Kia Sorento PHEV evaluation: Sensible and reasonably priced

Korean automakers are constantly upping their sport and the most recent Kia Sorento, alongside the equally spectacular Kia EV9 and EV6, is an ideal instance of that pattern. 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 house charging is your factor.

One other Korean providing, the most recent Hyundai Sante Fe is spectacular, each to take a look at and drive. However I feel I choose the Sorento for its easy-to-live with persona and plug-in enchantment. As somebody who primarily fees at house and who does numerous round town-style journeys, I can see it becoming into my wants with ease. It’s additionally slightly extra attention-grabbing and gives extra cargo house than one thing just like the smaller Nissan X-Trail.

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Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento PHEV will swimsuit drivers who can cost it at house, 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 stable, protected, and really snug 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 good 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 stage vehicles include a wonderful array of tech as normal. In fact, spend slightly 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 analogous theme to different fashions in Kia’s present vary. What meaning is numerous cool angles, notably across the entrance and rear finish. Seen from the entrance, it is easy to see how this SUV is said to the large 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 perimeters, the Sorento sports activities a smooth look that’s made more practical by the darkened glass and trim gildings. That is most notable across the rear pillar, however the backside of the doorways is about 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 slightly bit involved that seven seats over three rows may 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 actual fact, 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 enchantment 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, they usually’re all snug too, even once I squeezed into the third row to examine how issues are again there.

For those who’ve received a household, then chances are high the youngsters will love their high-up using 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 take a look at automotive was tastefully completed and whereas it was dripping with all the further touches you get from the upper trim vehicles, the Sorento does not really feel in any respect ostentatious.

In actual fact, that makes me assume it may be an much more enticing proposition for households, due to a selection of finishes which might be each sturdy and simple to wash.

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The know-how breakdown

An amazing stage of tech on all fashions

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

Sensibly, notably for people who’re possible coping with youngsters, 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 might be scrolled by with a swift swipe. It is all very properly completed. One other glorious function as present in different fashions within the Hyundai and Kia vary, is the nice blind spot digital camera view that seems on the instrument cluster when indicating.

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Battery, vary, and efficiency

Loads of plug-in enchantment

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

Whereas I do know that determine is not precisely big, I are inclined to do numerous quick journeys, which is the place the entire plug-in journey works greatest. Other than the good thing about elevated fuel mileage and diminished emissions, the Sorento is supple sufficient on roads, with a experience that feels slightly spongy at occasions. That mentioned, it really works brilliantly within the UK with all of the potholes littering our roads.

For US highways, I am positive the Sorento will really feel good. There’s the high-up feeling of being in an SUV, with loads of floor clearance as well. 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 straightforward factor to reside with on the driving entrance.

Do you have to purchase the Kia Sorento?

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

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Kia Sorento