Kia Sorento News

Kia’s big plans have just been exposed.  Korean Car Blog has just revealed key details about Kia’s upcoming product line-up, with some of these models expected to land Down Under before 2030.  The leaked roadmap shows an all-new Kia EV7 electric mid-size SUV as well as a next-generation Sorento large SUV and Carnival people mover, among other models.  These models are all anticipated to hit showrooms globally from 2028 to 2029.  The document is from the Kia Employment Stability Committee, which is a body that negotiates and approves production investments and factory volumes.  The document shows Kia will begin production of an electric mid-size SUV called the EV7.  Details are scarce, but logically, it would sit between the EV6 and EV9 SUVs.  This could put it into competition with the very popular BYD Sealion 7 ($54,990) and the luxury-pitched BMW iX3 ($89,900), both before on-road costs.  The EV7 is likely to have a similar footprint to the Kia Sorento, meaning it could even be a three-row SUV.  We don't know whether the EV7 is related to the Hyundai Ioniq 7 that is rumoured to arrive in the United Kingdom in 2027. Production on the EV7 could begin as early as 2028.  Kia is also planning to overhaul its Carnival people mover. Leaked documents confirmed a “completely redesigned” Carnival hybrid is on the way and will launch in 2028.  The Carnival is the runaway sales leader of the people mover segment in Australia, available in diesel- and conventional-hybrid-powered set-ups.  It comfortably outsells the Hyundai Staria as well as the BYD M9 and Denza D9.  The first hybrid Carnival launched in mid-2024 as an electrified alternative to the diesel-powered variant.  Kia isn’t just stopping at a new-generation Carnival, with the Korean brand also rumoured to be pursuing a hydrogen fuel cell variant by 2029.  This would be Kia’s first hydrogen-powered production model, and it’s likely to lean on fuel cell technology from sister brand Hyundai.  It’s unclear whether the local branch would consider bringing a hydrogen Carnival to Australia, given the lack of usable infrastructure.  Plans show Kia is working on a new hybrid Sorento that will begin production in 2028.  The Sorento remains an important model for Kia in Australia, sitting below the brand’s best seller the Sportage.  It currently has a very broad set of variants in Australia, featuring petrol, diesel, conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid choices.  It’s possible Kia will go hybrid-only Down Under as it has done with the Seltos, and is expected to do with the larger Sportage when it arrives in 2027.  Kia is preparing to give the Tasman ute a major makeover. Production will begin in 2028 and will spawn derivatives, including a ladder-frame SUV to compete with the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.  There’s also potential for a plug-in hybrid or even fully electric variants of the Tasman to launch in the coming years. 

Road rage is such an ugly part of driving, but the type of car you own could be a magnet for bullies. Having driven thousands of cars over 15 years of testing, here are three of the best cars I think will help you avoid the wrath of other drivers and three that might attract more hate when on the road. Your guess is as good as mine as to why whenever I drive a D-Max ute I get treated with so much respect despite probably doing things that’d get me honked at in other cars.  Honestly, all utes command respect, patience and better treatment from other motorists, but maybe it’s the less glitzy and more down to earth rural appeal of the D-Max that makes it one of the best cars to drive if you want others to cut you a bit more slack. On the flip side its ute drivers I find to be the most aggressive out there — this is all anecdotal of course, but I’m sure there are many out there who will back me up. So perhaps a wariness of utes drivers and not a respect for hardworking tradies is why they’re treated better. Perhaps it's because police forces all over Australia use the Kia Sorento to chase baddies or it could be that this large SUV just looks tough. Whatever the reason, if you want other drivers to let you merge into their lane this is your car. The Sorento is large and pretty menacing looking from the front and back. But then so too are lots of SUVs, but what I think what wins over other drivers is the Kia badge. It's a brand that’s established itself at a grass roots level in Australian sport and community. It’s more aspirational than Toyota, but still not pretentious. I should point out that Toyota Klugers also command respect, so too do other large SUVs, like the Mazda CX-90 and the Ford Everest.   The Volkswagen Multivan looks like a toaster, only five metres long and two metres tall.  And while the sheer size of it makes other road users think twice about cutting one off in traffic, it's more than that. I think it's actually connected to the iconic Kombi van and the good feelings that van conjures. You know we grow up excited to see Kombis as kids, which still hits us with a sense of “awww” even now as adults when we see a van with a VW badge.  The good treatment isn’t restricted to Volkswagen Multivans, all vans are treated incredibly well despite many of them carrying out manoeuvres that defy logic, like double parking, spontaneous U-turns and driving slow while searching for an address. And that’s because we know most vans are delivery trucks on a mission and the bad driving is not down to incompetence … most of the time. I’ve picked the Porsche 911 mainly because it’s one of the cars I’ve received the worst treatment in continually but I’ve found this goes for any high-end sports car. Perhaps it’s the sight of an expensive sports car that brings out some jealousy in other drivers but I’ve never been tailgated more by other drivers than when in an expensive sports car. As for being let into traffic — that’s also a problem. This behaviour, like all road rage, is dangerous and does nothing more than reduce safety and cause stress, unnecessarily. The Suzuki Swift is great in many ways — just not how some people treat you when you’re driving it. This seems to be a problem with most small cars and I can’t help but think that there are some drivers who assume the person in the Swift is young and inexperienced.  Yep there is definitely some kind of automotive pecking order out there on the road and I can be in a ute I’m testing and then move into a small car and suddenly be honked for not moving the instant a traffic light turns green. If other motorists are ‘punching down’ on young drivers then this is a huge concern that could put the inexperienced under too much pressure and lead to a life-threatening mistake. Car reviewers joke that the answer to, “what car should I buy?”, is always “Toyota Camry’ because the value for money, reliability and comfort equation is almost impossible to match. But when behind the wheel of a Camry I’ve found I’m treated in much the same way as a small car, with other drivers seemingly becoming impatient and wanting to overtake rather than sit behind me. I can only speculate as to the reason but perhaps other drivers might think Camry drivers are older and in less of a hurry, or maybe that the person behind the wheel is a rideshare driver that could stop suddenly to let a fare out. Whatever the reason, road ragers should beware that  Australia’s police forces use unmarked Camrys and so the next one you bully, could land you a ticket.   

Australia's ever tightening emissions regulations have taken another scalp.

Kia is planning something impressive for its big-selling SUV family favourite.

Our best look at the next-gen Sorento's design yet.

Hyundai appears to have listened to feedback and tweaked the design of its polarising Santa Fe seven-seat SUV, according to new spy footage of the yet-to-be-revealed update. The news comes via the Korean Car Blog website and the Woopa TV YouTuber who recorded footage of the upcoming Santa Fe testing and parked.  While the new Santa Fe shown here is wrapped in padding to camouflage the new design, the small open areas that allow headlights and tail-lights to shine through reveal some big differences. The biggest news seems to be that the controversial horizontal low-sitting tail-lights have been redesigned to be vertically orientated, skirting the edges of the vehicle's tailgate running upwards. At the front it also appears the headlights and daytime running lights have also been restyled. Gone are the H-shaped LED DRLs and in their place appears to be horizontal and vertical strips similar to what's seen on Kia models such as the EV9. The headlights are now rectangular and sit lower, just above the top of the bumper. For now those are the main expected changes we can see to the updated Hyundai Santa Fe. The fifth-generation Santa Fe arrived in Australia in early 2024 and caused controversy with a completely new look that was more boxy, angular and upright then any previous model.  Despite the divided views the Santa Fe has sold well in Australia with year-to-date sales (until the end of October) of 5370. That said, the seven-seat Hyundai is still lagging behind Kia's ageing Sorento which recorded 7588 in the same period. CarsGuide has reached out to Hyundai Australia to confirm local timing for the update. When the updated Santa Fe does arrive it will likely retain the current powerplants, including a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol variant and a hybrid version which combines a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor. Both variants are offered with front and all-wheel drive. A new plug-in hybrid, which is currently available in other markets, may also be added to the Australian line-up when the updated Santa Fe arrives.

Kia has added more accessible hybrid options to its SUV line-up for 2026.

Don’t hold your breath for the next-generation Kia Telluride. Plans for the rugged-looking, three-row, monocoque-bodied big SUV that saved the company (and its dealer network) in North America seem to have permanently stalled for Australia, and for the second time since the series’ debut six years ago. But why the rejection?

Subaru, we love you but you're missing a few things. Where is your ute? Your retro-revived Brumby? And while we’re at it there are so many other models you should be making and selling in Australia. Here’s our shopping list of what Subaru needs to do OK, well it does look like the Brumby might happen, with CarsGuide reporting recently that Subaru and Toyota were teaming up to produce a small electric ute. And that’s exciting even if it’s only taken 31 years to bring the Brumby back.  We’re not saying Subaru doesn't have any good cars in Australia - it absolutely does. The family favourite Forester is probably the best off-the beaten track capable mid sized SUV and the WRX is a superb rally car for the road, but there are more than a few missing models from Subaru’s line-up. The most obvious is a seven seater SUV, which would be able to compete with Mitsubishi's Outlander, Kia’s Sorento and Hyundai’s Santa Fe. Imagine a Forester XL — a three row, seven-seat SUV that’s about 200mm longer than the standard Forester at 4840mm length. It’d have Subaru’s symmetrical SUV and 215mm of ground clearance and be one of the most adept light-off roaders on sale. Price it from $50,990 to $73,000. It’d sell like cakes that are hot. You actually don't have to imagine a Forester XL, because it really exists in the United States and it's called the Ascent. It's  a three-row seven- or eight-seat SUV that's basically a big Forester. What about a Toyota LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol rival? Could Subaru build one of these? Not on its own, but it is very buddy-buddy with Toyota. In the same way Subaru’s BRZ sports car and Solterra electric SUV were both born out of joint ventures with Toyota, a LandCruiser Prado or 300 Series version could be entirely possible. Oh, and while we’re at it, a HiLux-based ute would also see Subaru go head-to-head with Ford’s Ranger, Nissan’s Navara and Isuzu D-Max. I’d like to think Subaru could come up with amazing names for these two new vehicles but history says coming up with a names isn’t really the brand’s strength. So the ute would likely be something like the Subaru Muster and the big hardcore off-road SUV would be the Subaru Longitude. Terrible names, great cars.  And finally, a people-mover and you can thank the Kia Carnival for changing everybody’s mind about these vans being uncool and making them kind of desirable again.  Subaru actually sold a seven-seater people-mover called the Exiga in 2012. It was based on the Liberty wagon, but it was discontinued in 2015 from Australia. Despite people mover sales only representing about one per cent of the total market share Kia still managed to sell 10,080 Carnivals in 2024 — that's a quarter of Subaru's total sales for the same year.  Will any of these imaginary Subarus actually happen? Probably not. Well the Brumby small ute is likely. Subaru plans to make more joint venture EVs with Toyota, which also makes sense. Still a Forester XL would be nice.

Kia’s popular family SUV could be going hybrid only. The next-generation Kia Sorento is under development and could be about to ditch petrol and diesel power when it arrives in late 2026 or early 2027, according to reports.