Kia has introduced its mid-size crossover earlier at the last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, but the vehicle didn’t reveal everything. No, because the car manufacturer somehow skipped saying that they are working on the 2019 Kia Sorento Diesel, which will be available worldwide including the U.S soil. The oil-chugging option will be officially revealed in the coming months, so it should hit the North American dealerships before this summer.
The 2019 Sorento Diesel is not one more option, but the replacement for the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The manufacturer somehow counted that the turbo four is not worth to stay and that the crossover needs an oil-burner mill. The diesel model will rely on an all-new and quite impressive 2.2-liter CRDi turbocharged engine that’s going to pump out exactly 200 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. The unit is going to be connected to an eight-speed auto transmission, which will deliver power to front- or all-wheel-drive. The gearbox will use a Smart driving system that automatically picks between Eco and Sport modes when is needed.
The same transmission will be in charge of a V6 engine. The topping option is actually the 3.3-liter V6 that produces 290 horsepower. It’s a lot better form the starting 2.4-liter engine. The naturally aspirated unit has survived once again, though, if you ask us, we will rather keep the outgoing turbo-four engine than the 2.4-l. The base powertrain will not sue the eight-speed auto transmission as the other two units. Instead, it’s going to be mated to a cheaper, six-speed auto gearbox, which also uses the same Smart driving system.
Aside from it’ going to offer the diesel engine, the 2019 Kia Sorento also gets a few exterior and interior changes. You’ve probably seen the refreshed mid-size crossover already. It sports a standard third-row of seats and new infotainment with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The impressive vehicle offers Lane-keeping assist and all-new steering-wheel, while the center console features a few new details as well.
We still don’t know how much is going to cost the 2019 Kia Sorento Diesel. On the other hand, the base model with a naturally aspirated engine has been priced already and costs $26,640, while the vanilla flavor is priced $47,140.
