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Kia Sorento is expected to be amongst the next lineup of launches planned as it could arrive in its hybrid avatar in India
A heavily camouflaged three row SUV wearing upright proportions and vertical lighting elements has been spotted once again and all signs now point towards Kia preparing the Sorento for India. While the company has not officially confirmed the model yet, repeated road tests suggest development work for local conditions is already underway.
The latest sighting arrives shortly after Kia outlined its long term India strategy during the 2026 CEO Investor Day presentation where the brand confirmed plans to expand its domestic lineup to 10 products before the end of the decade. Electrification will play a major part of this expansion with hybrids and EVs expected to dominate upcoming launches.
Among the products believed to be part of the roadmap is the Sorento Hybrid alongside the electric Syros and a hybrid version of the Carnival. If launched here, the Sorento would become Kia’s first hybrid SUV for India while also pushing the company deeper into the premium three row SUV category currently dominated by diesel models.
Internationally, the SUV measures close to 4.8 metres in length and rides on a wheelbase of around 2.8 metres giving it noticeably larger proportions than products such as Seltos and Carens. Under the bonnet, Kia is expected to introduce a 1.6-litre turbo petrol hybrid setup for India. In overseas markets, the standard hybrid version develops around 238 hp while the plug in hybrid derivative produces nearly 288 hp.
Transmission duties are handled through automatic gearboxes including six speed and dual clutch units depending on the variant and market. All wheel drive configurations may also likely be part of the package considering the positioning and global specifications. For India though, Kia could eventually localise certain components and recalibrate the powertrain package to improve pricing competitiveness and fuel efficiency under local driving conditions.
Even beneath the camouflage, the SUV reveals several styling cues linked to Kia latest global design direction – the upright stance, squared body sections and vertically stacked lighting signatures. The company reportedly wants annual production volumes to approach 50,000 units with both domestic sales and export operations under consideration.
Pricing for the Sorento Hybrid could land near the Rs. 40 lakh mark (ex-showroom) placing it directly against products such as Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq, Jeep Meridian, MG Gloster and soon-launching Honda ZR-V hybrid.
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