Scheduled for launch on 4th September, Kia Sorento will take on rivals such as Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tayron
Kia is readying the Sorento SUV, its new ICE flagship for India. Sorento will also be Kia’s first hybrid offering for the Indian market. Production has already commenced at the company’s facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. While the launch is awaited here, Kia has updated the powertrains of Sorento hybrid variants in Europe to deliver more power. The strong hybrid Sorento in India is expected to get this upgraded configuration.
Sorento hybrid power boost
In Europe, Sorento is available with three powertrain options. The 2.2-litre CRDi diesel engine remains unchanged. Kia is focusing more on the hybrid variants, which include a self-charging hybrid variant and a plug-in hybrid variant. The self-charging hybrid variant uses a 1.6 T-GDi four-cylinder petrol engine in combination with an electric motor.
With the updates introduced for this powertrain, the power output is now at 239 hp. That’s an increase of 24 hp, a gain of around 11%. While the engine hardware and battery specs remain unchanged, the power boost is derived from changes to the software/ECU tuning and electric motor output mapping. This is an increase in the combined system power output.
Sorento also has a PHEV version in Europe, whose combined system output has been increased by 36 hp. The new output is at 288 hp, a gain of over 14%. The PHEV version uses a 1.6 T-GDi petrol engine in combination with an electric motor. Available in only AWD configuration, Sorento PHEV in Europe is equipped with a 13.8 kWh NMC battery pack.
This battery allows a pure electric driving range of 55 km (WLTP). With the ability to function in pure EV mode, Sorento PHEV in Europe qualifies for the DGT’s Zero Emissions environmental label. This allows it to access all the associated mobility benefits.
Sorento powertrains for India
Here, Kia Sorento will be available with a diesel and a strong hybrid powertrain option. The PHEV version, as offered in Europe, won’t be available in India at launch. Sorento diesel variant in India will use the 2.2-litre diesel engine from Kia Carnival. This is the same engine used with the Sorento in Europe. It generates 193 PS and 441 Nm of torque.
This engine is paired with an 8 speed DCT transmission. The strong hybrid powertrain for Sorento in India is expected to be the same as the updated version introduced in Europe. It will be introduced with the Kia Carnival as well.
Kia is yet to announce the pricing for Sorento in India. As per estimates, the price range could be around Rs 28 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. Since Sorento is being made in India, a competitive price point could be achieved.
