Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe to adopt plug-in hybrid tech with 100km electric driving range — report

The new-generation Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe SUV’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants will be equipped with a system capable of delivering 100km of electric-only driving range, according to overseas reports.

South Korean publication ET News, citing insiders within the Hyundai Motor Group, reports the upcoming Sorento and Santa Fe twins-under-the-skin will be equipped with the car-maker’s second-generation plug-in hybrid system.

The electrified petrol engine and electric motor layout is reportedly due to feature in the Kia and Hyundai SUVs from 2025, following its introduction in the South Korean-market Hyundai Grandeur from 2024 — which shares its platform with the Sorento and Santa Fe.

ET News does not provide details about the petrol engine and electric motor which form the new-generation plug-in hybrid system, though it reports its sources claim the electrified Grandeur will be able to drive for 100km on electric-only power.

The current Kia Sorento PHEV (above) is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and an electric motor — placed between the engine and six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission — which is supplied with energy from a 14kWh battery pack, 68km of electric-only driving range.

As reported earlier this month, the recently-revealed 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe will not be available with turbo-diesel power in any market — instead exclusively relying on pure petrol or petrol-hybrid propulsion.

While a new-look Kia Sorento is due in 2024, it is expected to be a major cosmetic facelift of the current model rather than a generational overhaul.