Kia Sorento Model Years and History

The Kia Sorento/Hybrid carries over with minimal changes for the year 2026.

The Kia Sorento carries over with minimal changes for 2025 while the hybrid model gets a refreshed exterior.

The Kia Sorento gets a refreshed exterior, and updated trim lineup for 2024 while the hybrid model carries over with minimal changes.

The Kia Sorento gets an updated trim lineup for 2023 but otherwise carries over with minimal changes.

The Kia Sorento goes into 2022 with no changes since it got redesigned last year, but a Plug-in Hybrid is now available for the higher trims SX and SX-P.

The Kia Sorento gets a full redesign for 2021, significant updates include more interior room and a new hybrid version.

The Kia Sorento is updated for 2020 with lightly revised styling and a consolidation of its trim levels. The new SX model now comes equipped with an 8-inch infotainment system, app-based remote start and a rear-seat occupant alert.

The Kia Sorento is upgraded for 2019 with slightly revised styling and a new 8-speed transmission for V6-powered trims. The 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder has been discontinued.

The Kia Sorento is essentially unchanged for 2018 though a few incremental improvements have been added and a couple of the trim levels get more standard equipment. Standard features now included on the EX include a power liftgate, auto up/down windows, power folding side mirrors and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Following a complete redesign last year, the Kia enters 2017 with few changes. Among them, the Sorento adds Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus an Advanced Touring Package and Advanced Technology Package, which make active safety like forward collision warning, adaptive headlights and cruise control, and emergency braking features available on lower trims. The top SX Limited trim comes with these features standard.

The Kia Sorento has been completely redesigned for 2016. With its clean styling, improved interior space and multiple engine options, the new Sorento is a big improvement over last year's model.

Following a redesign last year, the Kia Sorento is relatively unchanged for 2015: The front grille is slightly revised, and the direct-injected 2.4-liter 4-cylinder now has improved highway fuel economy, up to 27 mpg.

The Kia Sorento has been redesigned for 2014--reportedly 80 percent new after its recent redesign. One of the biggest improvements made in 2014 is the addition of a new V6 which is significantly more powerful than anything offered in previous years.

Following a restyling and mechanical upgrade in 2012, the 2013 Kia Sorento receives only selective upgrades to various equipment and packaging. In the Sorento EX, leather seating is now standard, the base LX has an optional UVO voice-activated infotainment system, rearview camera, rear sonar, heated front seats and fog lamps. The LX V6 now comes with standard third-row seating. Planned for later in the model year is a new Convenience Package with 8-way power driver's seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter and a first aid kit.

For 2012, the Kia Sorento returns with a new base level trim, as well as a new direct-injection 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that makes 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. The new engine is offered only with a 6-speed automatic, and it comes with chrome exhaust tips as standard equipment. Other new features include stain-resistant seat covers, 17-inch wheels on base models, and optional power folding mirrors. Top-level SX versions now have a heated wood-rim steering wheel.

After an absence for the 2010 model year, the Sorento returns for 2011 as a refined, more carlike crossover utility vehicle, powered by 4-cylinder and V6 engines, with either front- or all-wheel drive. The new model is about three inches longer than the former model, with most of the added length going to passenger space. Technology and entertainment features are upgraded substantially, and 3-row seating is optional. Also of note is that the Sorento is Kia's first U.S.-built vehicle, made in an all-new plant in West Point, Georgia.

Not much is new in the Kia Sorento for 2009. It received a design overhaul in 2007, and a second, larger engine was added for 2008. Both the 3.3L and 3.8L V6 powerplants are available in 2009 models. This year, there were slight changes made to the front and rear styling, and a few updates to the interior, including 60/40 fold-flat split rear seats for more cargo carrying options.

For 2008, the Kia Sorento adds a new engine to the lineup--a 242-horsepower 3.3L V6. It will power the base and LX models, while the 262-horsepower 3.8L V6 that powered the entire line last year only comes in EX models. Outside, the 2008 Sorento differs slightly, as the grille, headlights, taillights, and front and rear fascias have been revised. Pricing on the base model climbed $1,000, while across the rest of the range, the increase was far more modest.

The Kia Sorento gets a makeover for 2007, with the big news lying under the hood. Thanks to a new 3.8L V6, output jumps from 192 horsepower to 262. The front end and interior have been revised, and towing capacity increases from 3,500 to 5,000 pounds. There are also new 16- and 17-inch wheels to go along with a retuned suspension.