Kia reveals details of 2020 Sorento

Kia has released the first images and details of its all-new Sorento SUV ahead of the car’s public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The seven-seat family car is the first SUV to be built on Kia’s new platform and will be available with a hybrid drivetrain for the first time when it goes on sale later in 2020. Key rivals will include the Skoda Kodiaq, Nissan X-Trail Peugeot 5008, VW Tiguan Allspace and Hyundai Santa Fe. Fractionally larger outside than before, with shorter overhangs and a longer wheelbase, Kia says the new Sorento will offer improved interior room, with among the best passenger space in its class and segment-leading luggage capacity. The new Sorento’s design is sharper and more angular than the outgoing model, with hints of the brand’s US-only Telluride in its huge tiger nose grille and squared-off body lines. Bolder creases and more geometric shapes in the panels and lights make it more aggressive-looking than the outgoing model and a car-rearward design helps make it appear longer. (Photo: Kia) A new 2.2-litre “Smartstream” diesel engine will be available from launch, offering 199bhp and 325lb/ft. It will be matched to a new eight-speed wet DCT automatic gearbox, which Kia reckons will offer smooth shifts and better efficiency than dry clutch DCTs. Alongside that will be the Sorento’s first hybrid option. This will use a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine paired with a 44.2kW electric motor to produce a total output of 227bhp power and 258lb/ft torque. A 1.49kWh battery pack sits under the rear bench so it doesn’t affect passenger or luggage space. Economy and emissions figures for both engines have not yet been confirmed but Kia says that a plug-in hybrid will join the line-up eventually. (Photo: Kia) Among the new technology on the 2020 Sorento is adaptive cruise control that will use sat nav information to predictively alter its speed, a BMW-style self-parking function controlled via key fob and Kia’s first multi-collision brake system, which automatically applies vehicle brakes when the airbags have been deployed after an initial collision. The new Kia Sorento will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3, with pricing and full specifications to be announced closer to its launch later this year. (Photo: Kia)