Kia India has begun customer deliveries of the all-new Sorento, with a video showing the first units being handed over to owners at Kia dealerships days after the premium 3-row SUV made its debut in the local market. Production at the company’s Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh plant has kicked in soon after the launch, allowing early buyers to get their hands on the flagship model ahead of schedule.
The Sorento was launched earlier this month at a starting price of ₹27.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and marks Kia’s new flagship internal-combustion SUV in India, plus the company’s first strong-hybrid offering for the domestic market. The 6 and 7-seat vehicle offers buyers a choice between hybrid and traditional diesel powertrains, and comes in a premium 3-row format that slots above the Seltos in the company’s local hierarchy.
The new Kia Sorento has entered the fray in a competitive segment that also includes a number of 3-row premium SUVs, but offers buyers a blend of style and spec, as well as an optional all-wheel drive system on certain variants. Kia’s ability to begin deliveries soon after launch is down to its experience with local manufacturing, with the Anantapur plant set to ramp up production of the Sorento in the coming months.
With more units rolling out to customers in the weeks and months ahead, the Kia Sorento looks set to carve out a niche for itself as a premium 3-row SUV in India. The company has managed to combine the practicality of a 3-row family hauler with the style and comfort of a modern premium crossover, topped off with optional hybrid powertrains that should prove especially appealing to local buyers.
It’s a promising debut for Kia in the premium 3-row segment, one that also serves to highlight the company’s growing appetite for electrified powertrains. With the Sorento offering buyers a choice between hybrid and diesel options at launch, and a competitive starting price, Kia hopes to attract a sizeable chunk of the family SUV buyer demographic with this premium 3-row offering. However, the true test for the Kia Sorento will come in the weeks and months ahead as it begins to gain ground with customers, and owners get to experience just what this new flagship has to offer.