Updates to the Sorento's front facia are easy to see and largely derived from the EV9. Images: Charl Bosch
Although principally about showcasing the Tasman ahead of the market debut in the second half of 2025, Kia used its end-of-year product event at the Glendower Golf Estate in Edenvale on Monday (2 December) to also unveil three additional models heading for the local market next year, one being the long awaited facelift Sorento.
Unveiled more than two years ago in South Korea, the Sorento will retain its standing as Kia’s flagship SUV in South Africa as the step-up Telluride won’t be marketed with right-hand-drive.
Set to arrive throughout the course of 2025 as an official date-of-reveal or timeframe wasn’t provided, the Sorento’s revised aesthetic comprises slimmer T-shaped LED headlights, a restyled Tiger Nose grille, redesigned bumper, new alloy wheels, optional illuminated surround for the grille itself, and the Kia logo on top of the bonnet instead of the grille.
ALSO READ: Kia South Africa makes it official: Telluride out, facelift Sorento in
At the rear, the changes are less dramatic and consist of blacked-out light clusters with new LED graphics, a standard silver imitation diffuser below the revised bumper, and relocation of the Sorento badge to the left corner of the tailgate.
Inside, the interior gains a new dual 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and infotainment system, the digital climate control ribbon with touch-sensitive buttons from the Sportage, the new Kia logo on the steering wheel and L-shaped air vents on either side of the dashboard.
Up front, the local market Sorento is expected to continue with the combination of the 2.2-litre CRDI turbodiesel engine and eight-speed dual-clutch transmission as the sole powertrain option.
This means outputs of 148kW/440Nm and the option of front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive depending on the trim level.
No-no’s therefore is the 3.5-litre V6 that makes 200kW/332Nm, the 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid rated at 169kW/350Nm and the plug-in hybrid that combines the latter with a 44.2-kWh battery pack for a total system output of 195kW/350Nm.
Also not destined are pair of 2.5-litre engines producing 140kW/247Nm in normally aspirated guise, and 210kW/422Nm with the inclusion of a turbocharger.
Set to once again come standard with seven-seat, final pricing and spec will only be announced once into the new year.
As a comparison, the pre-facelift Sorento range spans four models and four trim levels with pricing from R948 995 for the base front-wheel-drive EX+ to R1 133 995 for the top-spec all-wheel-drive SXL.
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