After a short absence, the Kia Sorento will be making a return to Malaysia very soon. A preview of the 2023 Kia Sorento by new distributor Dinamikjaya Motors, a subsidiary of Bermaz Auto on Thursday hints to a launch within the first quarter of 2023.

The latest MQ4 generation Sorento was first announced in February 2020, before going on sale in international markets in July 2020.

Globally, the 2023 Kia Sorento is offered with 6 different engine options.

• 1.6-litre T-GDi 4-cylinder Hybrid turbocharged petrol (230 PS / 350 Nm), 6-speed automatic
• 1.6-litre T-GDi 4-cylinder Plug-in Hybrid turbocharged petrol (265 PS / 350 Nm), 6-speed automatic
• 2.2-litre CRDi 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel (199 hp / 440 Nm), 8-speed automatic / 8-speed DCT (wet clutch)
• 2.5-litre MPi 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol (177 hp / 232 Nm), 6-speed automatic
• 2.5-litre T-GDi 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol (281 hp, 422 Nm), 8-speed dual-clutch automatic (wet)
• 3.5-litre MPI MPI V6 naturally aspirated petrol (268 hp / 332 Nm), 8-speed automatic

Power output listed about may differ slightly from market to market, depending on local exhaust emission regulations and fuel quality.

All engines can be paired to either a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive drivetrain.

The regular (full) hybrid is boosted by a 44.2 kW motor driven by a 1.49 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery, while the plug-in hybrid uses a bigger 67 kW motor, powered by a 13.8 kWh battery, also lithium-ion polymer. The latter accepts up to 3.3 kW of AC charging.

Depending on markets, the Sorento can either be a 5-, 6-, or 7-seater.

Two display models were presented for Malaysia, both with 3-row seats. The higher specifications 6-seater AWD variant has individual seats on the middle row. The D-segment SUV is powered by a 2.2-litre CRDi turbo diesel engine (199 hp / 440 Nm) paired to an 8-speed dual-clutch (wet) automatic transmission.

The entry variant is a 7-seater FWD, with a more conventional bench-type middle row seat. This variant is powered by a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol (177 hp / 232 Nm) engine paired to a 6-speed automatic.

Specifications have yet to be confirmed and the AWD variant display car is spotted with 19-inch wheels, 360-degree parking camera, 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, Head-up Display, and leather seats.

The lower range front-wheel drive variant has 18-inch wheels, analogue instrument panel, and fabric seats (but with electric adjustment).

Both variants have LED headlamps, a full suite of advance driving aids (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking. Also standard is dual-zone air-conditioning in front, with floor-mounted vents for passengers the middle row, while passengers in the third-row are cooled by vents on the side panels.

Regardless of variant, the third-row seats fold flat into the boot floor, freeing up to 616 litres of boot space (volume). Access to the third row is very easy as the door aperture is big and the middle row seats tilts and slides forward very quickly with just one touch of a button on the middle-row seat’s shoulder.

Also standard is a power tailgate, 10.25-inch infotainment screen. The AWD variant gets Bose speakers.

Like the Kia Carnival, the 2023 Kia Sorento will be assembled at the Kia Malaysia assembly plant in Kulim, Kedah. It will be the fourth location worldwide to produce the Sorento.

The 2023 Kia Sorento’s main plant is in Hwasung, Korea, while the Georgia plant in serves the North American market. Vietnam also locally assembles the Sorento, at local partner Thaco’s plant in Chu Lai.

Dinamikjaya Motors say the estimated starting price for the 2023 Kia Sorento will be at RM 220k for the 2.5L petrol FWD variant, and RM 250k for the 2.2L turbo diesel AWD.

The D-segment Kia Sorento will compete against its sister-car the Hyundai Santa Fe, which is also locally assembled at Kulim.

The Santa Fe is priced at RM 196,888 and RM 215,888 for the Executive and Executive Plus variants, both powered by a 2.2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel that makes 193 PS / 440 Nm, paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels.

The Hyundai however, while cheaper, comes with less features. It doesn’t even get LED headlamps, not even on the highest Executive Plus variant, without any ADAS.

Aside from the Santa Fe, the Toyota Fortuner is another class rival, but it's a truck-based SUV, sharing the same underpinnings as a Toyota Hilux. Prices start from RM 184,800 to RM 225,880. Since it rides on a ladder frame chassis, it is extremely tough off-road, which also means that it's a bit like a duck out of water when driven on-road - possible, but it won't be as refined as a monocoque chassis SUV like the Sorento.

Outside the D-Segment SUV class, other indirect 7-seater rivals include the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, which is also locally assembled, at Pekan, The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace starts from RM 159,990 for the 1.4 TSI Life, RM 189,590 for the 1.4 TSI Elegance, and RM 237,073 for the 2.0 TSI AWD R-Line.

However, the 7-seater Volkswagen Tiguan is a stretched, long wheelbase version of the C-segment 5-seater VW Tiguan, thus explains its lower price. The D-segment Sorento is built from the ground up to be a three-row seat SUV.

The Sorento is Kia’s third best selling model globally, after the Sportage and Seltos, with over 222,570 units delivered in 2022, mainly in the US.

Over in Korea, the Kia Sorento outsells its sister-car the Hyundai Santa Fe by more than twice. In 2022, Kia delivered 68,902 units of the Sorento in its home market, making it Korea’s top-selling passenger car. The mechanically identical Santa Fe managed just 28,705 units.

Also read: Kia is now an SUV-driven company, Sportage and Sorento its global best sellers for 2022

The reason? Hyundai has been paying a lot of attention to its upscale Genesis and EV-only Ioniq brands, and the company’s namesake Hyundai products are feeling the effects of neglect. Aside from the Grandeur and Ioniq 5, the current range of Hyundai products have a rather stale image in Korea. The Koreans now call Hyundai an Ahjussi’s car, Korean for uncle.

Also read: Koreans prefer Kia over Hyundai, Kia Sorento and Kia Carnival leads 2022 sales tally