Kia Sorento review: Bringing plug-in hybrid efficiency to SUVs

The Kia Sorento is the world car award-winning seven-seat plug-in hybrid sister car let’s go EV9 Electric SUV. A much-loved model among owners, the Sorento has recently benefited from some of the EV9’s flashy styling, with a striking front end with vertically-stacked headlights and distinctive star-shaped LED lighting.

Plug-in hybrid technology offers an EV range of up to 34 miles. It’s not outstanding by today’s standards, but Kia is keen to point out its seven-seat capabilities – there aren’t many plug-in hybrid three-row SUVs out there. The range should still be enough to provide a good amount of electric driving in the city centre.

When you want to go further, there’s the 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine. With a combined 248 hp, the system is quite powerful, and has enough pulling power to handle an entire trip of seven passengers.

Offered in Pure, Evolve or Aspire trim, all Kia Sorento models come well-equipped, with the top-spec Aspire even featuring sumptuous Nappa leather inside. Courtesy of the full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, your passengers will be safe onboard too.

Prices are steep, with the range starting at over £47,000, but this is backed by Kia’s excellent seven-year warranty. The Sorento is significantly more affordable than Kia’s other large seven-seat electric SUV, the EV9.

How we tested

I’ve always loved jumping into a Kia Sorento. One particularly memorable trip was one where I flew from Central Manhattan to JFK Airport in the rush of flight chasing, which I handled with superlatives. The slick sat nav system helped here, meaning we could avoid the worst of the jams and catch our flight on time.

Independent Rating: 7/10

kia sorento specifications

Battery, range, charging, performance and drive

The Kia Sorento’s small 13.8kWh battery gives a claimed electric range of 34 miles. In reality, it will probably be around 25-30 miles. However, even when completely discharged, the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid still retains enough charge to mimic the full hybrid Sorento alternative, which charges while driving rather than from the plug at low speeds. This means that in the city, you will still see a good amount of EV driving, with the petrol engine at higher revs.

The battery doesn’t offer any DC rapid charging capability – this would be a bit of a waste given its small size. Instead, it takes about three and a half hours to charge from 10 to 100 percent using a 7.2kW wall box, or about five hours via a regular three-pin plug.

The 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine teams up with the electric motor to provide reasonable acceleration, and it has a reassuring amount of pulling power. It also has an automatic gearbox as standard, while grippy all-wheel drive is also standard for assured progress in winter weather.

The Kia Sorento drives well, in a safe and stable manner. The ride can be a bit hectic in the city due to the large alloy wheels, but it slows down at speed. The Evolve and Aspire trim levels have self-leveling rear suspension, which means the drive remains consistent even when fully loaded – and the rear doesn’t sag if you’re carrying a heavy load.

The Kia Sorento has a good maximum towing capacity of 1,700kg, which will please caravan drivers looking to cut their emissions with a plug-in hybrid.

Interior, practicality and boot space

The Kia Sorento has a spacious-feeling, open-plan interior with a high seating position that gives a commanding experience behind the wheel. The cabin is designed around a 12.3-inch touchscreen, with the Evolve and Aspire models also getting a 12.3-inch driver display. Pleasantly, Kia also includes a separate panel to control the audio and heater settings. It’s all very well developed and easy to use.

It has big car status at the front and plenty of space at the rear too. The middle row of seats is split 60:40, with each section individually sliding and reclining. They’re supportive and comfortable, with all versions featuring a second-row air con panel, as well as heated exterior rear seats on the Evolve and Aspire.

A convenient button on the middle-row seats helps them quickly fold and slide forward, facilitating access to the rear. Obviously it’s smaller in there, but the 50:50 split-fold seats are still fine for kids, which really helps increase the Sorento’s practicality.

With all seven seats in use, there is only a 175-litre boot. However, fold the third-row seats flat, and this expands to a massive 809 liters – as this is likely to be the most commonly used configuration, it really showcases the Sorento’s spaciousness. Remove the second row of seats – there are convenient levers in the boot to do this remotely – and space expands to 1,988 litres. To get more space you will need a van. The Evolve and Aspire models also get a powered tailgate.

Technology, Stereo and Infotainment

The 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment is easy to reach and, apart from a lot of side swiping, generally easy to use. The Kia Connect system provides up to seven years of over-the-air updates, and built-in sat nav helps make best use of the plug-in hybrid’s battery range. It’s a shame the Pure model doesn’t get a 12.3-inch driver display, though: it’s only standard on the Evolve and Aspire trim levels, like many other Kia Creature Comforts.

Neat tech on the top-spec Aspire includes a 10.0-inch head-up display, panoramic roof, digital rear-view mirror and ventilated front seats. Rear side airbags are also standard on the range-topper, while the mid-grade Evolve adds a 360-degree parking camera and semi-autonomous ‘Highway Drive Assist 2.0’.

A six-speaker stereo comes as standard, the Evolve and Aspire feature a premium 12-speaker Bose setup, complete with amplifier and subwoofer.

Prices and operating costs

Kia Sorento PHEV is a very expensive car. Prices start at over £47k and the range reaches around £56k. Having said that, prices for the plug-in hybrid are comparable with the regular diesel version, and only £4k more than the entry-level hybrid. All models are also well equipped – the only option is metallic paint, which costs £700 (the standard color is quite an attractive Mineral Blue Metallic).

The Kia Sorento currently has a CO2 emissions figure of 37 g/km. However, the relatively limited EV range of 34 miles means it falls into the 13% benefit-in-the-band for company car drivers, rather than the lowest-possible 3% band for long-range plug-in hybrids.

kia sorento rival

questions to ask

How long does it take to charge?

The Kia Sorento accepts power up to 2.3kW. This won’t make the most of the 7.4kW wall box, and that means it takes about three and a half hours to charge from 15-95%.

How much does it cost – is it worth it?

The Kia Sorento PHEV has a starting price of over £47,000. It’s heady, but only £4k more than the entry-level non-hybrid model. I believe this makes the PHEV the most preferred choice of the range.

Does Kia replace batteries for free?

Kia offers a standard eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the Sorento’s high-voltage battery.

Why trust us?

Our team of motoring experts has decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest EV cars, and our verdicts are tailored with every type of driver in mind. We thoroughly test every car we recommend, so you can be sure our judgments are honest, fair and authentic.

The Kia Sorento is a super-practical seven-seat SUV that’s best in plug-in hybrid form. The compact battery gives reasonable EV range without impacting on interior space and practicality. It comes at a reasonable price, mind.

Decision

The Kia Sorento is a super-practical seven-seat SUV that’s best in plug-in hybrid form. The compact battery gives reasonable EV range without impacting on interior space and practicality. It comes at a reasonable price, mind.