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Kia India is all set to launch its first hybrid vehicle in India. The company has now released an official teaser image, giving a glimpse of the upcoming Sorento Hybrid SUV. The Kia Sorento is going to be the most expensive ICE SUV from Kia in India. Kia is expected to launch the new SUV in the next couple of months. While there is no official launch date available at the moment, there are reports that many dealerships have started accepting unofficial bookings for the same. Kia has now officially confirmed that interested buyers can visit Kia dealerships and pre-book the SUV before its launch.

In the teaser image that has now been released by Kia, we see the upcoming Sorento SUV under a black satin cloth. It is completely covered, and the only design elements visible in the picture are the headlamps, LED DRLs, and the fog lamps. The SUV is already available in many international markets and is known for its sophisticated design and advanced technology.

From the teaser image, it is clear that the Sorento will come with a tall and upright design, which is something people expect from an SUV. As expected, Kia is likely to make minor changes to the design of the SUV to make it suitable for our market. In the image, we see the vertically stacked ice cube-like LED headlamp design, and right next to it, we also see the 7-shaped dual-function LED DRLs. The ice cube fog lamps seen in the teaser image look like a signature lighting element specific to the Indian market.

The Kia Sorento is going to be a family SUV with three-row seating. A new set of spy pictures that have surfaced online gave a glimpse of the cabin of the SUV. It is a premium-looking SUV with features like leatherette upholstery, seat ventilation, a panoramic sunroof, multi-zone climate control, and a curvilinear display that includes a large touchscreen infotainment system and a fully digital driver display. The center console gets a clean layout with rotary knobs for the gear selector and drive modes, along with buttons for the 360-degree camera, EPB, hill descent control, auto hold, and more. There are cupholders on the console, and we also see a decent number of physical buttons.

The SUV will come with captain seats for the second row, and the driver and co-driver seats will get electric adjustment and a memory function, along with a boss mode for the co-driver seat. Even the rear seats are expected to get a ventilation function. The SUV will also offer a host of safety features, including ADAS.

Coming to the engine options, the Sorento is going to be Kia’s first hybrid SUV for our market. It was earlier rumored that Kia might launch the Sorento with a new 1.5-litre hybrid engine. However, the latest reports suggest that Kia will continue to offer the India-spec version with the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with the strong hybrid system that is already offered in many international markets. The UK-spec version of the Sorento with the same engine gets a 1.49 kWh battery pack and generates 238 hp and 380 Nm. It is mated to an automatic transmission as standard.

The Kia Sorento is also available with FWD and AWD options, and it remains to be seen which version comes to India. There is also a possibility that Kia might launch a diesel engine option with the Sorento in India. The diesel version will use a 2.2-litre turbo unit that generates 202 bhp and 440 Nm of torque.