Kia Sorento facelift unveiled before Frankfurt debut

Kia has revealed its upgraded Sorento SUV with a few changes in the cabin, a new eight-speed transmission and a tweaked design. The Sorento will also make an appearance at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show.

On the outside, the SUV now comes with a new chrome-finished grille. The new high-spec GT-Line trim gets fog lights, red brake calipers and a chrome exhaust tip as standard.

The cabin now features a new 8.0-inch infotainment system with TomTom satnav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is also a wireless phone charger. The GT-Line variant adds black leather seats with contrasting grey stitching.

The engine options remain the same – a 188hp 2.4-litre petrol, a 185hp 2.0-litre diesel and a 200hp 2.2-litre diesel. A new eight-speed automatic gearbox has also been introduced, along with the previously available six-speed auto and six-speed manual transmissions. Power is sent to the front wheels, though four-wheel drive is available as an optional extra.

Kia had recently begun roadshows for dealers in India to showcase its models. Along with the Sorento SUV, the Korean manufacturer had the Picanto hatch, the Rio hatchback, the Cerato sedan, Optima sedan, Sportage SUV and the Niro hybrid SUV. Kia has not confirmed which of these cars will come to India, though it did say that its first India offerings will be a sedan and an SUV. The Sorento may be one of the models to come to India where it will rival the likes of the seven-seater Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The Korean manufacturer has announced an investment of over Rs 7,000 crore to set up a facility in Andhra Pradesh, with cars expected to roll out by 2019.