Kia India Launches Sorento SUV, Marking Entry into Hybrid Market

Gurugram: Kia India set the price of its new Sorento SUV in the country at Rs 28 lakh on Friday, with the three-row premium sport-utility vehicle marking the automaker’s entry into India’s hybrid passenger vehicle market.

Production of the Sorento has already begun in India, while official pre-bookings for the SUV are open for Rs 25,000. The model will be offered with a petrol-hybrid powertrain as well as a diesel engine, with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) configuration also available.

“For the first time, Kia is stepping into a segment in India we've never played in before-the premium three-way service space-and we have chosen to enter it with a nameplate that, in fact, carries a global legacy: the Kia Sorento,” Atul Sood- Senior VP- Sales & Marketing at Kia said.

The Sorento is entering the Indian market at a time when automakers are expanding their hybrid portfolios even as the government pushes the industry towards greater electrification.

While electric vehicles remain a key part of India’s long-term strategy to cut oil imports and emissions, hybrids have emerged as an intermediate technology, offering lower fuel consumption without requiring consumers to rely entirely on charging infrastructure. Kia's decision to introduce a hybrid alongside a conventional diesel powertrain also reflects the varied nature of India's transition towards cleaner mobility.

The Sorento is engineered with a full range of technology, starting from E0 to E20 and demonstrates "what possible and how prepared we are whenever the market falls right. Absolutely, from a technology perspective, that's what readiness is really about," Saikiran Kuppili, Head of Project Management, R&D told ET Online.

The Sorento will compete with premium SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner and Skoda Kodiaq, as well as the MG Tomahawk and Volkswagen Tayron.

On the design front, the 2026 Sorento gets L-shaped LED daytime running lights, vertically stacked projector headlamps and a new gloss-black grille. The SUV also features an ADAS sensor integrated into the air dam, roof rails and a shark-fin antenna.

At the rear, the Sorento gets an integrated spoiler with a high-mounted stop lamp, wraparound LED taillights, large alloy wheels and contrast-coloured skid plates.

Inside the cabin, the SUV will come equipped with Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), a panoramic sunroof and a new four-spoke steering wheel. Other features include an auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror, electrically adjustable and ventilated front seats, sunshades and comfort headrests for the second-row seats, and a powered tailgate.

With the price announcement, Kia will complete the India-market rollout of the Sorento, giving buyers in the premium SUV segment another option that combines an electrified powertrain with the space and capability of a large SUV.

MD, CEO Gwang Gu Lee at Kia unveiled that the Sorento has a connectivity technology and hence becomes something more of an intelligent vehicle. The new launch introduces an entire new dimension of real-time generative AI capabilities through Kia AI assistance.

India is the fastest growing major economy in the world, and nowhere is automotive demand evolving and segmenting more dynamically, Lee noted, adding that Kia observes the same strong and light expectation on customers who demand nothing but the best at the automaker.

In India, Sorento’s versatility extends further than in any other market with a large demand chance in its segment, he added.