Sorento, flagship SUV from Kia, wins two design awards

Kia Sorento has been awarded two prestigious design awards in what adds to the long list of laurels for the flagship SUV from Kia. Sorento also joins a long list of other Kia vehicles that have been recognized for their respective designs in the past.

Sorento has managed to win both the Red Dot Award and the iF Award for its product design. With it, the SUV becomes the 26th Kia model to win the Red Dot award - first being Soul back in 2010, and the 21st Kia to win iF Award.

What is likely helping Sorento is the growing popularity of SUVs in markets across the world. Design of a car in this segment is beleived to play a crucial role in helping it woo and connect with prospective buyers. As such, the new-generation Sorento was given several updates on the outside. "When designing the new Sorento, we looked to evolve the robust, aesthetic of earlier generations, while applying a greater degree of refinement and elegance," says Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design Center. "We’re delighted that prestigious awards bodies like Red Dot and iF have recognized this work."

While 2021 Sorento was given a number of significant updates on the outside, it also received many changes and upgrades in the cabin and under the hood. In fact, Kia claimed it is its most tech-rich car ever. A 10.25-inch main infotainment screen, 12.3-inch instrument cluster, seven USB charging points, 64-colour ambient lighting, 12-speaker Bose system and more are on offer.

And while under the hood is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 44.2kW (59bhp) electric motor as well as a 2.2-litre diesel motor, it is its contemporary looks, complete with LED headlights, vertically-oriented tail lights, sharp body lines and more which are likely to gain maximum attention.

While Sorento is offered in several markets, India currently only has the smaller Seltos and Sonet from Kia here. If and when launched, Sorento is likely to be a pricey proposition - rivaling Fortuner, Gloster, Tiguan and others, but could also be a strong force for the Koreans here.