Kia Sorento

Pre-facelift Kia Sorento LX (Europe)

Pre-facelift Kia Sorento XS (UK)

Debuted in February 2002, the first generation Sorento was a traditional truck-based body-on-frame SUV. All American Sorentos also came with dual front airbags and dual side-curtain airbags in the front and rear. An optional four-wheel drive system with low range received praise for adding to the vehicle's off-road ability.

It had two transmission options, a 5-speed manual or 4- and 5-speed automatic (pre-2005 models have a 4-speed automatic, whilst 2005 Sorentos came with a 5-speed tip-tronic style automatic). First generation Sorentos are equipped with a Hyundai-manufactured 3.5-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 engine producing 192 hp (143 kW) at 5500 rpm, and 217 lb⋅ft (294 N⋅m) of torque at 3,000 rpm. Common features of the first generation Sorento were 4-wheel disc brakes (standard on all models), optional anti-lock braking system (ABS), and a 21.1-gallon (79.9 litres) fuel tank.

There were two trim levels available for the Sorento: either the base LX or the up-level EX. Both models included an AM/FM stereo with a single-disc CD player and an eight-speaker audio system, dual front airbags and front and rear side-impact SRS airbags (side-impact front and rear SRS airbags for North American-market models ONLY), cloth seating surfaces, a power-adjustable front driver's seat, air conditioning, power door locks and windows, tinted windows, aluminum-alloy wheels, keyless entry, wood interior trim accents, a split-folding second-row rear bench seat, and monotone exterior paint as standard equipment. Features such as satellite radio (on later models), leather-trimmed seating surfaces, heated front seats, a ten-speaker premium audio system, cassette and CD players, an in-dash CD changer, power front bucket seats, seventeen-inch (17") aluminum-alloy wheels, a power sunroof, two-tone exterior paint, and a security system were available regardless of trim level choice.

Facelift Kia Sorento

The 2007 Sorento received upgrades, such as the transition from the 3.5-liter Sigma to the 3.3-liter with 235 hp (175 kW) and 226 lb⋅ft (306 N⋅m), and the 3.8-liter Lambda, with 263 hp (196 kW) and 257 lb⋅ft (348 N⋅m) and increased tow capacity from 3,500 lb (1,588 kg)[2] to 5,000 lb (2,268 kg). Projector beam headlamps were added, along with new tail lamps. The 5-speed manual transmission was no longer available; the 5-speed Sportmatic tip-tronic automatic transmission was made standard for all vehicles. Most of the EX trim had full-time AWD and 4x4 Low modes; The LX had a part-time system with 2WD High (rear wheel drive), 4WD High (not for dry pavement[3]) and 4WD Low modes. The 2007 Kia Sorento earned a five-star crash safety rating, the highest rating possible, for all seating positions in frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).[4][5] The tail lights and front end were upgraded, but the two-box design stayed.

The 2003 Sorento received Poor to Average ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).[6] The 2007 facelifted version had improved safety ratings for moderate overlap front crashes and head restraints & seats, but retained its Poor side impact rating.[7]

Test	Rating
Overall:	(2003) (2007)
Moderate overlap front:	Acceptable (2003) Good (2007)
Side:	Poor
Head restraints & seats:	Poor (2003) Good (2007)

The Sorento received a mid-cycle refresh for the 2014 model year, unveiled in 2012 at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, and went on sale in first quarter of 2013.[12] Major changes included a revised instrument panel, front and rear end with new tail lights modeled after the Optima, as well as several other mechanical and interior changes.

For 2015, the six-speed manual transmission option, previously only available on the Base and LX models, was discontinued, leaving the six-speed automatic transmission as the only transmission option for the Sorento.

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  2015 Kia Sorento KX-3 (UK; facelift)
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  2015 Kia Sorento KX-3 (UK; facelift)
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  2013 Kia Sorento Si (Australia; facelift)
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  Interior (facelift)

The 2011 Sorento received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).[13]

Test	Rating
Overall:
Moderate overlap front:	Good
Side:	Good
Roof strength:	Good
Head restraints & seats:	Good

The 2011 Sorento was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating from the crash safety experts, European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) and Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).[14] The XM Sorento awarded 'Top Safety Pick' from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States.[15]

The second generation Sorento was awarded New Zealand Autocar magazine SUV of the Year, "great looker, does absolutely everything as it should. Engine is world class".[16] The Kia Sorento EX V6 model earned an “Excellent” overall score by American magazine Consumer Reports’ July 2010 issue.[17]

As part of 2014 Sorento market launch in the US, a campaign titled "It has an answer for everything" was unveiled during Super Bowl XLVII. "Space Babies" (directed by Jake Scott) commercial was premiered in the fourth quarter, featuring the existence of a faraway planet known as "Babylandia" and follows infant boys, girls, dogs, pandas and more on their journey to Earth to join their new families. After taking it all in, the curious child begins to offer an alternative theory passed on by a friend but his quick-thinking father calls upon UVO's voice-activated jukebox feature to hurriedly change the subject and survive another day in the adventures of parenthood. "Tight Space" (directed by Peter Darley Miller and Colin Jeffery) showed two of the CUV's available features – power-folding mirrors and power liftgate – help a determined father make the slimmest parking garage space manageable while his skeptical wife and children look on.[18][19]

In the United States, the 2016 Kia Sorento is offered in five models, and four models within the United Kingdom. KX-1 base model, KX-2, KX-3 and KX-4 with the GT-Line from late 2018 onwards replacing the KX-4.

In Pakistan, Kia Pakistan unveiled its car at a Power Play event held at the Karachi factory on 14 February 2021. The event was held at Kia Motor Corporation's production plant, where various personalities from the automotive sector were invited. The car offered in Pakistan is the third generation of Sorento. The SUV is offered in three tiers with two power train options, a 2.4-liter front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive model, and a 3.5-liter front-wheel drive model.

The Kia Sorento received updates for 2018 or 2019 depending on market location, these included a new front grille, bumper covers and exterior lighting with similar design cues derived from the 2019 Kia Forte and the 2018 Kia Cadenza for the 2019 model year. The L, LX, EX and SX trim levels received refreshed projector beam headlamps with LED positioning lights. The SXL trim received new LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights, LED amber turn signal and positioning lights, and LED tail lamps.

Other changes include new exterior colors, new wheels, third row seating now standard on all trim levels with all engine types, driver attention warning system added to all trim levels, and a 2.4-liter engine replaced the 2.0-liter engine on lower trim levels. The 2019 Kia Sorento features a 3.3-liter V6 engine on higher trim levels. The trim levels are available with all-wheel drive, except for the base L trim, which is only available with front-wheel drive.[22]

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  Kia Sorento (facelift)
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  Rear view

The 2017 Sorento received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).[23]

Test	Rating
Overall:
Small overlap front:	Good
Moderate overlap front:	Good
Side:	Good
Roof strength:	Good
Head restraints & seats:	Good
Front crash prevention:	Superior
Headlights:	Poor/Good varying with trim level
Child seat anchors (Latch) ease of use:	Acceptable

In November 2014, Kia Motors collaborated with 20th Century Fox to create a Wolverine-themed Sorento to promote the home media release of X-Men: Days of Future Past. The custom Sorento made its debut at the 2015 Australian Open, with a series of videos featuring Rafael Nadal teaming up with the X-Men to save the tennis event from the Sentinels.[24]

In January 2015, Kia Motors released their Sorento Super Bowl XLIX commercial featuring Pierce Brosnan.[25]

The facelifted model was unveiled on July 25, 2023. Made for the 2024 model year, the facelift adds vertically stacked LED headlamps which gain a slimmer design. The bumper is smoother, and is seamlessly aligned with the grille. The front lights are reminiscent to the EV9 and the 2024 Picanto, which foreshadows what Kia’s design language is to become. Bodywork is primarily unchanged, if not for its slightly redone rear lights and rear bumper, new Kia emblem, and connected clusters. Additionally, the facelift adds new exterior colours and alloy wheels.[33]

Inside, the interior designers have added a streamlined dashboard layout, as well as a new 12.3-inch curved display. Revised climate controls, a new ambient lighting stripe, and slimmer air vents have been added.[33]

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  Kia Sorento HEV (Front view; facelift)
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  Kia Sorento HEV (Rear view; facelift)

On September 22, 2020, the fourth-generation Kia Sorento made its debut in North America. It is offered in several different trim levels: LX, S, EX, SX, SX Prestige, and SX Prestige X-Line. LX and S models is powered by a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder Smartstream gasoline engine producing 191 hp (194 PS; 142 kW), while EX, SX, SX Prestige, and SX Prestige X-Line models uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged Smartstream 4-cylinder gasoline engine producing 281 hp (285 PS; 210 kW). All North American Sorento uses an 8-speed automatic transmission, though models equipped with the 2.5-liter turbo engine uses an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Sorento hybrid models will be available after the initial launch in late 2020. The V6 engine is no longer offered. In 2021, Kia announced the introduction of the Sorento PHEV[34] which gets 261 hp from its 1.6 litre turbo four-cylinder mated to an electric motor. Claimed EV range is 51 km (32 miles) and has a combined range of 740 km (460 miles). The only available trim for the PHEV model is SX Prestige.

Kia continued to build the North American-market Sorento at its assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, United States. All models include front-wheel-drive, except for the SX Prestige X-Line model and the hybrid models, which include standard all-wheel-drive. All North American-market 2021 Sorento feature three rows of seating, with higher trim levels featuring second-row captain's chairs in place of the standard second-row rear split bench seat.[35]

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  2021 Kia Sorento SX AWD (US)
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  2021 Kia Sorento SX AWD (US)

In January 2021, the Sorento 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid 2 was named Large SUV of the Year by What Car? magazine.[36] What Car? awarded the Sorento four stars out of five in its review of the car.[37]

In June 2022, the Sorento won Auto Trader UK's New Car Award for Best 7 Seater.[38] Auto Trader awarded the Sorento four and a half stars out of five in its review of the car.[39]