Kia shows the India-built Sorento before a September 4 launch, with a diesel and an AWD hybrid
Kia has revealed the locally made Sorento, a three-row SUV that will crown its combustion range in India, and confirmed it will sell with both a diesel engine and an all-wheel-drive strong hybrid when it goes on sale on…
- September 4, 2026
- 238hp / 380Nm (AWD)
- 202hp / 441Nm
- ~Rs 30-35 lakh (ex-showroom)
What Happened
The Korean brand pulled the covers off its India-market flagship on Thursday and started building it the same day at its Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh, ahead of a 4 September on-sale date with bookings already taken. It arrives as the company's first petrol-electric model and its first three-row SUV with a conventional engine in the country; the hybrid's all-wheel drive is a segment first, and the car debuts a Kia AI assistant that has not appeared on the Sorento anywhere else. Heavy local content should keep the ticket around Rs 30 lakh to 35 lakh.
- 1.6-litre four-cylinder strong hybrid making 238hp and 380Nm, driving all four wheels
- 2.0-litre diesel making 202hp and 441Nm, the same unit as in the Carnival
- Both expected to run through automatic gearboxes
The styling carries the global look on sale since 2023 rather than Kia's newer 'Opposites United' theme, keeping the Tiger Nose grille, tall vertical lamps and Y-shaped running lights. Wheels are yet to be confirmed but look like 19-inch dual-tone items. Dimensions are expected to mirror the world-market car, which runs 4,815mm nose to tail on a 2,815mm wheelbase.
Inside sits a twin-screen display, likely 12.3 inches apiece, without the separate climate panel Kia uses on the Seltos and Syros. Official images point to driver aids, cooled front seats, a camera rear-view mirror, a powered tailgate, a 360-degree camera and a panoramic roof, in six- or seven-seat layouts. Kia lines it up against rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq, the VW Tayron and Jeep's Meridian, with prices due on 4 September.
Why this matters
The Sorento is set to be Kia's first hybrid and its first three-row combustion SUV in India, and the pairing of a strong hybrid with all-wheel drive is something rivals in the class do not offer. Building it at Anantapur points to keen pricing.
Terms in This Story
- EV
- Electric vehicle, a vehicle powered fully or partly by electricity.
- ADAS
- Advanced driver assistance systems, features that help the driver with safety or convenience tasks.
- OTA
- Over-the-air update, a software update delivered remotely to a vehicle.
- ICE
- Internal combustion engine, the conventional petrol or diesel engine type.
A brief summary; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.