Kia Brings SoundHound's Generative Voice AI to the Sorento in India

Kia has rolled out its Sorento in India equipped with a voice assistant powered by SoundHound AI, marking the first time the automaker’s AI Assistant has appeared with real-time generative abilities. The setup activates through a “Hey Kia” wake phrase and supports back-and-forth spoken exchanges covering cabin settings, vehicle data and live web queries.

According to SoundHound, drivers can tweak the climate system, interior lighting, windows and drive modes using ordinary conversational language. The assistant also draws on the digital owner’s manual to answer questions, such as how the hybrid powertrain functions, while pulling in news, nearby points of interest and general information. SoundHound notes the responses are calibrated to stay accurate even in a noisy cabin.

The company ties the launch to growing adoption of its agentic OASYS platform and is pursuing unit growth in high-volume markets like India. Neither Kia nor SoundHound has disclosed which additional models or regions might receive the technology next.

SoundHound AI CEO and Co-Founder Keyvan Mohajer said the new Sorento is a standout vehicle and that the company delivered a voice experience to match, giving drivers control over cabin systems, vehicle knowledge and live navigation through natural speech. He added that as demand for intelligent vehicles grows across India, pushing the AI deeper into Kia’s flagship models represents another step in scaling the technology across high-growth international markets.