First Kia Sorento Hybrid SUV Rolls Out Of India Plant – Production Starts

India’s Large SUV segment has been populated by both monocoque and ladder frame SUVs. The latest addition to this segment is the Kia Sorento. This is a globally acclaimed premium SUV that the company will offer as its flagship ICE SUV. Kia India has just unveiled the India-spec Sorento as the production begins at their Anantapur facility.

India-Spec Kia Sorento Unveiled

Kia India is launching the new Sorento SUV on 4th of September, 2026. Sorento will be a locally manufactured vehicle and will be positioned as their flagship SUV, above the Seltos. It will be Kia’s first ever Strong Hybrid offering for the Indian market and there is an option to choose a Turbo Diesel engine as well.

Sorento is Kia’s first three-row SUV in the country too, offering the flexibility of three rows of seating, which Indian carbuyers in this price bracket absolutely love. Images of the India-spec Sorento have been revealed and the company has commenced local production at their Anantapur facility as well.

In the official picture, we can see a matte black shade, suggesting it could be X Line trim. It has to be noted that the India-spec Sorento looks slightly different to North American Sorento, but resembles what Kia offers in ASEAN countries. It has an imposing grille, vertically arranged headlights, fog lights, radar for ADAS, roof rails and other attributes.

At the side, we can see round wheel arches, large wheels with a dual-tone theme, chrome surround for the window area, silver garnishes on fender and on doors and more. Rear design is not revealed, but it is expected to feature conventional rear LED tail lights (not connected) along with muscular rear bumper.

What to expect?

Kia Sorento interiors for the Indian market are partially revealed. The company has disclosed the dashboard that shows a twin-screen setup instead of the triple screen setup that even the Syros gets. There are 12.3-inch displays for infotainment and instrumentation and the 5-inch touchscreen in the middle for climate control is missing in Sorento.

Below the infotainment screen, we can see Kia’s smart dials and digital access panel that can switch controls from music to climate at the press of a button. We can see a layered dashboard with Black on top and Beige below, a tried and tested combination. The clusters are infused with AI magic, featuring generative AI capabilities.

Powertrains-wise, Kia Sorento will be the company’s first Hybrid vehicle and it will be the segment’s only Hybrid SUV too. On top of it, Kia is mating AWD with Hybrid powertrain too, which is quite rare. A Diesel engine will be on offer too, maintaining diversity and keeping competition in check.