Overview
- The Sorento's body-in-white was photographed on a flatbed truck on Tuesday, a sighting reported by multiple Indian auto outlets that fuelled talk of local assembly through a CKD (completely knocked down) route.
- Journalists note repeated camouflaged test-mule sightings across India, which suggest Kia is carrying out development and calibration work for local driving and regulatory conditions.
- Several outlets cite likely India-spec powertrains as a 1.6-litre petrol plug-in hybrid producing about 261 bhp with roughly 55 km of electric range, with reports also mentioning a possible diesel option in some markets.
- Coverage converges on a premium three-row positioning with a rich feature list—dual 12.3-inch screens, Level‑2 ADAS, panoramic sunroof and Bose audio—priced by reporters in the roughly Rs. 35–45 lakh ex-showroom band and pitched against Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq and similar rivals.
- Kia’s 2026 investor-day roadmap announced an India expansion focused on hybrids and EVs, and a CKD approach would let Kia avoid steep import duties, aim for localisation and target sizable volumes while offering Indian buyers a new electrified flagship SUV option.