Outside, the next Sorento features a sharp front end characterized by a bold rendition of Kia’s trademarked “tiger-nose” grille and elongated headlights. The rear end packs a roof-mounted spoiler and horizontal LED tail lamps, while a wide array of wheel designs that range up to 19 inches wrap up the more premium look.
Kia has bumped the Sorento’s overall length to approximately 188 inches and its width to 74 inches, making it slightly bigger than the outgoing model. The extra sheet metal allowed engineers to free up a more spacious third-row seat and a larger trunk.
Penned with input from Kia’s design center in Frankfurt, Germany, the Sorento’s cockpit boasts a wrap-around dashboard with a large touch screen that runs the infotainment system. Kia says the Sorento’s dashboard was designed to be as simple and ergonomic as possible by putting an emphasis on function rather than on form.
Buyers will be able to choose from a long list of options including a heated steering wheel, a remote-controlled multi-position tailgate, a 360-degree camera, power-adjustable second row seats, heated and cooled front seats, a push-button ignition, full leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof. Additionally, the Sorento will offer lane change assist, adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system, a rear-view camera with cross traffic alert and a blind spot detection function.
Kia is keeping technical details about the U.S.-spec Sorento under wraps until the its formal debut in Los Angeles next November, but rumors indicate the crossover will be offered with either a 3.3-liter V6 engine borrowed from the next Sedona or a 2.4-liter four-cylinder unit. Buyers will be able to choose between front- and all-wheel drive.
Both the five- and the seven-seater variants of the Sorento are on sale now in South Korea, Kia’s home country. The Euro-spec model will be unveiled next October at the Paris Motor Show, and the U.S.-spec version will greet the public for the first time at the Los Angeles Motor show that will open its doors to the public next November. When it lands, the 2016 Kia Sorento will fight head-to-head against the Nissan Pathfinder and the Toyota Highlander.