Automobile Industry has faced the brunt of challenging circumstances ranging from slowing economy to Coronavirus epidemic. Covid 19 has especially hurt the automotive industry with delay in launches, unveilings and for that matter the cancellation of Geneva Motor Show being the big news of 2020. Geneva Autoshow cancellation impacted automakers like Kia who had to abandon the Sorento launch. As a result, 2021 Kia Sorento was revealed to the world via a Facebook Livestream event held on the 19th of March. The biggest news coming out of new Sorento is that it will now come equipped with an electric motor alongside a 1.6 litre petrol unit.
2021 Kia Sorento will feature a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine coupled with a 44.2 kW electric motor powered by 1.49 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. The electric hybrid churns out 225 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission transferring power to all four wheels. Plus there be a new Kia Sorento BS6 compliant 2.2-litre diesel engine producing 199 bhp of power output and 440 Nm of peak torque, coupled with a new eight-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Talking about the extreior design, the front fascia of Sorento is very similar to that of Kia Seltos with elements such as a creased bonnet, horizontal grille, stretched LED headlights among others. The cabin is said to be more spacious than the outgoing model with a more premium feel to it. Kia Sorento’s interior offers a metallic trim, leather upholstery, and satin-effect surfaces with a panoramic sunroof.
Equipment list on board 2021 Sorento include an 8.0 inch touchscreen compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 10.3-inch touchscreen is also available with a 12.3in digital instrument cluster on some specific variants. If we talk about the safety, 2021 Kia Sorento will be equipped with a wide range of technologies such as six airbags, forward collision & avoidance assist, blind-spot view monitor, surround-view monitor, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and-go-function.