Kia Australia plans two-pronged hybrid SUV attack in 2021
Kia is set to join the hybrid SUV race in Australia early next year with its Sorento.
Kia says its all-new Sorento large SUV will be offered with a hybrid system from early 2021, marking the first electrified vehicle offered by the Korean brand that has muscled itself into the list of top sellers.
However, whereas arch-rival Toyota is sticking solely with regular petrol-only hybrids for now, Kia promises to arrive with a split hybrid approach. The Sorento will be offered as a regular hybrid (HEV) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), each providing significant fuel-saving benefits over the current car.
Product planning manager Roland Rivero confirmed the news in announcing details of the V6 and turbo-diesel Sorento models that have just gone on sale.
“[Kia Motors head office has] given us the green light to develop for our market both the plug-in hybrid and the hybrid powertrains for the all new Sorento,” Rivero told Australian media.
“We expect to have the development work and homologation work completed ASAP and we should see stock arriving early in 2021.”
HEV and PHEV for new Sorento
The Sorento hybrid and PHEV each pair a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with an electric motor.
In the case of the regular hybrid the electric motor makes 44.2kW and draws from a 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery. The combined outputs are 169kW and 350Nm.
The plug-in hybrid gets a more powerful electric motor (67kW/304Nm) and a much larger 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery expected to give the Sorento PHEV an all-electric range of 40 or 50km.
That larger battery pack adds weight, Kia bumping the combined PHEV outputs up to 195kW and 350Nm.
As for which will prove the most popular, it’s expected the regular hybrid will pick up the most interest, in part because it’ll be a lot more affordable.
Those bigger batteries mean a bigger price tag, something that has made PHEVs a tough sell in Australia.
Given the drivetrain tech and batteries in both hybrid and PHEV, expect them to be more expensive than the V6 petrol and four-cylinder turbo diesel Sorentos, which are priced from $46,990 and $49,990 drive-away respectively; something approaching $55K seems more likely.
With a price premium Kia is expecting the petrol and diesel models to account for most Sorento sales.
“We’ll be conservative in our forecasting in the initial stages to gauge how the hybrid product resonates with our brand,” said Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith. “We’re obviously confident but in the initial stages we don’t see more 10 to 15 percent of the mix being hybrid.”
As for the Sorento hybrid sales mix, that’s harder to forecast.
Kia’s sister brand Hyundai is currently the only brand to offer a plug-in hybrid and regular hybrid of the same model in Australia with its Ioniq. Hyundai even goes one further, adding a full battery electric version into the Ioniq mix.
In the Hyundai lineup buyers are gravitating towards the models with a higher level of electrification.
Despite being the most expensive, it’s the Ioniq BEV that makes up most Ioniq sales, accounting for 57 percent of sales. The regular hybrid is the next most popular, accounting for 24 percent of sales, while the plug-in hybrid makes up the remaining 19 percent.
The Ioniq PHEV is about $7000 more than the Ioniq Hybrid, so it’s a fair bet the Sorento PHEV will be well north of $60K.
High-tech play for Sorento
Technology is a big part of the sales pitch with the new Sorento.
It’s the only mainstream car to come with a remote parking feature on the most expensive GT-Line model. Known as Remote Smart Parking Assist it allows the car to be driven by remote control via a keyfob to drive into or out of tight parking spots.
There’s also Driver Talk In-Car Intercom (also for the GT-Line only) that uses speakers and microphones to allow easy conversation between the driver and those in the third row.
The GT-Line also gets a 12-speaker Bose sound system.
The Sorento also has up to seven USB charging ports to ensure devices are constantly powered up.
