Kia Sorento PHEV assessment: 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 dwelling 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 believe I favor the Sorento for its easy-to-live with persona and plug-in attraction. As somebody who primarily costs at dwelling and who does a whole lot of round town-style journeys, I can see it becoming into my wants with ease. It’s additionally just a little extra attention-grabbing and presents 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 dwelling, 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 snug with an in-car collection of tech that’s fast and straightforward to make use of. With the advantage of 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 are on provide 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 superb array of tech as normal. 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 an analogous 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 simple to see how this SUV is said to the large and beefy EV9. I believe 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 modern look that’s made simpler by the darkened glass and trim gildings. That is most notable across the rear pillar, however the backside of the doorways is ready off properly by chrome trim as nicely. 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 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 feel and look

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 snug too, even after I squeezed into the third row to examine how issues are again there.

In case you’ve received a household, then likelihood is the children 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 geared 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 the entire 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 is going to be an much more enticing proposition for households, due to a selection of finishes which are each sturdy and straightforward to scrub.

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The expertise breakdown

An important degree of tech on all fashions

One other spotlight, because it so usually the case with fashionable Korean vehicles, is the extent of expertise that is to be discovered contained in the 2025 Sorento. The dashboard space is the principle focal point, with an extended panorama display setup that’s similar to the one discovered within the EV9. Having not too long ago pushed a couple of Kia fashions, the options and features had been a lot the identical. Usually, the whole lot is straightforward to determine, however should you’re a newcomer to the array of controls, the training curve is likely to be just a little steeper.

Sensibly, significantly for people who’re seemingly coping with youngsters, key controls for local weather and the like stay as bodily fingertip contact buttons. Equally, although, I had no drawback 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 could be scrolled by means of with a swift swipe. It is all very properly performed. One other wonderful function 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 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 looks like an SUV with loads of energy too, aided by a seamless six-speed computerized transmission. Naturally, there’s some additional weight added on account of its bulkiness, however armed with a comparatively small 13.8kWh battery pack, the PHEV presents as much as 34 miles of electrical vary.

Whereas I do know that determine is not precisely large, I are likely to do a whole lot of brief journeys, which is the place the entire plug-in journey works finest. Except for the advantage of elevated fuel mileage and diminished emissions, the Sorento is supple sufficient on roads, with a experience that feels just a little 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 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 rapidly 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 offered on the plug-in model of the Kia Sorento. I believe it is received lots going for it, from the acres of house discovered inside, to the consolation, after which there’s the advantage of electrical energy after I’m doing brief hops. Kia’s match and end is pretty much as good as ever, and it looks like a really modern automotive, which ought to hopefully nonetheless look simply as manufacturing facility contemporary in a couple of years from now. A top quality replace.

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Kia Sorento