Kia Sorento PHEV overview: Sensible and reasonably priced

Korean automakers are constantly upping their sport and the newest 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 advantage 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 newest Hyundai Sante Fe is spectacular, each to take 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 house and who does a variety of round town-style journeys, I can see it becoming into my wants with ease. It’s additionally just a little extra fascinating and provides extra cargo area 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 strong, protected, and really comfy with an in-car number of tech that’s fast and simple to make use of. With the advantage of seven seats, it is good for households.

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Worth, specs, and availability

I did not get in any respect bamboozled by the trim choices which are 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 commonplace. In fact, spend just a little extra, and you will get an actual deal with from the posher trims.

Design and construct

Distinctive curves and angles

The 2025 Sorento follows the same theme to different fashions in Kia’s present vary. What meaning is a variety 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 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 effectively. Icing on the cake comes from eye-catching alloys.

The Sorento being a heavy hauler, I used to be just a little 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 area and switch it into a way more capacious space. In reality, 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 area 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 examine how issues are again there.

In case you’ve bought a household, then likelihood is 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 automobile 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 reality, that makes me suppose it will be an much more enticing proposition for households, due to a alternative of finishes which are each sturdy and simple to scrub.

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The expertise breakdown

An important degree of tech on all fashions

One other spotlight, because it so typically 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 an extended panorama display setup that’s similar to the one discovered within the EV9. Having lately pushed just a few Kia fashions, the options and capabilities had been a lot the identical. Typically, all the things is simple to determine, however if you happen to’re a newcomer to the array of controls, the training curve is perhaps just a little steeper.

Sensibly, significantly for folk 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 downside establishing 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 with a swift swipe. It is all very properly executed. One other wonderful characteristic as present in different fashions within the Hyundai and Kia vary, is the good 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 attraction

The Kia Sorento is a stunning factor to drive, with the plug-in mannequin providing the advantage of clean and quiet all-electric help for components 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 because 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 enormous, I are inclined to do a variety of quick journeys, which is the place the entire plug-in journey works greatest. Except for the advantage of elevated gasoline mileage and decreased emissions, the Sorento is supple sufficient on roads, with a journey that feels just a little 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 certain 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 area and the Sorento will shortly remind you of its dimension and weight. Except for that although, the Sorento is a straightforward factor to stay 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 bought a lot going for it, from the acres of area discovered inside, to the consolation, after which there’s the advantage of electrical energy after I’m doing quick hops. Kia’s match and end is pretty much as good as ever, and it seems like a really up to date automobile, which ought to hopefully nonetheless look simply as manufacturing facility contemporary in just a few years from now. A high quality replace.

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Kia Sorento