Kia has officially revealed specification details of its fourth-generation flagship, seven-seat Sorento SUV – with prices starting from £38,845.

The model, which was first unveiled back in March, is now on sale and available in ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ designated trim levels and a choice of hybrid petrol or 2.2-litre turbodiesel engines.

A 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol engine is coupled to a 44.2kW electric motor and 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack in the hybrid offering, resulting in a 230PS and 265Nm of torque output, CO2 emissions of as low as 158g/km and a combined fuel economy figure of up to 40.9mpg.

Kia’s all-new Sorento Hybrid remains a capable tow car, with the ability to pull a braked trailer of up to 1,650kg.

The Sorento’s new four-cylinder 2.2-litre ‘Smartstream’ diesel engine produces 202PS and 440Nm of torque, meanwhile, and claims 176k/km CO2 emissions and fuel economy of 42.2mpg on the WLTP test’s combined cycle.

With a maximum towing weight of 2,500kg the Sorento diesel can haul a load that is half a tonne heavier than its predecessor.

Kia’s hybrid drivetrain is the faster of the two to 62mph, taking 8.7 seconds versus 9.1 for the turbodiesel.

Trim levels

All new Kia Sorento trim levels feature LED lighting, 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails and front and rear skid plates in silver among their exterior styling highlights.

Inside, the ‘2’ features black cloth upholstery, USB charge ports for all three rows of seats and dual-zone automatic air conditioning includes outlets for the third row.

There’s also a 12.3-inch high-resolution digital instrument cluster, an eight-inch touchscreen and front and rear parking sensors.

Among a suite of safety systems features are: Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA); Lane Follow Assist (LFA); Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA); Manual Speed Limit Assist (MSLA); Trailer Stability Assist (TSA); and Driver Attention Warning (DAW).

Adaptive cruise control and Ecall, which automatically summons the emergency services in the event of an accident, are also standard.

The ‘3’ specification upgrades the alloy wheels to 19-inches, the grille to gloss black and adds a satin chrome finish to the exterior door handles.

The upholstery is upgraded to black leather, with eight-way power adjustment in the front.

The ‘3’ also includes Kia’s UVO Connect telematics system, connecting drivers by providing invaluable information via the in-car touchscreen and on their smartphone; a powered boot lid and Kia’s semi-autonomous Highway Driving Assist (HAD) system.

Grade ‘4’ features fine black Nappa leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, head-up display and a 12-speaker Bose surround-sound among its range-topping highlights.

Earlier this year Kia Motors UK managing director, Paul Philpott, told AM that the brand's dealer network are on the cusp of electrification, but must ensure the coronavirus crisis doesn’t derail its plan significantly.

“We need the dealer network to recover as quickly as we do the industry,” he said.

Last week Kia dealers weree told that they can expect greater availability of the popular e-Niro elelctric vehicle (EV) as the brand secures increased supply, cutting lead times to just a few weeks.