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

Kia Motors will release the all-new, fourth-generation Sorento seven-seat SUV later next month, ushering in class-leading level of safety as well as worthwhile strides in efficiency, quality, space and specification for the 18-year-old nameplate.

Although full details – including pricing for two of the four grades – have yet to be released, we know that the base S petrol front-wheel-drive (2WD) Sorento jumps up about four per cent over the outgoing equivalent to $45,850 before on-road costs, topping out from $60,070 for the flagship GT-Line petrol.

Going diesel sees a $3000 hike across the range, and automatically adds an on-demand AWD system, meaning no petrol AWD will be available – as per the related-under-the-skin Hyundai Santa Fe and 2021’s Palisade full-sized SUV.

The engine in question is a 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder CRDi turbo-diesel unit that has seen service in various Hyundais and Kias since the mid 2000s, while the also long-lived 200kW/332Nm 3.5-litre petrol V6 lives to see another day. Both employ an in-house designed 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.

There is no word for now as to if or when the 1.6-litre turbo petrol/electric hybrid, 2.5-litre turbo petrol or anticipated plug-in EV models announced for other parts of the world will be offered in this market.

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

To offset the price rises, the new Sorento is the first big 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.

The S, Sport and Sport+ also include a 10.25-inch touchscreen with the usual Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity technology, while the GT-Line adopts a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation cluster, matching some other seven seaters like the Skoda Kodiaq.

Revealed back in February, the latest Sorento is marginally longer, wider and taller than its successful predecessor, while it sits on a longer wheelbase to boost interior space across all three rows. Tyre size choices range from 17-inch to big 20-inch wheels. On diesel AWD grades, ground clearance is rated at around 176mm while towing capacity is rated at 2500kg (braked).

Factor in the more contemporary styling, advanced safety specification, keen pricing and industry-leading seven-year warranty, and the 2021 Kia Sorento should be off to a strong start.

Watch this space for more information closer to the newcomer’s launch later next month.