new front grille and brand-new light signatures front and rear.
The Sorento is arguably the best offer Kia has for the U.S. market, with the right balance of features versus price and fuel economy. The three-row SUV debuted stateside just two years ago. Still, the Korean automaker is already working on the next step of its lifecycle. The industry norms usually imply a mildly refreshed design and maybe altered technical details. New engines may not be uncommon, although carmakers try to change as little as possible to keep the costs down.
The Kia Sorento prototypes caught testing in Europe suggest a different approach for the facelifted model. The SUV is covered in black camouflage as if it were a brand new model with a radically-changed design. Despite that, we expect Kia to stick to the trusted recipe and not hide anything under that camo. Or, maybe, they will surprise us all with a Sorento as striking as the new Sportage.
Until further proved, what little the camo reveals points to a different light signature and a modified grille up front. The headlights adopt a vertical layout, with the DRLs edging the vertically-stacked reflectors. This doesn’t look like Sportage, but rather like the Telluride’s headlights, but we’ll need to see more Sorento real estate before judging.
The back doesn’t look much different from the current layout, with the split taillights still in place. Following recent trends, Kia might throw in a LED bar between the lights, although this would look bizarre on a split-taillight design. Almost certainly, there’ll be a modified light signature at the back too.
Disregard the huge tailpipe you see in the pictures, this is most probably fake. The brake discs look as small as those on the plug-in hybrid version of the Sorento, so we figure this is what Kia is testing. It makes sense, too, considering that incentives favor the plug-in version over the hybrids, washing away the price difference. Talking about powertrains, we don’t expect significant updates, with possible subtle tweaks to boost efficiency even further.
The refreshed model will enter production next year at Kia’s assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, and will hit the market as a 2024 model year. Expect more competent safety assist tech onboard and a revamped infotainment system. Kia will probably boast about better materials but don’t expect much in this regard. Carmakers use the mid-life update to optimize costs, not throw away money.
The Kia Sorento prototypes caught testing in Europe suggest a different approach for the facelifted model. The SUV is covered in black camouflage as if it were a brand new model with a radically-changed design. Despite that, we expect Kia to stick to the trusted recipe and not hide anything under that camo. Or, maybe, they will surprise us all with a Sorento as striking as the new Sportage.
Until further proved, what little the camo reveals points to a different light signature and a modified grille up front. The headlights adopt a vertical layout, with the DRLs edging the vertically-stacked reflectors. This doesn’t look like Sportage, but rather like the Telluride’s headlights, but we’ll need to see more Sorento real estate before judging.
The back doesn’t look much different from the current layout, with the split taillights still in place. Following recent trends, Kia might throw in a LED bar between the lights, although this would look bizarre on a split-taillight design. Almost certainly, there’ll be a modified light signature at the back too.
Disregard the huge tailpipe you see in the pictures, this is most probably fake. The brake discs look as small as those on the plug-in hybrid version of the Sorento, so we figure this is what Kia is testing. It makes sense, too, considering that incentives favor the plug-in version over the hybrids, washing away the price difference. Talking about powertrains, we don’t expect significant updates, with possible subtle tweaks to boost efficiency even further.
The refreshed model will enter production next year at Kia’s assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, and will hit the market as a 2024 model year. Expect more competent safety assist tech onboard and a revamped infotainment system. Kia will probably boast about better materials but don’t expect much in this regard. Carmakers use the mid-life update to optimize costs, not throw away money.
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