Ahead of the Sorento's arrival in India on September 4, 2026, Kia has confirmed the availability of AWD on the SUV in a teaser. This will be the brand’s first ICE-powered model in India to have AWD. Kia has also confirmed that the car will come with Live Gen AI, an AI-powered in-car voice assistant feature.
- Sorento will be Kia’s first strong-hybrid and AWD model in India
- It will be the brand’s ICE-powered flagship SUV for our market
Kia Sorento AWD: Additional details
The Sorento will be offered with a strong-hybrid petrol and a diesel engine option. While exact specs remain under wraps, the global-spec Sorento gets a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol strong-hybrid setup with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, producing 238hp and 380Nm. Its diesel variants are likely to use the Carnival’s 202hp, 440Nm, 2.2-litre turbocharged engine. Global-spec versions of the Sorento offer AWD with both the strong-hybrid and diesel engines, but whether the AWD will be offered with both in India remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Kia’s Live Gen AI feature in the Sorento allows drivers to have natural conversations with the in-car AI agent while also obeying commands to control certain car functions and features.
Kia Sorento: Expected price
Likely to be priced in the ballpark of Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh ex-showroom
The Kia Sorento will be heavily localised in India and is expected to be priced from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. With the Sorento getting AWD, it will take on the likes of the Volkswagen Tayron (Rs 41.99 lakh to Rs 47.74 lakh) and the Skoda Kodiaq (Rs 36.99 lakh to Rs 46.99 lakh), which also come with AWD, and the Jeep Meridian (Rs 23.33 lakh to Rs 37.92 lakh), which gets a 4x4 drive layout.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Dipan Sur
Dhruv Dhaka
