Hot on the heels of Hyundai’s next-gen Santa Fe debut, Kia has updated its mechanically related SUV as well. It’s a mid-cycle facelift we saw earlier this week in a handful of images released by the South Korean brand, and now, the vehicle has been caught out in the open without any disguise. Most of the changes have occurred at the front where there are influences from the Telluride and the fully electric EV9, the brand’s other large SUVs.
We’ve been reading your comments on the 2024 Sorento debut post and many of you have pointed out the similarities with Cadillac models as far as the new heavily tinted headlights are concerned. Kia has also redesigned the grille, which no longer accommodates the badge since the logo updated in late 2020 now sits at the edge of the hood. Compared to the vehicle featured in the official images, this prototype has smaller 18-inch wheels wrapped in 235/60 R18 rubber.
The changes at the rear are less noticeable but Kia did tweak the taillights since the two vertical bars now meet at the top. In addition, the massive “Sorento” lettering positioned below the license plate has made way for a significantly smaller logo with a different font mounted on the bottom-left corner of the tailgate. It’s interesting to see how the Sorento and Santa Fe look totally different and yet they share the same underpinnings.
The spy video doesn’t include footage of the interior but official images attached at the bottom show the 2024 Sorento’s cabin. The dashboard has been updated to accommodate a larger touchscreen, slimmer central air vents, and capacitive-touch controls for the HVAC to replace the separate screen installed on the pre-facelift model.
Much like Hyundai, Kia has yet to release any details about its updated midsize SUV. The Santa Fe will be fully revealed in August and chances are we’ll also get to learn all there is to know about the Sorento next month. The larger Palisade and Telluride were facelifted last year, and Kia also has the fully electric EV9 in its lineup. Hyundai will follow suit in 2024 with the Ioniq 7 as a production version of the 2022 Seven Concept.
Meanwhile, the Santa Fe and Sorento are likely to go on sale first before the end of 2023 in South Korea, with the United States and other markets to follow next year.
