2022 Kia Sorento spied in Malaysia, to debut soon?

The year has almost come to a close, however there’s still time for new model launches, and the fourth-generation Kia Sorento could make its Malaysian arrival before we turn over the final leaf of the 2022 calendar, as these images may suggest. In fact, there appear to be two of these travelling in tandem, with the black unit followed by another in grey.

Posted to the Kia Sorento Owners Club Malaysia Facebook page, these images are of the model that made its global debut in March 2020, and has since been tipped for a Malaysian launch in the final quarter of 2022 according to an analyst report by RHB Investment Bank.

Almost exactly this time last year, Kia Malaysia revealed that the Sorento is one of four CKD (locally assembled) models bound for our market, and will be the second of two models that have been earmarked for launch in 2022; the other being the Carnival MPV that was launched in July this year.

The brand’s local distributor Bermaz has also confirmed earlier that the SUV – on sale internationally in five- and seven-seater versions – will be available in Malaysia in regular internal combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms. Two ICE powerplants are available for the Sorento globally, a 281 PS 2.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 202 PS 2.2 litre turbodiesel, both paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The hybrid version of the Sorento gets a 1.6 litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine that is joined by a 60 PS electric motor for a combined output of 230 PS, while the PHEV gets a stronger electric motor rated at 91 PS. This is fed by a 13.8 KWh lithium-ion battery, with an electric range of 51 km on the WLTP cycle. Both hybrid versions get a six-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive.

Key features of the fourth-generation Sorento include Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2) that offers Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability, remote parking assist, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch centre touchscreen, and a Bose sound system, however we will have to wait to find out for certain what its Malaysian market kit list contains.

GALLERY: 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

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