Kia Sorento hybrid expansion won’t spell diesel SUV doomsday

Kia Australia has told CarExpert the recent expansion of hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (HEV) powertrain availability across its Sorento lineup will not lead to the end of diesel power for the large SUV – nor other models in its lineup. 

The Korean auto brand recently introduced more hybrid versions of the Sorento – Kia’s rival for the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe and Mazda CX-80 – more than doubling the number of model grades now available with hybrid power.

But Kia says hybrids won’t replace its existing diesel vehicles – at least not yet – despite its sister brand Hyundai doing exactly that with its Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade SUV. 

“Diesel is a strong fit for Sorento,” Kia Australia general manager of product planning, Roland Rivero, told CarExpert. 

“More customers are looking to step into a hybrid – the expansion of the hybrid lineup is to respond to customer requests – [but] we have no intention to drop diesel engines.”

Diesel vehicle sales in Australia were up 5.1 per cent in September 2025, but remain down 1.4 per cent year-on-year, after a 2.5 per cent decline in 2024. 

Kia Australia previously said diesel power would remain in the updated Sportage mid-size SUV range, which arrived in July, while the Carnival people mover also remains available with the choice of both hybrid and diesel powertrains.

“The diesel is important for Sorento, Carnival and Sportage,” Mr Rivero said. 

Kia Australia’s sales split backs up the decision, with 70 per cent of Sorento buyers year-to-date opting for diesel power, 76 per cent of Carnival sales being diesel while Sportage diesel makes up 28 per cent of its sales.

The comments come in the wake of the introduction of Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which issues fines to car companies that breach progressively lower CO2 tailpipe emissions limits between 2025 and 2029. 

The limits are reduced annually over the next five years, and are mandated in two separate tiers – essentially one for passenger vehicles and another for commercial vehicles and off-road SUVs.

The fines are based on fleet-average CO2 figures, meaning automakers can sell vehicles that exceed their specified CO2 limit and offset them against lower-emitting vehicles to reduce or eliminate financial penalties, or to avoid buying credits from electric vehicle brands in what is effectively a carbon trading scheme for the Australian auto industry. 

With Kia introducing its diesel-powered Tasman dual-cab ute in 2025, the automaker appeared likely to follow Hyundai in replacing diesel SUVs with hybrid SUV to remain NVES-compliant, even if it sells several EV models of its own. 

The Tasman – Kia’s first rival for the top-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux – has combined CO2 emissions of 195g/km, which is permissible until 2026 when the Tier 2 limit that applies to it is lowered from 210g/km to 180g/km.

Kia Australia previously said its range of EVs will enable it to offset sales of the Tasman, of which it aims to sell around 20,000 annually. But it’s currently tracking well short of that number, reducing its risk of attracting NVES penalties. 

Other brands continuing with diesel power include GWM, which has announced a bigger new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine for its Tank 500 off-road SUV. It’s also expected to be offered in its Tasman-rivalling Cannon Alpha dual-cab.

Diesel vehicles account for more than half of all Toyota Australia sales, but sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley recently said diesel power would be replaced by alternatives – such as hydrogen fuel-cell EVs – in the next decade. 

Toyota, GWM and Kia (via the Hyundai Motor Group) are all working on hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain technology.  MORE: Explore the Kia showroom