Kia Sorento PHEV assessment: Sensible and inexpensive

Korean automakers are persistently upping their sport and the newest Kia Sorento, alongside the equally spectacular Kia EV9 and EV6, is an ideal instance of that development. It is a lofty, all-wheel drive SUV with the additional benefit of seven correct seats. Alongside petrol hybrid and diesel variants, Kia is providing a plug-in mannequin, which comes with a six-speed auto transmission and the potential to be extraordinarily frugal if residence charging is your factor.

One other Korean providing, the newest Hyundai Sante Fe is spectacular, each to have a look at and drive. However I feel I desire the Sorento for its easy-to-live with persona and plug-in attraction. As somebody who primarily costs at residence and who does a whole lot of round town-style journeys, I can see it becoming into my wants with ease. It’s additionally a bit extra attention-grabbing and provides extra cargo house than one thing just like the smaller Nissan X-Trail.

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Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento PHEV will go well with drivers who can cost it at residence, and, whereas the all-electric vary is a reasonably meager 34 miles or so, it really works completely for brief journeys. Out on the freeway, the brand new Sorento feels strong, protected, and really comfy with an in-car number of tech that’s fast and simple to make use of. With the good thing about seven seats, it is excellent for households.

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Value, specs, and availability

I did not get in any respect bamboozled by the trim choices which might be on supply with the brand new Sorento. There are three clear-as-day tiers — 2, 3, and 4 — whereas the powertrain selections are diesel, petrol hybrid or, in my case, plug-in hybrid. Costs within the UK begin from £41,995 (round $55,000) and even base degree vehicles include a wonderful array of tech as customary. After all, spend a bit extra, and you will get an actual deal with from the posher trims.

Design and construct

Distinctive curves and angles

The 2025 Sorento follows an identical theme to different fashions in Kia’s present vary. What which means is a whole lot of cool angles, significantly across the entrance and rear finish. Considered from the entrance, it is easy to see how this SUV is expounded to the massive and beefy EV9. I feel the angular headlights and bumper prospers make the Sorento look distinctive however not garish.

Issues look simply pretty much as good on the again, with a extra angular remedy for the taillights, topped with a cool spoiler that hangs out over the again window. Alongside the edges, the Sorento sports activities a smooth look that’s made more practical by the darkened glass and trim elaborations. That is most notable across the rear pillar, however the backside of the doorways is ready off properly by chrome trim as properly. Icing on the cake comes from eye-catching alloys.

The Sorento being a heavy hauler, I used to be a bit bit involved that seven seats over three rows would possibly imply the trunk was going to be restricted. Fortunately, the seats are simply reworked to take the bottom 175 liters of house and switch it into a way more capacious space. In truth, drop each rows of seats and the determine of 809 liters with the third row down turns into 1988 liters.

A refreshing inside

High quality appear and feel

Central to the attraction of the brand new Kia Sorento is its inside, which has beneficiant ranges of house to be discovered all through. I actually just like the styling of the seat coverings, and so they’re all comfy too, even after I squeezed into the third row to verify how issues are again there.

In the event you’ve obtained a household, then chances are high the youngsters will love their high-up driving place whereas there’s nonetheless loads of charging ports and storage to maintain these smiles coming too.

Contemplating that is an SUV aimed toward households, I used to be very impressed by the selection of inside supplies. My check automotive was tastefully completed and whereas it was dripping with all the additional touches you get from the upper trim vehicles, the Sorento does not really feel in any respect ostentatious.

In truth, that makes me suppose it may be an much more enticing proposition for households, due to a alternative of finishes which might be each sturdy and simple to scrub.

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The expertise breakdown

A fantastic degree of tech on all fashions

One other spotlight, because it so usually the case with trendy Korean vehicles, is the extent of expertise that is to be discovered contained in the 2025 Sorento. The dashboard space is the primary focal point, with a protracted panorama display setup that’s similar to the one discovered within the EV9. Having lately pushed a number of Kia fashions, the options and features have been a lot the identical. Usually, the whole lot is simple to determine, however when you’re a newcomer to the array of controls, the educational curve is perhaps a bit steeper.

Sensibly, significantly for people who’re probably coping with kids, key controls for local weather and the like stay as bodily fingertip contact buttons. Equally, although, I had no drawback organising Apple CarPlay and taking a deep dive into the app icons that sit throughout the central 12.3-inch space of the touchscreen and may be scrolled by means of with a swift swipe. It is all very properly achieved. One other wonderful characteristic as present in different fashions within the Hyundai and Kia vary, is the good blind spot digicam view that seems on the instrument cluster when indicating.

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Battery, vary, and efficiency

Loads of plug-in attraction

The Kia Sorento is a beautiful factor to drive, with the plug-in mannequin providing the good thing about clean and quiet all-electric help for elements of any journey. This appears like an SUV with loads of energy too, aided by a seamless six-speed computerized transmission. Naturally, there’s some additional weight added as a result of its bulkiness, however armed with a comparatively small 13.8kWh battery pack, the PHEV provides as much as 34 miles of electrical vary.

Whereas I do know that determine is not precisely big, I are inclined to do a whole lot of brief journeys, which is the place the entire plug-in journey works finest. Other than the good thing about elevated fuel mileage and decreased emissions, the Sorento is supple sufficient on roads, with a trip that feels a bit spongy at instances. That stated, it really works brilliantly within the UK with all of the potholes littering our roads.

For US highways, I am certain the Sorento will really feel excellent. There’s the high-up feeling of being in an SUV, with loads of floor clearance besides. Throw this hefty SUV round turns or take it to locations with much less house and the Sorento will shortly remind you of its dimension and weight. Other than that although, the Sorento is a simple factor to dwell with on the driving entrance.

Do you have to purchase the Kia Sorento?

I’m bought on the plug-in model of the Kia Sorento. I feel it is obtained a lot going for it, from the acres of house discovered inside, to the consolation, after which there’s the good thing about electrical energy after I’m doing brief hops. Kia’s match and end is pretty much as good as ever, and it appears like a really modern automotive, which ought to hopefully nonetheless look simply as manufacturing facility recent in a number of years from now. A high quality replace.

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Kia Sorento