Next-Gen Kia Sorento Will Offer Hybrid, Plug-In-Hybrid Variants

• The next-generation Kia Sorento mid-size crossover will be available with both hybrid and plug-in-hybrid powertrains.

• We've already seen spy photos of the redesigned Sorento, which will be related to the Hyundai Santa Fe.

• Expect to see the redesigned model arrive in mid-2020 as a 2021 model.

Kia is planning to add both conventional hybrid and plug-in-hybrid powertrains to the Sorento mid-size SUV, according to Emilio Herrara, Kia Europe's chief operating officer, who confirmed these new models in an interview with Automotive News Europe. The Sorento hybrid and plug-in hybrid will arrive in 2020, Herrara said, in conjunction with the crossover's impending redesign.

We've already spied a prototype for the next-gen Sorento (pictured), giving us a hint at its updated styling. These multiple hybrid variants will make it a relatively rare proposition in the mid-size crossover segment. The only other similarly sized nonluxury models currently available as hybrids are the Ford Explorer and the Toyota Highlander, and the only nonluxury plug-in-hybrid SUV for sale in the U.S. is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.