2022 KIA Sorento Hybrid USA Redesign
2022 KIA Sorento Hybrid – Kia has just announced details about an updated 2021 Sorento midsize three-row SUV.
It features a fresh look, more space, additional powertrain options, and new technology features, including a long list of advanced driver assistance systems.
While the new Sorento will come later in 2020 as a 2021 model, the Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) will not join the lineup until sometime in 2021, most likely as a 2022 model.
2022 KIA Sorento Hybrid
While the American market version looks very similar to the variant to be sold on the global market, the range will include an outdoorsy equipment package called the X-Line, offered as an AWD version of the SX Prestige model, which adds an inch of ground clearance, a specific 20-inch alloy wheel, a bridge-type roof rack, and some rough-looking exterior accents.
It also carries a differential locking center and electronic hill drop control. While it won’t give the Jeep Grand Cherokee a fit, it sounds like it’ll be better capable over rough terrain than your average family crossover.
In addition to the extra ground clearance of the X-Line (8.3 inches decent), each 2021 Sorento gets a 1.4-inch wheelbase. The total length remains the same, though, and the third row’s legroom has actually dropped by 2 inches.
As such, the Sorento maintains an unusual in-betweener position: it is larger and has more seats than the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, but not as spacious or complicated as a larger three-row crossover. This position makes even more sense now that Kia is selling Telluride.
KIA Sorento Hybrid Specs
The Sorento 2021 comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen and six USB charging ports. Buyers are willing and able to ride the trim hierarchy and tick several boxes on the list of options opening a cluster of 12.3-inch digital instruments, a 360-degree camera, a 10.25-inch touchscreen for infotainment systems, cloud-based navigation, plus multi-connection Bluetooth technology that allows passengers to connect two phones simultaneously.
Owners can also use Amazon Alexa-enabled smart speakers or the Google Assistant to start the engine remotely, among other functions.
The upcoming Sorento comes standard with three lines and, according to Kia, the best interior passenger volume in its class. Seating arrangements are available for six or seven passengers as second-row captain’s seats are available.
2022 KIA Sorento Hybrid Engine
The 2022 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid will feature a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, a 67 kW electric motor, and a 13.9 kWh battery pack. Too bad it’s not 16-kWh, so it could have a few more miles of range and qualify for the full $7,500 U.S.
The powertrain components combine to create an impressive 261 horsepower. Kia estimates the Sorento PHEV will offer 30 miles of EPA-rated all-electric range.
2022 KIA Sorento Hybrid Interior
There is currently no fuel economy number for the PHEV, but the traditional hybrid, which uses the same engine, has an EPA-estimated 39 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 37 combined.
These are all excellent numbers for a large and capable three-row SUV, especially since it comes standard with all-wheel drive.
However, the big powertrain news is the addition of two hybrid models that make the Sorento one of the rare medium SUVs to offer such an option.
The team’s standard turbocharged, 1.6-liter four-cylinder hybrid system with a 44-kilowatt electric motor is fed by a 1.5-kilowatt-hour battery.
2022 KIA Sorento Hybrid Horsepower
It delivered 227 horsepower to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission and helped the Sorento return about 39 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 37 mpg combined.
It’s better than the only other three-row midseason crossover that offers the Toyota Highlander’s hybrid powertrain.
Finally, Kia’s plug-in hybrid system will be released in 2021 or 2022, built around the 1.6-liter but gets a more powerful 66.9-kilowatt motor and a larger 13.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
It sends 261 horsepower to four wheels via a six-speed automatic, and the company cites an electric-only driving range of up to 30 miles.
The redesigned Sorento offers a slightly longer wheelbase and increased cargo capacity. The third-row seats of the outgoing model and cargo continue to be considered small compared to many rivals, so this is a welcome update from Kia.
Today, Kia’s only plug-in hybrid SUV is the smaller Niro PHEV, sold nationwide in the United States. We can only hope Kia will bring the Sorento PHEV to market as quickly as possible and make it widely available to US buyers.
2022 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid
