2028 Kia Sorento Could Copy Telluride Styling.

Kia’s latest design direction suggests the next-generation Kia Sorento could end up looking a lot like a smaller version of the new Kia Telluride. Which feels very predictable,  given where the brand is heading stylistically.

The new Telluride is already shaping up to be a success. Attracting strong early reviews, plenty of online buzz, and continued consumer interest. So applying the same bold, upright styling to a smaller Sorento might seem like a logical and even strategic decision. It reinforces brand identity and gives the lineup a cohesive, recognizable look from top to bottom. (Even though that decision was probably made a couple of years ago. Long before the launch of the new Telluride)

Not everyone is convinced this will work. Especially your good friend Vince Burlapp, who feels that in person, the Telluride’s design borders on being ghastly and overdone. It can come across as too large and overly aggressive. Heavily dominated by a massive grille that looks and feels a bit too plasticky for a vehicle in this segment.

For comparison, the Hyundai Palisade offers a more balanced and cohesive design. Its styling feels less forced, and many would argue it delivers a more refined and upscale interior experience. For buyers who prefer subtlety over boldness, the Palisade often ends up being the more appealing choice.

Meanwhile, the current Kia Sorento has been on the market for nearly six years. It did receive a mid-cycle refresh in 2023, adopting a front-end design influenced by the Kia EV9. While that update modernized the look and brought it closer to Kia’s newer design language, it didn’t fully restore the model’s momentum in the market.

Sales figures reflect this. In 2024, Kia sold just over 95,000 Sorento units, a noticeable drop from the nearly 115,000 units achieved by the previous generation at its peak. This gap suggests that while the refresh helped, it may not have resonated as strongly with buyers as Kia had hoped. Some customers could be missing the cleaner, more understated designs of the past.

If Kia pushes the Telluride’s bold styling, especially that oversized plasticky grille, onto smaller models like the Sorento, proportion issues could become more obvious. What almost works on a larger SUV doesn’t always translate well to a midsize crossover. The visual weight of such design elements could overwhelm the Sorento’s more compact footprint, making it appear less balanced overall.

Originally expected by the end of this year, the next-generation Sorento has now been delayed until next year. Interestingly, that delay is reportedly tied to improved sales following the 2023 refresh, giving Kia more time to refine its strategy and evaluate customer feedback.

For now, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see what direction Kia ultimately takes. Whether it doubles down on boldness or pivots toward a more refined approach could make all the difference for the Sorento’s future success.