Kia Sorento Nears 'Annual Best-Selling Record'... "Thanks to Hybrid Popularity"

More Than One-Third of All Sorento Contracts Are for the Hybrid Model

Sorento Hybrid (Photo by Kia Motors)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Kia Motors' Sorento, led by its hybrid model, is on the verge of achieving the highest-ever sales volume in the domestic market this year.

According to industry sources on the 25th, Sorento sold 76,892 units in the domestic market alone from January to November this year. With nearly 7,000 units sold monthly on average this year, it is highly likely to surpass 80,000 units by the end of the year, setting a new record for the highest sales volume. The previous highest annual sales volume for Sorento was 80,715 units in 2016.

The popularity of Sorento owes much to its hybrid model. While the cumulative number of Sorento contracts has already exceeded 100,000 units by mid-month, the Sorento hybrid model accounts for more than one-third of the total, with about 37,000 units. Although pre-orders for the Sorento hybrid began in February, sales were suspended due to failure to meet government eco-friendly certification standards, and contracts resumed in early July. Since the resumption, about 4,600 contracts have been made monthly over the past five months.

The best-selling hybrid model in Korea is the Grandeur Hybrid. This year, it recorded 35,634 units sold by November, accounting for 26.1% of total Grandeur sales. In the case of Sorento, the sales proportion of the hybrid model is much higher.

Although the Sorento hybrid is excluded from eco-friendly vehicle tax benefits, it boasts excellent fuel efficiency (combined fuel economy of 15.3 km/l). Powered by a Smartstream turbo hybrid engine, it delivers a system maximum output of 230 horsepower and a system maximum torque of 35.7 kgf·m. Additionally, optional features that enhance the comfort of the second-row seats or allow for diverse seat arrangements make it well-suited to the recent 'car camping' trend, which is another strength.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.