While we were going gaga over the shapely Kia Proceed concept car at this year’s Frankfurt auto show, the Korean brand quietly took the wraps off an updated Sorento crossover SUV.
Marked by a refreshed exterior that sports new front and rear fascias, an updated grille, and revised headlights and taillights, the new Sorento also is treated to an upgraded interior that includes a new steering-wheel design and a revised climate-control display screen.

Mechanically, there’s also a new eight-speed automatic transmission, although Kia mentions the new gearbox only in the context of the diesel-powered Europe-market Sorento. We’d wager that the North American model also will trade its current six-speed automatic for the eight-speed unit, which is available in the Kia Cadenza and other Hyundai and Kia products. Additional changes to the updated Sorento include a handful of new safety features, including lane-keeping assist and a driver-drowsiness monitor.

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Although Kia was unable to confirm when the updated Sorento will reach our market, we suspect the U.S. model will adopt the European Sorento’s new styling, eight-speed automatic, and additional safety equipment as part of an update for the 2019 model year.

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