2026 Kia Sorento revealed with subtle upgrades, off-road variants and no V6 but what’s coming to the key Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger rival in Australia?

Kia has revealed an updated version of its key upper mid-size three-row Sorento SUV and the brand’s local subsidiary has confirmed the upgraded model will arrive in Australia before the end of the year.

For the 2026 model year in the Korean market, the new Sorento features subtle exterior tweaks and not-so subtle interior tweaks, with the most notable changes being the introduction of a tough X-Line variant and the removal of the 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine.

On the outside, there are new wheel designs, while on the inside the new Sorento scores a four-spoke steering wheel design similar to the one in its EV9 sibling. The new X-Line variant brings a bespoke grille and blacked-out trim.

For the Korean market, it also gets two new dual-tone colour schemes, 'Olive Brown' and 'Navy Gray'.

As for standard features, the new Sorento gets an upgraded active safety suite which includes 'Highway Driving Assist 2' (improved adaptive cruise control) with navigation-based features, rear projected guiding lamps for the reversing system as well as an upgrade to 10 airbags (up from seven).

Another notable change is the removal of the 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine from the range, replaced by the newer Hyundai Group 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (206kW/422Nm) also seen in the related new Santa Fe.

However, Kia Australia confirmed to CarsGuide that while the new Sorento as seen in Korea will be arriving in our market in the fourth quarter of 2025, it would not see any powertrain changes for the time being, suggesting it will maintain the existing non-turbo V6 (200kW/332Nm), 2.2-litre diesel (148kW/440Nm), 1.6-litre turbo plugless hybrid and 1.6-litre turbo PHEV (the latter pair each producing a combined 195kW/350Nm) as carryover drivetrain options.

The brand’s representatives also would not confirm upcoming spec changes or whether Australia will see the introduction of an X-Line or X-Pro variant, however it seems convenient timing that the off-road focused X badging has just arrived on the Tasman dual-cab locally.

In Korea the X-Line is more or less a trim package with a specific grille and wheel designs, however in the US market there is also a full-fat X-Pro grade which scores all-terrain tyres from the factory with smaller wheels for increased tyre side-wall, 208mm of ground clearance (up from the standard 176mm) as well as an upgraded towing capacity, served only with the 2.5-litre turbo engine in all-wheel drive.

The Sorento’s last facelift arrived in Australia in January of 2025 and has gone on to sell 401 units less than last year’s version, down 7.2 per cent year-on-year. It is competing in a tough segment, however, attacked from all fronts by new and existing rivals.

Its even more boldly-styled Santa Fe relation from Hyundai is performing well this year, up 31.9 per cent and moving 3212 units, and the segment-dominating Toyota Kluger is also performing well despite its age, up 10.9 per cent year-on-year moving 4611 units to the halfway point of 2025.

New entrants, like the MG QS and Chery Tiggo 8 look to complicate things further in the three-row upper mid-size SUV space, bringing price pressure to well established players like the Sorento.

Expect to learn more about the Sorento upgrade before its late 2025 arrival. In the meantime, Kia is hoping its highly anticipated Tasman ute, which is now on sale, will add thousands more to its tally for the year.