South Korean automaker Kia just revealed the all-new 2021 Kia Sorento, which is set to arrive as a rival for GM’s portfolio of midsize crossover models.
The latest fourth-generation Sorento continues to offer three rows of seating, but with a redesigned exterior and interior design for the 2021 model year. Outside, the 2021 Kia Sorento is offered as standard with LED lighting, while wheel sizing ranges between 17 and 20 inches.
There are big changes under the hood as well, with a new turbocharged 2.5L engine option producing 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, connecting to an eight-speed wet-clutch DCT. There’s also a new Turbo-Hybrid powertrain with an additional 42 horsepower and 50-percent greater fuel economy when compared to the base engine in the outgoing Sorento. Highlights for the latest Turbo-Hybrid engine include 227 horsepower and upwards of 37 mpg combined.
Kia also announced an available plug-in hybrid powertrain with 261 horsepower and estimated 30 miles of battery-only driving. The new PHEV model will be available for the following model year.
Both FWD and AWD are available, depending on the model selected.
Inside, there’s more legroom and cargo room, with available second-row captain’s chairs and seating arrangements for 4+2, or 5+2. There’s also a bevy of standard Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, including Rear Occupant Alert, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist. Available systems include Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist – Parallel exit, Passenger Safe Exit Assist, and Blind View Monitor.
Further interior options include Bose premium audio, a panoramic sunroof, eight USB ports, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, plus wireless smartphone charging.
The 2021 Kia Sorento is offered in five trim levels, including the LX, S, ED, SX, and SX-Prestige. The new X-Line comes with an extra inch of ground clearance (8.3 inches total), improved approach and departure angles, upgraded AWD with snow-mode, and an improved roof rack.
The 2021 Kia Sorento is set to go on sale later this year. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
Does the 2021 Kia Sorento have what it takes to challenge GM? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for ongoing General Motors news coverage.
Comments
The design quality is so much better than what we see on the Acadia.
I wish GMC would actually try with that vehicle.
member12
And after 3 year or 36,000 miles the KIA will turn into a pumpkin. So you never have to bring it back to the dealership when your lease is up.
And GM owners will join class action law suits because their $40K has been wasted on “recall” junk… GM is really falling apart…
Troy
Are you pretending to be a fortune teller? How long do you have to blow someone before you start seeing their future?
kia has a 10 year 100,000 powertrain warranty. does gm?
The interior blows GM away. The outside looks like a mix of the Equinox and RAV4.
Chade
Yes, KIA should advertise “more hard plastic than LEGO Land” or “ we put the ester in polyester”
you’re kidding right? The XT4/5/6 are junk compared to most Kias & Hyundai’s especially their interiors.. only a moron would make that comment “G”….
Troy
I said it! I meant it! and I’m sticking by my statement!
Hyundai/KIAs are crap. Their vehicles have always been crap. Worldwide H/K sales have been falling for 7 years. In the U.S. H/K are rental fleet brands.
So I own 2020 GMC Sierra and a 2017 GMC Yukon Denali. I love GM a lot. I also own a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. The thing is bullet proof. I have had no issues with. The New Hyundai Sonata 2020 is pretty luxurious. It has features on it that you can’t get in a Cadillac Sedan.
I feel their Audi Interior imitation isn’t working for them. It’s like looking at fitting a rectangle within a circle when looking at the interior design.
its totally working for them, they cant build the Telluride/Palisade, fast enough whereas GM “platform” trash keeps getting more incentives to move them… GM is really pathetic…
Troy
In 2020 thru August H/K has only sold 52,842 Palisades and 37,786 Tellurides in the U.S.
Maybe you should go try pedaling those things at a Farm & Fleet. No one will notice the extra crap mixed in with the fertilizer.
Uh, that’s actually a lot. Like that’s a pretty successful vehicle for this market.
Now, whether they maintain that going forward is difficult to say.
Nate
I would say sales numbers are mediocre at best. Not quite the runaway success that a large number of automotive journalists touted them to be. Profits from these vehicles will not pay for H/K’s transition to a glorious electric future. They will not provide the funding needed to support the fledgling Genesis brand. They will not keep the axe man from cutting deep into H/K’s lineup during this worldwide recession. They will not pay to build Hyundai’s new $16 billion dollar 105 story Ivory tower HQ In Seoul’s rich Gunham province.
At best they will keep H/K’s doors open while the Korean Development Bank tries to find a merger partner.
If those are mediocre I truly feel bad for GM sales.
I wouldn’t be worried about Hyundai / Kia. They’re not going anywhere.
These vehicles will be class leading and they’ll continue to eat GM’s lunch. GM isn’t a rival they’re a joke. They have nothing that leads in any class… zero…. its pathetic…
Yet still being outsold by GM, what “class leading” vehicle Kia produce?.
Guess-er – what is GM out selling? you’re delusional. In 2005 H/K had 4.35% 733,863 of the US Mkt and in 2019 it was over 7% 1,324,621while GM had 25.6% 4,320,923 and 2019 was at 16.8% 2,870,165 If GM didn’t have pickups they’d be out of business. Who’s lunch do you think H/K is eating? I’m a huge fan of GM but they suck and their vehicles suck and they’re not improving. GM Mgt is pathetic, and are failing…
You mean GM went BK with still 23% of the market in 07?, sales mean nothing if you’re not making money as GM learned. As for CUVs GM moved over 1 million CUVs only alone with sales increase, and don’t forget that sales are taken away from Japan, FCA and Ford also, H/K is eating shizzt they producing. Help clean out Hertz inventory of used Korean junk will ya?.
I’m not partial to either brand but I will say if u want quality and a fair price and reliability Kia and hyndai is bar none what I don’t like is there fucken aluminum cans so if you get in a accident there complete trashed but all in all you can’t beat them for price and reliability and affordability and yes I grew up all gm and over the years theyve managed to produce junk
Hyundai,Kia has gotten really good at making a cheap interior look nice, and i give them credit for that.
I really don’t know how GM is going to fair with keeping the Equinox around another 4 or 5 model years (with a minor refresh next year).
Seriously, is that the plan? Doesn’t seem like a great idea.
This looks like a nice upgrade from the existing 2021. This has the engines the Sante Fe should have had all along plus the hybrid options. The green exterior color option should be available on the Equinox, Terrain, Acadia and Blazer but as we all know as soon as GM offers an interesting exterior choice they soon delete it and go right back to the 50 shades of boring dull generic grey!