- Kia has revealed the U.S.-spec version of the updated 2024 Sorento, including a new X-Pro off-road trim.
- Its engines are carryover, but the interior receives a new infotainment system and the front and rear ends are freshened.
- The 2024 Sorento will arrive in the first quarter of next year, while the hybrid versions won’t receive the facelift until the 2025 model year and are expected to arrive later in the year.
The updated 2024 Kia Sorento already showed its new face a few months ago, but now we have full details on the facelifted version of the mid-size SUV that’s set to arrive at U.S. dealerships within the next few months. Along with the freshened front and rear ends, the Sorento also gets a spruced-up interior with new features, plus a new off-road trim level called X-Pro.
Exterior and Interior Changes
New headlights and a reshaped grille are the most noticeable changes up front, while the rear features more modern-looking taillights. There are also new wheel designs and two new colors: Midnight Lake Blue and Dawning Red.
On the inside, the infotainment screen grows and features new software with reorganized menus and additional connectivity features including over-the-air updates. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard for the 12.3-inch touchscreen that’s offered on every trim level; the higher trims also feature a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster screen, while the lower trims have a smaller 4.3-inch display in the gauge cluster.
New Trim Level, Carryover Powertrains
The LX, S, EX, SX, and SX-P trim levels continue from before, but there’s a new package called X-Pro that’s meant to offer more of an off-road-oriented upgrade than the X-Line option, which is really just a rugged appearance package. The X-Pro adds 17-inch wheels with BF Goodrich all-terrain tires in addition to the X-Line’s roof rack and skid plates. The X-Line is available as a package on top of the all-wheel-drive EX, SX, and SX-P, but the X-Pro can only be optioned for the SX-P, meaning it’ll likely be a pricey configuration.
There aren’t any powertrain changes for the Sorento, as a 191-hp 2.5-liter inline-four remains the base engine for the LX and S trims. It pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The upgrade engine, standard on EX, SX, and SX-P, is a 281-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (we encountered problems with this transmission in our 40,000-mile long-term test of a Sorento SX). Both engines come with front-wheel drive as standard and offer all-wheel drive as an option.
2025 Sorento Hybrid to Arrive Later
You’ll have to wait a bit if you want a hybrid version of the Sorento with the same upgrades as the 2024 gas-only models. The 2024 Sorento hybrid and plug-in-hybrid models are carryover, and the facelifted hybrids won’t arrive until the 2025 model year in the U.S. They’ll also continue with the same powertrains as before, which use a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four gasoline engine. The PHEV version has a larger battery pack and more powerful electric motor, and it previously claimed an EPA-rated electric range of 32 miles.
Kia does say that the 2025 Sorento hybrid and plug-in hybrid will offer a new Dust Blue interior upholstery option, but hasn’t detailed these models’ trim levels or specs yet. We’ll also have to wait for pricing for the 2024 nonhybrid models, but prices should rise somewhat from the outgoing Sorento, which ranged from $31,415 to $45,015.
Senior Editor
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.