Summer brings some pretty big deals from automakers, and the South Korean automaker Kia is no exception with its 'summer sticker' sales event. For example, you can get Kia's acclaimed EV9 three-row crossover with more affordable deals than you thought.
However, suppose you don't want a vehicle relying solely on battery power and already know that the ultra-popular Telluride should be avoided momentarily after a massive recall of almost 463k units that have been equipped with seats that could catch fire. In that case, we recommend taking a good long look at the newly refreshed Kia Sorento.
It's part of the latest design language now alongside the Kia Carnival minivan, and in America, the 2024 Sorento kicks off at $32k with options for a 191-hp inline-four or a 281-hp turbo 2.5-liter, both paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Also, you can select the Sorento Hybrid for $38,690 or the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid for $47,990 if you want an electrified option.
Alas, if you want something more powerful, you're out of luck – at least in the real world. No worries, as the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is always willing and ready to find a solution. For example, the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube also have a satellite venue dubbed AutoYa Interior, and that's where all the (CGI) action is.
More precisely, in the video feature embedded below the host has decided that even though the 2024 Sorento has numerous trim levels on offer (from LX, S, EX, SX, to X-Line with or without Prestige, and even an X-Pro) but no GT-Line. However, they don't want to mess with just a sporty grade – instead, together with the channel's resident pixel master, they came up with a hypothetical, unannounced, and unreleased 2025 Kia Sorento GT.
Fully-fledged as a sporty mid-size crossover SUV, this flagship variant gets a bundle of CGI changes, including a sportier radiator grille, a different front bumper with a massive central air intake and redesigned lateral vents, larger alloy wheels with sporty-looking brake calipers, new doorsteps, and a modified rear bumper that incorporates a black diffuser together with double exhaust tips on each side.
As for what's under the hood, Kia definitely would need to up the ante above the turbo mill that's already offered in the standard guises. How about a much more powerful plug-in hybrid option with over 350 hp or even 400 hp to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Ford's 2025 Explorer ST? Of course, do take these renderings with a pinch of salt because nothing is official from the South Korean automaker. However, the ritzy colors look great on a Sorento GT, both inside and out – right?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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