Facelifted 2024 Kia Sorento Flaunts Sharper Looks, Premium Interior

The 2024 Kia Sorento has recently been revealed and was given a proper midcycle facelift to keep the three-row midsize crossover SUV competitive. The facelifted Sorento has been revealed just three years after the current generation model first debuted, building upon the aspects that have made the outgoing model a great all-rounder, but can it replicate that global success when it eventually arrives in the Philippines?

Compared to your usual segment choices such as the Mazda CX-8, the Sorento sets itself apart locally with its 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine that produces 202 horsepower and 441 Nm of torque. This is sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed wet dual-clutch. It is still unknown if this engine will carry over unchanged for the 2024 update, but even if it remains the same, the engine is smooth, punchy, and extremely fuel efficient if you’ve read my review on the pre-facelifted model. This alone could be a selling point compared to the gas-fed CX-8.

What could also be a selling point is its updated styling inside and out. Thanks to a new grille, vertical LED headlights with an EV9-inspired design for the LED daytime running lights, the new 2024 Kia Sorento further improves the look of what is already one of the most beautifully-styled SUVs in its segment. The side profile remains unchanged, except for a new set of alloy wheels. The rear end also remains largely similar, but the vertical LED taillights have now been merged into one single piece, with the taillight graphics mimicking the daytime running lights up front.

The interior of the new Sorento has also been updated. It’s not radically different from the pre-facelift model, but it once again builds upon the stylish foundations of the pre-facelift Sorento. The center console buttons have been streamlined and are now housed in a capacitive center stack, while the two infotainment screens are now 12.3 inches in size and housed in a single glass panel. It is also running new software that made its debut in the EV9 electric three-row SUV. There’s also an LED ambient light strip on the dash, plus there’s a new fingerprint authentication feature. Available in select markets, fingerprint authentication lets you start the car without the key fob (instead, your smartphone will act as the key fob) as well as activate certain features such as valet mode or make in-vehicle payments.

Kia will reveal more technical details about the new Sorento in mid-August. Under the new Chief Operating Officer of Kia Philippines, Brian Buendia, the South Korean automaker is going to be more aggressive when it comes to new model launches and electrification. A Philippine launch of this midsize crossover SUV could happen sometime in 2024, and it could even be offered as a hybrid in our market.