Kia has revealed UK pricing starting from £38,845 and specifications for the new Sorento, which was unveiled earlier in March this year.

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The three-row SUV, based on Kia’s new-generation midsize SUV platform, will initially be offered with two engines – a hybrid and a diesel – with the promise of more including a plug-in hybrid to follow later in the year.

First up and new to Sorento is Kia’s hybridised 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol four-cylinder engine, which is paired with a 59hp electric motor and 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery – similar to the setup found in the Kia Niro Hybrid – offering system output of 226hp and 350Nm of torque. Key for fleets is its consequently low CO2 starting from 158g/km and combined fuel economy of up to 40.9mpg.

Despite housing electric gubbins, interior space is said not to have been impacted by the hybrid system – again thanks to the new platform. Unusually, the hybrid can also tow up to 1,650kg and has a tow ball capacity of 100kg, which is more than most competing hybrids, and enough to tow a medium-sized caravan or boat according to Kia.

A revised diesel option comes in the form of a four-cylinder 2.2-litre ‘Smartstream’ diesel engine, outputting 200hp and 440Nm of torque. 0-62mph takes 9.1 seconds onto a top speed of 127mph, via the powertrain’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Fuel economy is rated as up to 42.2mpg on the combined cycle and emissions are 176g/km. By contrast to the hybrid, the diesel can tow up to 2,500kg – 500kg more than its predecessor – and is said to be more than almost all the competition.

Prices range from £38,845 to £42,745 and £46,945 for the Hybrid with trim grades ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ respectively. The diesel option (only available in grade ‘3’) costs £41,245.

Standard equipment for all models starting from the base-grade ‘2’ includes LED lighting all round, 17-inch alloys, practical roof rails and a space saver spare wheel. A driver’s 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is new to Sorento and standard too, as are black fabric heated front seats come as standard too, as does a heated steering wheel and seven-seats – even on the hybrid model. All three rows benefit from handy USB charging ports too.

DAB and Bluetooth feature inside the cabin, with the infotainment system able to accept smartphone connections for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on the 8.0-inch touchscreen. The reversing camera also shows on this display, and is aided by front and rear parking sensors.

In terms of safety, Sorento gets seven airbags and a whole host of acronyms: Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA); Lane Follow Assist (LFA); Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA); Manual Speed Limit Assist (MSLA); Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) and Driver Attention Warning (DAW); Hill-start Assist Control (HAC); Downhill Brake Control (DAC) and an electronic parking brake (EPB) with Auto Hold functionality.

‘3’ grade comes with 19-inch alloys, and subtle changes to the exterior appearance to set it apart. The LED headlights get an upgrade, privacy glass, keyless entry, powered tailgate are all added too. Electric front seats and heaters for the outer chairs of the second row are added, along with a customisable Mood Lighting system. In addition, Highway Driving Assist (HDA) is added which offers semi-autnomous A-road or motorway driving with adaptive cruise control and lane positioning to both keep the car driving in a lane and at a distance from the vehicle ahead. The trim also comes with self-levelling rear suspension.

The trim grade also includes Kia’s UVO Connect telematics system. UVO Connect features Kia Live services, such as weather forecasts, points of interest, parking (and pricing) and remote connection to the car via a phone, for example to send a pre-planned route.

Top-of-the-range grade ‘4’ comes with a black leather interior, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, ventilated front seats and a panoramic sunroof with blind. The driver gets a head-up display to show various functions ranging from speed to direction instructions. Exclusive to the Sorento grade ‘4’ is a 12-speaker BOSE audio system.

Safety enhancements include Blind-spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA) and, new to Sorento, Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), which displays an image taken from the blind spot in the driver’s instrument cluster. A 360-degree Around View Monitor is incorporated into the 10.25-inch touchscreen and works alongside the Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (PCA) system.

All Sorrentos come with Kia’s standard seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.