The 2026 Kia Sorento brings meaningful tech upgrades and smarter safety features to Australia’s already successful family SUV, arriving late 2025 with enhanced driver assistance and convenient new digital features.
Families across Australia have been choosing the Kia Sorento for good reason. To the end of June, Kia has delivered 5165 Sorentos this year, against 3212 Santa Fes. It’s also outselling the Toyota Kluger (4611) and Mazda CX-80 (2065). Now, the 2026 model is set to make this popular seven-seater even more appealing when it lands in showrooms during the final quarter of 2025.
What’s Actually New for Families
Let’s start with what really matters when you’re juggling kids, groceries, and weekend adventures. The most significant upgrade coming to the 2026 Sorento involves something called Lane Following Assist 2, but don’t let the technical name fool you—this is about making those long family road trips less stressful.
LFA2 is an upgraded version of Kia’s lane-centring system, and now features a hands-on sensor to better detect if you’re taking your hands off the wheel and letting the car drive you. Think of it as having a more attentive co-pilot that can help keep you centered in your lane during highway driving, while making sure you stay engaged as the driver. For parents managing backseat conversations, snack requests, and navigation duties, this extra layer of assistance could prove invaluable.
The other standout feature is Kia Digital Key 2. This utilises near-field communication, Bluetooth and ultra-wideband technology to allow you to use your smartphone like a key fob to lock, unlock and start the vehicle without even taking it out of your pocket. More importantly for families, you can also share digital keys with family and friends, with specific access levels. Imagine being able to give your teenager access to the car without worrying about lost keys, or allowing a babysitter to pick up the kids without having to coordinate physical key handovers.
The Details That Matter Daily
Inside the cabin, Kia hasn’t made dramatic changes, but the updates they have made show they understand what families need. There’s a new four-spoke steering wheel design, as well as ambient lighting that has been expanded to the front door pockets. While ambient lighting might sound like a luxury add-on, it actually serves a practical purpose—helping you find items in door pockets during early morning school runs or late evening activities.
New 19-inch alloy wheels also feature on some variants, along with ‘touch-type’ exterior door handles. These seemingly small changes add up to a more modern, refined feel that reflects the Sorento’s position as a premium family SUV option.
Why Families Choose the Sorento
To understand why the 2026 updates matter, it helps to know what makes the current Sorento such a family favorite. The Kia Sorento is not only one of the most high-tech Kia cars ever made, but also leads the way in large SUV design. But beyond the marketing speak, what does this mean for real families?
Space is the first consideration. Comfort for all with generous second row seat legroom & third row seating space means you’re not constantly dealing with complaints about cramped conditions. The 2024 Kia Sorento has 179 litres (all seats in place), 608L (third row stowed) and 1996L (both rear rows stowed) of cargo space. Whether you’re packing for a weekend getaway or hauling sports equipment, there’s room for your life.
The practical touches extend beyond just space. Moving in and out of the third row is made easy with a push of a button, which anyone who’s tried to install car seats in a seven-seater will appreciate. Plenty of USB ports are available on all rows to charge your devices on the go, recognizing that modern families travel with multiple devices that need power.
Power Options That Make Sense
One area where the Sorento really stands out is its range of powertrain options. The Sorento is unique in the large mainstream SUV segment in offering petrol, diesel, hybrid and PHEV powertrains. This flexibility means families can choose the option that best fits their driving patterns and environmental priorities.
For families doing mostly city driving with occasional longer trips, the hybrid offers an impressive 5.4L/100km Combined efficiency on FWD grade. Those who need the ultimate in fuel efficiency and want to drive short distances on electric power alone can opt for the plug-in hybrid version.
The good news for 2026 is that Kia Australia has indicated both PHEV and regular hybrid versions of the Sorento will be more widely available from later this year. Previously, these efficient options were limited to the top GT-Line trim and often had long waiting lists.
Safety Without the Stress
Modern families want advanced safety features, but they also want them to work intuitively without being intrusive. The Sorento delivers on this front with what Kia calls their advanced handling dynamics, forward-thinking safety features and truly empowering connectivity.
The Kia Sorento 2025 is a 7 seat SUV with a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, providing peace of mind that goes beyond marketing claims. But it’s the practical safety features that make daily family life easier. A safe exit warning that prevents your passengers from opening the door when a vehicle is coming alongside the car is the kind of feature that could prevent accidents when kids are eager to hop out at school drop-off.
What This Means for Your Family
The 2026 Sorento updates represent Kia’s understanding that family SUV buyers want evolution, not revolution. They’re not trying to fix what isn’t broken; instead, they’re adding meaningful technology that enhances the ownership experience without complicating it.
Overall, the updates to the Sorento for 2026 are minor – but then the Toyota Kluger rival did receive a substantial mid-life update in 2024. This timing makes sense—Kia gave the Sorento a comprehensive refresh just last year, so 2026 is about refining and adding smart technology rather than starting over.
For families considering the Sorento, the 2026 model represents the sweet spot of proven reliability with forward-looking features. The enhanced safety systems, convenient digital key technology, and improved cabin ambience build on an already solid foundation of space, versatility, and value.
The Practical Decision
When the 2026 Sorento arrives in Australian showrooms late this year, families will be getting a vehicle that’s been thoughtfully refined rather than dramatically changed. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want—a SUV that does the practical stuff exceptionally well while adding just enough new technology to keep you connected and confident on the road.
With its combination of seven-seat practicality, multiple powertrain options, and now enhanced smart features, the updated Sorento continues to make a strong case for families who want a premium SUV experience without the premium price tag. The 2026 updates ensure it stays competitive in Australia’s demanding family SUV market while building on the qualities that have already made it a success.
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