KIA pulled the covers off its facelifted Sorento vary on the LA motor present forward of the big SUV’s December arrival Down Beneath – however the beefed-up X-Professional model that debuted in California stays off the playing cards for this market.
The vary provides a redesign of the 2020 Sorento with design cues from the flagship EV9 and new hybrid fashions that Kia says shall be launched “later in 2024”.
First leaked in July, the facelifted Sorento incorporates a boxy front-end with vertically-stacked headlights and distinctive amber daytime operating lights, a redesigned grille, and an general stance that appears to be extra off-road oriented in contrast with the present mannequin.
Additional hinting on the new Sorento’s off-road focus, Kia has added an X-Professional variant it says is “prepared for happier trails” with elevated energy and towing capability, 17-inch wheels shod with all-terrain tyres, centre locking diff, skid plate garnish and distinctive styling.
The X-Professional additionally has round 25mm extra floor clearance and the revised entrance and rear bumpers look to supply improved strategy and departure angles, however with out true four-wheel drive it’s seemingly aimed toward ‘soft-roaders’.
Kia Australia confirmed the X-Professional is unlikely to succeed in Australian shores because the variant is inbuilt North America and never South Korea.
“X-Professional will not be on the playing cards for Australia as we supply from Korean manufacturing,” mentioned Kia Australia media and company communications supervisor Alyson MacDonald.
Inside, the incoming Sorento incorporates a horizontal design theme throughout components just like the air-conditioning vents, whereas twin 12.3-inch screens create a panoramic curved show operating Kia’s new Linked Automobile Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) working system.
A brand new Digital Key system additionally permits homeowners to unlock and begin the Sorento utilizing an NFC-enabled smartphone, presumably through a cell app.
The protection know-how onboard the Sorento contains ahead collision avoidance, lane maintain help, lane following help, and a machine-learning sensible cruise management system that adapts to match the acceleration and braking patterns of the motive force.
Whereas the US market will obtain two engine choices throughout front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive fashions on the time of launch, consisting of a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder and a pair of.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, Kia Australia earlier this 12 months confirmed carryover engine choices shall be used regionally.
The choices down underneath would be the 3.5-litre V6 petrol (200kW/332Nm), 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (148kW/440Nm), and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid (169kW/350Nm) and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid (195kW/350Nm).
Kia America has said the X-Professional will characteristic a tuned-up model of the two.5-litre petrol four-cylinder engine producing 209kW/421Nm, though it’s unknown whether or not Australia will obtain that engine choice through the present mannequin lifecycle.
Pricing and native specs shall be introduced when the Sorento lands in showrooms in a number of weeks, however we count on the brand new vary will come at a premium – seemingly up from the present $47,650 beginning value.
