2020 Kia Sorento revealed: large SUV goes upmarket

The new Kia Sorento has been revealed as part of a Facebook livestream after its official debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show was hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

Taking a more upmarket approach to the outgoing model, the new Sorento will be priced above rivals like the Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq when it goes on sale later this year. Expect to see it priced in line with the £38,820 Hyundai Santa Fe.

The seven-seat SUV will be bigger than before, taking styling inspiration from the bigger US-market Kia Telluride. It has a 35mm longer wheelbase providing more space for passengers and a large 821-litre boot with the third row of seats dropped. This falls to 187 litres when all seven seats are in use.

Claimed to be the most high-tech Kia ever, the Sorento features a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. It'll also offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing you to access your phone's features on the move.

In a first for the Kia Sorento, the new model will initially be offered as a hybrid, combining a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, 1.49kWh battery pack and 44.2kW electric motor. Providing 230PS and 350Nm of torque, the brand says this 'combines low CO2 emissions with high levels of performance', although exact figures are yet to be announced.

The Sorento will also be sold with a diesel engine while a plug-in hybrid will follow at a later date. The diesel is a four-cylinder 2.2-litre unit, offered with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Engineers have concentrated on making the new Sorento more refined than before, says Kia, while a new Terrain mode will increase capability in mud, snow and sand. 

More details about the new Sorento - including UK prices and specifications - will be announced ahead of it going on sale in the UK in Europe in autumn.