The fourth-generation Sorento launched in early 2020 but spy shots have revealed the midsize SUV is already gearing up for bites and slips. Perhaps that’s not too surprising because, in recent years, South Korean brands have developed a habit of shortening product life cycles. Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis always seem to be in a rush to refresh their vehicles, be it through mid-cycle updates or next-generation models.
The spy image we published in September has now served as the basis for a series of unofficial renderings that attempt to see the future of SUV style. Usually, a facelift doesn’t drastically change the car’s design (well, the BMW X7 LCI is an exception), but three Asian brands are known to take the plunge with style even in the same generation of models. While the larger Telluride facelift is more of the same, things could be different for the Sorento.
13 Photo
Our friends in Gotha Car been kind enough to share a speculative rendering of how Sorento 2024 could look. The biggest changes are expected at the front where the headlights can get a radical makeover without copying the funky headlights of the smaller Sportage. The top LED daytime running lights pictured here extend near the center of the “tiger nose” grille. As for the headlights, this is represented by a vertical strip next to the glossy black trim.
As always, don’t take this rendering lightly as the prototype seen by the car paparazzi is heavily disguised. The test vehicle does leave the impression that Kia is planning some major changes, but if history has taught us anything, the number of camos doesn’t always match the number of changes the automaker is trying to hide.
A pure electric version is not on the agenda for a mid-cycle facelift as Kia generally prefers to have a dedicated EV over a converted petrol/diesel model for EV duty. As a result, the three-row EV9 driving the E-GMP platform will come next year as the brand’s biggest electric SUV.
The official reveal will likely take place at some point in 2023 in South Korea, with Europe and North America to get the Sorento facelift a few months later, possibly as early as 2024.
