New Kia Sorento 2021 pricing and specs detailed: Unprecedented safety for Toyota Kluger, Mazda CX-9 rival

Kia Australia has released the all-new, fourth-generation Sorento seven-seat SUV, ushering in class-leading level of safety as well as worthwhile strides in efficiency, quality, space and specification for the 18-year-old nameplate.

The entry-level S petrol front-wheel-drive (2WD) Sorento jumps $2160 over its outgoing equivalent, to $45,850 plus on-road costs, while the flagship GT-Line petrol 2WD checks in at $60,070, up $3880 (see full pricing table below).

Going diesel sees a $3000 hike across the range and adds an on-demand all-wheel-drive system, meaning no petrol AWD is available – as per the related-under-the-skin Hyundai Santa Fe and 2021’s Palisade upper-large SUV.

Driveaway pricing is also available, with petrol 2WD variants of the S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line priced from $46,990, $49,990, $54,390 and $61,990 respectively, while diesel AWD versions once again command a $3000 premium.

The engine in question above is a new 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit, while an updated 200kW/332Nm 3.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol V6 is the other option. Both employ an in-house eight-speed automatic, though to help boost economy and efficiency for the European markets, the diesel ditches the torque-converter unit for a new dual-wet-clutch transmission.

Kia South Korea brought a new-gen Sorento to Australia to tune its suspension and steering for local conditions before the COVID-19 outbreak, meaning all models Down Under benefit from the chassis tweak.

To offset the price rises, the new Sorento is the first large SUV to introduce a front centre side airbag, situated between the front-seat occupants to provide potentially life-saving lateral impact-related brain-damage mitigation.

Standard equipment in the S includes LED headlights, daytime running lights and foglights; rain-sensing wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels (with a full-size spare), an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto support, dual Bluetooth connectivity, a six-speaker sound system, a 4.2-inch multifunction display, cloth upholstery, four USB ports (three front, one rear), autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with junction assist and pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, exit assist, adaptive cruise control, driver-attention alert, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.

The Sport adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchsreen multimedia system, satellite navigation with live traffic, dual-zone climate control, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, and tyre pressure monitoring.

Meanwhile, the Sport+ also picks up 19-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, LED tail-lights, a power-operated tailgate, keyless entry and start, four more rear USB ports, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, leather-appointed upholstery and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

The GT-Line stands out with dark-chrome 20-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch head-up display, a wireless smartphone charger, ventilated front seats, a 14-way power-adjustable driver's seat, a 10-way power-adjustable front passenger seat with lumbar support, heated rear seats, middle-row sunshade blinds, quilted Nappa leather-appointed upholstery, ambient lighting, rear AEB, blind-spot cameras, remote park assist, surround-view cameras and rear occupant alert.

Seven paintwork options are available, including Clear White, Mineral Blue, Snow White Pearl, Steel Grey, Silky Silver, Aurora Black and Gravity Blue.

Revealed back in February, the latest Sorento is marginally longer (+10mm), wider (+10mm) and taller (+10mm) than its successful predecessor, while it sits on a longer wheelbase (+35mm) to boost interior space across all three rows.

Speaking of which, cargo capacity is 187L (VDA), but stow the third row and it increases to 616L. Better yet, also fold down the middles seats and there's 2011L to play with.

In all variants, ground clearance is rated at 176mm, while towing capacity is rated at 2000kg (braked).

Factor in the more contemporary styling, advanced safety specification, keen pricing and industry-leading seven-year warranty, and the new Sorento should be off to a strong start.

2021 Kia Sorento pricing

Variant	Transmission	Before on-road costs	Driveaway
S petrol FWD	automatic	$45,850 (+$2160)	$46,990
Sport petrol FWD	automatic	$48,470 (+$2780)	$49,990
Sport+ petrol FWD	automatic	$52,850 (NEW)	$54,390
GT-Line petrol FWD	automatic	$60,070 (+$3880)	$61,990
S diesel AWD	automatic	$48,850 (+$2660)	$49,990
Sport diesel AWD	automatic	$51,470 (+$3280)	$52,990
Sport+ diesel AWD	automatic	$55,850 (NEW)	$57,390
GT-Line diesel AWD	automatic	$63,070 (+$3380)	$64,990

UPDATED: 10/09/20