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The much-awaited Kia Sorento is set to launch in India on September 4. This premium SUV will compete with the likes of Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tiguan and some variants of the Toyota Fortuner. Ahead of its launch, Kia has now released the first TV commercial (TVC), giving us a closer look at the Sorento and its capabilities.

In the ad film, we see some stunning visuals of the Sorento and its features. It opens by showing a young entrepreneur who runs a coffee business, and owns the Sorento. The film follows a young entrepreneur who runs a coffee business and owns a Sorento. The story revolves around his drive to one of his coffee outlets, located in a remote and peaceful location that is difficult to reach by a regular car.

This is where the Sorento enters the picture. The entrepreneur has wisely chosen it due to its capable all wheel drive (AWD) system.

The commercial shows him driving the Sorento through winding ghat roads before taking it onto rough and uneven terrains. The SUV is seen tackling deep ruts and puddles, splashing water as it moves through. It also crosses a shallow stream effortlessly.

We can see the design of the SUV in detail. It is seen with a bold front fascia, vertically stacked LED headlamps, large Tiger-Nose grille, ‘7’ shaped LED DRLs, 19-inch wheels, LED tail lamps and more. The ground clearance seems to be good enough, although Kia hasn’t revealed any official numbers yet. The SUV seems to have a strong road presence.

Driving through harsh terrains, the Sorento finally reaches its destination. The entrepreneur then has his coffee peacefully, standing beside the Sorento.

This ad film shows three important details of the Sorento. One, the 4X badge on the tailgate. It denotes the all wheel drive technology onboard. Second, we get to see the entrepreneur switching between ‘Terrain modes’. The vehicle seems to have three Terrain modes, two of which are visible on the video- Mud and Sand.

Even budget models from Kia like the Sonet comes with drive and terrain modes. However, when paired with a capable AWD system, these can be a lot more effective.

And finally, the TVC also confirms that the Sorento will come with a digital IRVM (Inside Rear View Mirror).

The vehicle featured in this ad film is the range-topping petrol hybrid variant. We can see the ‘HEV’ badge on the tailgate. The Sorento is set to become the first mass-market hybrid SUV with AWD in India. AWD will be offered on the HTX and HTX(A) trims.

The Sorento will be offered with two powertrain choices- a 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel and a 1.6-litre strong hybrid turbo-petrol. The strong hybrid petrol version will have an output of around 238 hp and 380 Nm while the diesel will generate around 202 hp and 440 Nm. The diesel engine is, in fact, shared with the Carnival.

Kia has already started the production of Sorento at its Anantpur plant. It will be available in both six- and seven-seater versions. Seven broad trims will be on offer- HTE, HTE(O), HTK, HTK(A), HTX, HTX(A) and Black Line. It is the Black Line that we see in this TVC. Eight colour options will be available- Glacier White Pearl, Aurora Black Pearl, Imperial Blue, Red, Gravity Grey, Pewter Olive, Ivory Silver Gloss, and Matte Graphite. Black Line variants could likely have exclusive trims and colour options.

The Sorento will have a tech-laden cabin. In addition to those shown in the TVC, it will also come with features like two 12.3-inch displays (touchscreen and digital instrument cluster), a 12-speaker Bose audio, 64-colour ambient lighting, head up display (HUD), wireless charger, ventilated seats, powered driver’s seat with memory function, panoramic sunroof, AI assistant for Infotainment system, remote engine start, Level 2 ADAS and more. The steering wheel will be a chunky four-spoke unit, and there will be a rotary-styled gear selector as well.