Kia Sorento to get tougher outside, cushier inside

TOKYO – Kia aims for tough elegance with the redesigned Sorento midsize crossover, releasing first official images of the vehicle that reflect what the brand calls “refined boldness.”

Photos released Feb. 17 by Kia Motors Corp. show a chiseled exterior with sculpted creasing and a plush interior centered around an optional 12.3-inch high-resolution instrument cluster.

The brand’s trademark tiger nose grille also gets tweaked, wrapping widely around the front and enveloping the integrated headlamps on both sides. 

Kia said the headlamps also get a new LED daytime running light treatment that outlines the main headlight and imbues the “intense impression of the lines around a tiger’s eyes.”

Kia designers also reworked the proportions of the upcoming Sorento to make it appear longer with shorter front and rear overhangs and a longer wheelbase. They also pulled the A-pillar back from the front axle, giving the cabin a more rear-slung stance. 

The next-generation Sorento makes its public debut at March 3 at the Geneva auto show. 

Expected to arrive for the 2021 model year, the redesigned Sorento is part of a wider push by Kia and its South Korean sibling brand Hyundai to prioritize crossovers and SUVs. 

The Sorento slots under the top-shelf, three-row Telluride crossover which was new for 2020 and is a linchpin of the carmaker’s five-nameplate crossover lineup. 

U.S. sales of the outgoing Sorento fell 11 percent to 95,951 units in 2019, but the U.S.-made crossover was still Kia’s No. 3 nameplate behind the Soul subcompact and Optima sedan. 

Kia says it hopes to boost sales with a more refined interior, replete with the huge digital display.

“One of the highest quality interior spaces found in any Kia to date,” Kia said, “the intuitive, tech-oriented cabin of the new Sorento retains the spaciousness and three-row versatility that has characterized the Sorento over its 18-year existence.”