When Kia revealed the updated 2019 Kia Sorento crossover, Kia announced plans to introduce a new diesel-powered version in the US. We’ve been waiting patiently for the arrival of the 2019 Sorento diesel, but now we can report that it’s officially not happening.
Kia confirmed to Car and Driver that the Kia Sorento diesel is dead before it even got a chance in the US. When asked why Kia changed its plans about the Sorento diesel, Kia stated that it had challenges building a service and maintenance network of dealers for the diesel-powered Sorento. Plus since the sales volume was expected to be small for the diesel version, it didn’t make sense to establish the network.
The Sorento diesel was expected to arrive in early 2019, which would have joined a small number of diesel-powered models in the US. With VW, BMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz pulling out of the diesel segment, diesel buyers now have to choose from a few oil burners from brands like, Chevy, Jeep and Jaguar Land Rover. Hyundai also recently announced plans to introduce a diesel-powered version of the Santa Fe crossover in the US, but it’s not known yet if Hyundai will decide to scrap its plans as well.
Source: Car and Driver
