Korean automakers have become ever-bolder with their crossover designs, which range from the futuristic Kona EV to the imposing three-row Telluride. But the 2021 Kia Sorento is cut from a different cloth.
Filmed recently while undergoing testing at the famous Nurburgring track, this all-new generation seems made for the family buyer who doesn't feel the urge to stand out. It has no fender flares, split headlights or oversized grilles, just a quiet evolution of the older generation.
We can only presume that Kia is already satisfied with the Sorento customer base and doesn't want to alienate anybody. At the front, we have a new version of the tiger nose grille, connected to a narrow strip of LED headlights, which sit slightly recessed under the grille for that "brooding face" look.
The profile shows only a few small character lines, like the rising belt or the slight slope in the roof. We wouldn't be surprised if this new model ends up having the same wheelbase as before.
But the rear does make its statement. Whereas the current Sorento has long taillights, this one has them square and boxed to the side of the trunk opening. For testing, Kia didn't even fit the production lighting units and instead filled the hopes with some provisional ones. But this makes it much easier to see the outline.
The interior should share tech with the new Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe, while the engines could be derived from those as well. The latest rumors say Kia will scrap both the base 184-horsepower 2.4-liter and 290-horsepower V6 in favor of a turbocharged 2.5-liter that gets somewhere around 250 HP with better gas mileage to boot.
Over in Europe and Korea, this 3-dow should still have two diesel engines, though they could be updated with mild hybrid technology. Speaking of which, every Kia should have a true hybrid soon, this one included.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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