2022 Kia Sorento coming to Malaysia, here’s what to expect

Almost a year back, the official distributor of Kia Cars in Malaysia, Dinamikjaya Motors announced the arrival of four locally-assembled models over the next couple of years. As per the detailed plan, the Carnival and Sorento were slated to launch in 2022, followed by the Sportage and Niro in 2023. Well, we have already received the Carnival CKD this year, and now it’s time for Kia's Sorento to roll out as we approach the end of the year.

Also read: 2022 Kia Carnival: Key highlights

The Kia Sorento is currently in its fourth generation, globally revealed in March 2020. The next-gen model has raised the standards in the large SUV segments with its amazing spaciousness, efficiency, and quality. Let’s dive deeper and know more about this upcoming Kia model -

2022 Kia Sorento exterior

The latest Kia Sorento boasts a refined exterior design with elongated proportions, sharp lines, and hi-tech detailings, offering it a mature stance. The key highlights include a “tiger nose” grille, slim LED headlights, L-shaped “tiger eye” DRLs, L-shaped bumper corners, LED tail lights, and 19-inch alloy wheels.

The SUV measures 4,810 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width and 1,695 mm in height and carries a 2,815 mm long wheelbase.

2022 Kia Sorento interior

The interior of the Kia Sorento offers an exquisite and sensible vibe thanks to the “refined boldness” concept on which it is based. It is kitted with high-quality finishes and several modern creature comforts, which are also likely to be seen on the local model. The features include -

• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.25-inch centre touchscreen
• Bose sound system with 12 speakers
• Automatic air conditioning system
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• Rotary gear selector
• 64-colour ambient lighting system
• Leather upholstery
• Eight USB ports

2022 Kia Sorento platform

The SUV is based on the Hyundai group’s 'N3' mid-size SUV platform, which also underpins the Hyundai Staria, Kia Carnival, and Kia Sportage. The Sorento is a sister model to the Hyundai Santa Fe. Both feature three rows accommodating a total of seven passengers. 

2022 Kia Sorento engine specifications 

Several engine options for the Kia Sorento are available in the global market, including 2.5-litre turbo petrol, 2.2-litre turbo diesel, 1.6-litre turbo petrol hybrid, and 1.6-litre turbo petrol PHEV. However, it is yet to confirm whether all these options will come to Malaysia or not.

Here are the output numbers of the powertrains - 

• 2.2-litre four-popper turbo diesel pumps out 202 PS of maximum power and 440 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission
• 1.6-litre turbo petrol hybrid makes 180 PS and 265 Nm and when coupled with a 60 PS/265 Nm electric motor, the total output reaches 230 PS and 350 Nm. Also part of the setup is a six-speed automatic gearbox and a 1.49-kWh lithium-ion battery
• 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine is good for making 281 PS and 421 Nm of torque and is tied with an eight-speed DCT 
• 1.6-litre turbo petrol PHEV delivers a combined output of 261 PS. Part of the hybrid setup is a 91 PS electric motor, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and a 13.8 kWh battery

2022 Kia Sorento safety

In terms of safety, the upcoming Korean SUV is expected to come with a full range of driver assistance systems, including -

• Autonomous emergency braking with oncoming traffic, pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Blind spot monitoring with collision avoidance
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Leading Vehicle Departure Alert
• Rear cross traffic braking
• Traffic sign recognition
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
• Lane centering assist
• Driver attention warning
• Highway Driving Assist
• Door opening warning
• Surround View Monitor
• Remote parking assist 

2022 Kia Sorento price 

While there is no information yet available on the Kia Sorento price in Malaysia, we can take reference from the Philippine market, where the SUV retails between Php 2,398,000 (RM 189,845) and Php 2,588,000 (RM 204,887).

Summing up 

The upcoming Sorento looks as promising as the current best-selling Kia model in Malaysia i.e. Carnival. We expect that it will also ring the brand’s cash registers right from day one and will create a buzz in the segment. 

Also read: Kia EV6 vs Rivals: Price, size, drivetrain, and features compared