The new Kia Sorento and Carnival are on their way to South Africa.
If all goes according to plan the luxurious SUV and MPV will arrive at the end of Q1 2025, confirmed the automaker at the recent South African preview of its new Tasman bakkie.
Carnival
The new Carnival strikes a more aggressive presence than the outgoing version courtesy of updated angular LED headlights combined with a much larger and more rectangular grille.
The aesthetic is carried over to the rear, where the LED headlights drop down significantly further than in the current generation, and the enlarged Kia badge now sits proudly on the restyled tailgate instead of being integrated into the edge-to-edge lightbar.
The rear bumper is also more muscular than before, and a variety of new alloy wheels complete the exterior renovations.
The Carnival’s cabin was on the receiving end of a few choice enhancements such as a new infotainment screen and instrument cluster huddled under one curved glass panel.
The smattering of physical aircon controls that were previously located beneath the media hub has been replaced by a touch bar that performs the same purpose but looks much neater, and the centre console gets a new row of buttons for functions such as the heated and ventilated seats and cameras.
Considering the tame nature of the mid-life update, it’s all but confirmed that the new Carnival will continue to make use of Kia’s turbocharged 2.2-litre diesel mill with 148kW and 440Nm, matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The local pricing, features, and model line-up for the new Carnival will only be revealed closer to its launch date.
As a point of reference, the current generation is sold in three specifications with prices ranging from R938,995 to R1,163,995.
2025 Kia Carnival Interior
Sorento
Like the Carnival, the biggest change to the new Sorento comes in the form of a cosmetic overhaul.
The LED headlights have been switched from a horizontal to a vertical design akin to the new Picanto, with the LED daytime running lights now adopting a T-shape pattern instead of a teardrop appearance.
A slightly large grille has also been added, and the Kia badge has moved away from the grille onto the bonnet. Located on the sides of the front bumper are two new air intakes as well.
The revisions are subtler at the rear, comprising slightly restyled lighting signatures and a reshaped bumper.
A new selection of alloy wheels is also on the cards, with the display unit shown off by Kia wearing fashionable 19-inch rims.
2025 Kia Sorento
The interior adjustments were equally mild.
Gone are the vertical aircon vents and physical buttons in the middle of the dash, swapped out for a touch-sensitive control panel and sleeker integrated air outlets.
The digital driver’s display and infotainment screen have also been upgraded to the brand’s latest available systems.
We expect that the seven-seater will continue to be powered by the same 2.2-litre, turbo-diesel powertrain as the current iteration.
As with its sibling, the pricing, features, and line-up for the new Sorento will be announced to the public in due course.
The existing model can be had in four flavours priced anywhere from R948,995 to R1,133,995.
2025 Kia Sorento Interior
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