The Kia counterpart of the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Sorento has received a mid-life update globally. With this facelift, the SUV looks more modern and carries a fresh appeal
Kia is one of the most proactive car manufacturers globally in terms of timely updating their existing cars. Moreover, Kia cars are internationally applauded for their modern and unique design language. In line with this, the Korean carmaker has revealed the 2024 Kia Sorento Facelift in Korea and it will soon debut in other international markets.
For reference, the Sorento is Kia’s counterpart to the Hyundai Santa Fe which was in the news recently for a radical design upgrade in its upcoming new 5th generation model. Compared to the Hyundai, Kia has gone for a subtle design update in the form of a facelift model for the Sorento. The current generation of the Korean SUV was launched 3 years ago and this is the first mid-life update, thus hinting that the new-gen model is still a long time away.
Talking about the updates, the majority of changes are concentrated on the front fascia where the SUV gets a new pair of vertically stacked LED headlamps and a seamless LED DRL merging into the hood line. The Kia Tiger Nose grill is well integrated into the hood with a subtle chrome strip running in the lower portion. The air dam looks clean with the use of satin black finish on the upper end and the silver skid plate lends it a contrasting appeal.
The overall front profile looks heavily inspired by the brand’s flagship EV9 SUV and a lot of upcoming models will follow this design direction. Moving towards the sides, the overall silhouette remains unchanged and it gets a new set of alloy wheels. The rear end sports a new design for LED tail lamps which are connected to look like a single unit and there are changes to the bumper as well.
Inside the cabin, the overall layout is revised and it now looks cleaner, lending the interiors a refreshed appeal. The highlight is the new dual 12.3-inch curved displays working as the driver’s display and infotainment unit. Moreover, the central AC vents are tweaked with a horizontal line running across the dashboard merging into the side air-con vents, in order to give a uniform design. Much like the exterior design, the interiors are also inspired by EV9.
Under the hood, the Sorento will continue with the familiar powertrain combinations comprising 2.5-litre petrol, 2.2-litre turbo diesel, 1.6-litre turbo petrol paired to mild hybrid as well as plug-in hybrid system and more. The 2024 Kia Sorento Facelift will launch in the Korean market by the end of 2023 followed by other international markets in the year 2024. As for the India launch is concerned, Kia has no plans to launch the Sorento SUV in the country.