- kia has announced engine specifications for the new 2021 sorento suv.
- two of the available powertrains for the u.s. include a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four and a hybrid drivetrain that uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four and an electric motor.
- the new sorento will premiere at the geneva auto show next month and should go on sale in america by the end of this year.
kia is offering up more information on the new 2021 sorento, sharing details on the redesigned suv's powertrains. engine choices for the u.s. will include a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four and a new hybrid drivetrain that combines a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four with an electric motor. there's also a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission on hand that pairs with the 2.5-liter engine.
the 2.5t engine—which is the same smartstream unit used in hyundai products such as the genesis gv80 and hyundai sonata n-line—makes 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque in this application. that's slightly less power but lots more torque than the current sorento's optional 3.3-liter v-6 engine. we assume the sorento will also offer a less-powerful base engine to replace the current model's naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-four, but kia isn't talking about that yet.
the new hybrid drivetrain is a first for the sorento, and it combines a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four with a 59-horsepower electric motor to make a combined 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. a 1.49-kwh battery pack supplies the juice. kia also says that a plug-in-hybrid model, likely with a significantly bigger battery pack, is coming later on. a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine will be offered in korea and europe, but not in the u.s.; a diesel version of the current sorento was once planned for the u.s., but kia pulled the plug before it became a reality.
a few official measurements confirm that the new sorento is bigger than its predecessor. its wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than before, and its overall length grows by 0.4 inch. it rides on a new platform, and kia promises improved ride and handling along with greater interior space.
we know so much about the sorento already that it's hard to believe it hasn't even made its auto show debut yet, but it will premiere officially at the geneva auto show in a few weeks. there will undoubtedly be even more info to come then, and we'll look forward to u.s.-specific specs and info sometime later this year.