2019 Kia Sorento facelift will start at RM 169,888

KUALA LUMPUR; Only a few days ago, the facelifted Optima and Optima GT made headlines after the new cars went live on the South Korean automaker’s Malaysian website. And now, the 2019 Sorento has popped up on the website as well. Just the like facelifted Optima, the Sorento gets a redesigned look, more accessories, and a brand new transmission unit for the diesel variant. With exact pricing still a mystery, the website says the starting price will be RM 169,888. It is the same price that Kia was charging for the last-gen 2.4 EX variant including sales and services tax (SST). As for the new 2.2D SX model, RM 179,888 is the expected price tag.

The new line-up is now a no-frills sort of an offering. Unlike before, when there were 4 trims offered, the 2019 Sorento comes in only two variants. One is the petrol-run and other is a diesel-fed. The petrol and diesel models are named 2.4 EX and 2.2D SX, respectively.

There are adaptive LED headlights in a triple projector setup at the front. The revamped front also incorporates a redesigned Kia’s trademark “tiger nose”. Like in other international Kia models, the front fog lights in the 2019 Sorento are now in the “ice cube” LED pattern.

Just like the facelifted Kia Optima, there are new internal graphics for the taillights. The rear bumper has also been revamped and now houses just-for-look air-vents under the fog lights. The Sorento now gets two-tone 18-inch and 19-inch alloy wheels for the EX and SX variant, respectively.

The interior of the new 2019 Sorento has also been given its fair share of updates. The steering wheel now is a 4-spoke unit with audio control mounted on it. Climate control switchgear and other graphics are displayed on a redesigned 7-inch screen. There is a fair amount of leather used in the cabin and the plastic is of soft-touch nature. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Qi wireless smartphone charging also come along the new SUV.

Both the EX and the SX models get push-button start, keyless entry, an acoustic and solar-attenuating windscreen, dual-zone climate control with rear air vents and third-row temperature control, auto lights and wipers, eight-way powered front seats, rear side window sunshades, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a hands-free powered tailgate, and a touchscreen infotainment system.

After packing the new Sorento with loads of features, Kia did not make any compromises in the safety department either. The 2019 Sorento comes with ABS with EBD, 6 airbags, brake assist, hill descent control, hill start assist, ISOFIX, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and front and rear parking sensors with a reverse parking camera.

As mentioned above, powering the SUV is a petrol and diesel engine. The petrol mill is a 2.4-litre Theta II MPI 4-cylinder that churns out 172 PS of max power at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 225 Nm at 4,000 rpm. On the other hand, the diesel powerhouse is a 2.2-litre R turbodiesel with producing 200 PS of max power at 3,800 rpm and a peak torque of 442 Nm from 1,750 to 2,750 rpm. The diesel engine now gets an all-new transmission, an 8-speed automatic unit.