Styling & Design

Introducing a bold sense of Power and Dynamism

Longer and lower, the new Sorento ‘highline cruiser’ brings sleek styling and a futuristic touch to the world of the urban SUV. With its longer front overhang, wedge profile, crisply defined greenhouse and accentuated wheelarch volumes, Kia’s new SUV looks thoroughly modern and sporty. Styled by a team headed by Kia’s CDO, Peter Schreyer, the 4.7-metre long new Sorento moves vehicle design in this segment up to a new level of sophistication, introducing a bold sense of power and dynamism. The designers of the new Sorento have also achieved a significant reduction in drag with an aerodynamic Cd of 0.38, compared to 0.425 for the previous model.

“The dynamic design of the new Kia Sorento adopts simple, linear lines to create a powerful, yet polished appearance. Both sporty and striking, new Sorento represents a new breed of SUV,” comments Peter Schreyer.

Bold frontal styling, which incorporates Kia’s new ‘signature grille’ that blends seamlessly into the new Sorento’s four-light, black bezel wrap-around headlamps, creates a simple yet striking character. Although the vehicle’s width is unchanged, the overall stance is much stronger because the track has been widened by 38 mm (front) and by 41 mm (rear) – compared with the previous model – pushing the wheels to the outer edges of the wheelarches.

The profile’s rising upper belt-line and its chiselled treatment beneath the greenhouse, plus the unique trapezoid C-Pillar adds tension and endows new Sorento with a distinctive appearance. Rugged styling for the lower character lines adds dynamic flair. The visual impact generated by the side view is boosted by the fitting of large diameter 17-inch alloy wheels as standard and the availability of 18-inch wheels as an option.

Extending the rear window to the outer edges of the simply styled tailgate, hints at the light-filled, spacious cabin within. Large LED-look multi-colour rear combination lamps present a novel aspect and the two-tone bumper with its black lower mesh garnish enhances the new Sorento’s sporty appearance. LED is also used in the turn-repeater lamps incorporated into each door mirror housing.

As an option, a two-part glass Panorama Roof will be available. The rear section is fixed, while the front section is powered and can be tilted for ventilation or slide fully back to enjoy uninterrupted views. Inside, a multi-position roller blind allows the level of shade within the cabin to be finely adjusted.

Much of the detail design work for the new Sorento was carried out at Kia’s facility in California, USA. “We wanted to create a modern design that reflects the vehicle’s all-new unitary platform,” observes Tom Kearns, Chief Designer, Kia Design Centre America.

“We wanted the exterior and interior design to consistently communicate the new attributes – better ride, handling and fuel efficiency – with a more advanced expression that also captured our new Kia design language. The vehicle is sleeker and sportier than its predecessor. It communicates athleticism, precision and modernity and I think looks as good as it drives,” adds Kearns.

New Sorento will be available in a choice of 11 exterior colours that include ‘hi-tech luxury’ paint finishes. While the final line-up of colours may vary in individual markets, depending on local customers’ preferences, the factory will be finishing new Sorento vehicles in a choice of:
Solid colours x 2 / Ebony Black and Clear White
Pearl colours x 4 / Khaki, Blue Jeans, Inky Blue and Java Brown
Metallic colours x 5 / Brighter Silver, Muscle Beige, Metal Bronze, Titanium Silver and Spicy Red.

New Sorento is 95 mm longer and 15 mm lower than the previous model and features a wheelbase that has been reduced by 10 mm to 2700 mm. A combination of changes – the A-Pillars and the dashboard have been moved forwards, the tailgate has been moved rearwards by almost 70 mm, and the first and second row seats are a slimmer design – vastly increases the cabin space, allowing the fitting of the optional third row of seats to the benefit of up to seven occupants.

Exterior Dimensions Comparison (mm)