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The Kia Sorento received a refresh in 2024 to keep it fresh-faced next to newer rivals. Is it still a competitive seven-seat SUV? We find out.
Things you'll like
- A true seven-seater, with a big boot too
- Plenty of standard kit
- Four-wheel drive across the range
Things to consider
- Not the best big SUV to drive
- Plug-in hybrid’s range is lacklustre
- Not as posh inside as its Hyundai cousin
What is the Kia Sorento?
How you view the latest Kia Sorento depends on the country you live in. In the US, for example, it’s Kia’s mid-size SUV, sitting below the bigger Telluride and the Carnival MPV.
Over here it’s been the Korean brand’s largest model for over two decades now. Or rather it was, with the striking Kia EV9 electric SUV stealing the show with more space, tech and performance.
It means the Sorento is now the more old-school choice, despite having hybrid and plug-in hybrid power options alongside out-of-favour diesel. But Kia hasn’t neglected its range stalwart, introducing a series of mid-life upgrades in 2024.
With a fresher look, an updated cabin and new tech features, is the Sorento still a relevant family SUV in today’s increasingly electric age? We’ll find out in our in-depth review.
Verdict: is the Kia Sorento a good car?
While it may be feeling its age in places, we reckon the updated Kia Sorento remains a strong offering in the large SUV class, and is all the better for the recent updates. It’s still impressively spacious for passengers and luggage, comfortable and easy to drive, though it’s not the most affordable option and the engine options aren’t the most efficient out there.
Pricing, specs & rivals
The 2025 Kia Sorento is at its cheapest in diesel form, priced from £42,675 in entry-level ‘2’ trim. That’s a few thousand pounds more than the cheapest Skoda Kodiaq but significantly undercuts the Hyundai Santa Fe, which isn’t available in diesel form.
Opting for the Sorento Hybrid (non-plug-in) brings the base price up slightly to £43,685. Again, that’s quite a bit cheaper than the Santa Fe with the same hybrid system, but the Kia doesn’t come with quite as much standard kit at this base level. The Sorento Plug-in Hybrid starts at £47,405 – about £3,000 more than the base Volkswagen Tayron eHybrid.
‘2’ trim does at least come well equipped for a base trim, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, six USB-C ports, adaptive cruise control and the full suite of infotainment.
There’s quite a big jump in price to mid-spec ‘3’ trim (between £4,200-4,600 depending on engine) but you do get some useful upgrades such as leather upholstery, electrically adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, heated rear seats, a digital driver’s display, a Bose sound system, a wireless phone charger, privacy glass and an electric tailgate.
Top-spec ‘4’ adds another £4,500 but brings the level of kit right up to luxury car standards, throwing in tech such as fingerprint recognition, a head-up display, a digital key, a digital rear-view mirror, an electrically adjustable steering column, ventilated front seats, Nappa leather and a panoramic sunroof.
Rivals
The chief competitor to the Kia Sorento is its closely related sibling, the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Hyundai is probably more desirable, but the Kia is cheaper, so it depends on your priorities.
Elsewhere, we’d be considering the Volkswagen Tayron, Skoda Kodiaq, Mazda CX-80, Peugeot 5008 and Nissan X-Trail. Kia will also sell you the excellent (if pricey) EV9 if you’re looking to go electric, while also check out the super-practical Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
Interior comfort, quality & technology
The latest Kia Sorento’s interior design is a bit less cluttered post-2024 update, with less clusters of buttons and a smarter-looking dash.
That might strike fear into your eyes if you’re someone who likes old-school physical switchgear, but happily Kia hasn’t gone too minimalist in its approach. You still get a separate climate control stack, identical to that in the EV9 in that it has two ‘proper’ knobs and a touch-sensitive screen that can switch between touchscreen shortcuts and climate functions.
It’s pretty simple to use, and Kia has resisted the temptation to remove physical controls for things like the heated seats and drive mode selector. The rotary gear selector remains, too.
Overall quality is good, too, with plenty of soft-touch plastics, chrome details and piano-black trim. It’s a posher place to sit than the Skoda Kodiaq but can’t quite match the level of design and finish of the latest Hyundai Santa Fe.
The Sorento continues to offer a lofty driving position with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel (although it’s a shame both are manually operated in 2 spec). You also get a good view out, with large windows all-round and pillars that don’t obscure your view at junctions too much.
Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity
Every version of the Sorento now comes with a 12.3in touchscreen infotainment system, a clear visual upgrade over the old 10.25in display.
The screen itself is clear, responsive to inputs and has a logical menu layout, although if we’re being picky, we miss the old physical shortcut buttons that flanked both sides of the old car’s touchscreen.
Still, with plenty of connectivity features including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Kia’s UVO Connect telematics services (free for 7 years), there’s plenty to play with, Sat-nav is built-in on all versions, too, while 3 and 4 spec feature a wireless phone charging pad.
2 spec makes do with a set of analogue dials and a 4in trip display, but all other versions get a full 12.3-inch digital dial display that’s clear and easy to glance at. Top spec models get a customisable head-up display, too, along with other tech such as fingerprint recognition to aid security, and a smartphone app-based digital key.
You’ll find no fewer than six USB-C connections split evenly across all three rows, too. The standard six-speaker audio system is hardly tinny, but the 12-speaker Bose system delivers punchy sound for all occupants.
How practical is the Kia Sorento?
The Kia Sorento’s dimensions of 4,815mm in length, 1,900mm in width (excluding mirrors) and 1,700mm in height make it a bit larger than models like the Volkswagen Tayron and Peugeot 5008, but smaller than large luxury SUVs like the Land Rover Discovery and BMW X5.
It’s also a full 20cm shorter than the Kia EV9, but the Sorento is still a very spacious and practical car by any standards. There’s certainly no shortage of space up front, with loads of head and legroom for even the largest adults and an impressive amount of cabin width.
That also translates to generous second-row space, with loads of leg and knee space for six-footers even before you’ve played with the sliding and reclining middle row seating. Even with the panoramic roof of top-spec models there’s no shortage of headroom, either.
The cabin width and small centre hump in the floor means sitting three abreast isn’t a problem, either, while all occupants have a good view out and comfortable seating. Rear passengers get separate climate controls in all versions, and it’s great to see ISOFIX points in both the middle and third row of seats.
Speaking of the third row, space is more generous than in a Skoda Kodiaq and Land Rover Discovery Sport – that means average-sized adults will be reasonably comfortable despite a high floor, and six-footers only find headroom is a bit restricted. An EV9 is roomier still back there, but five kids in the rear two rows will have plenty of space to spare.
Storage and boot space
You’re unlikely to run out of storage in the front of the Kia Sorento. That’s thanks to a large centre console housing a generous under-armrest cubby space, good-sized door bins, a big glovebox, a pair of cupholders and a lidded area to store your smartphone.
The middle row is great for odds and ends, too. You get not one but two pockets on each front seatback, decent door bins with an extra cupholder higher up the door and a further two cupholders in the centre armrest.
Getting into the third row is easy: simply push a button next to the headrest and the middle seats tip and easily slide forward. You won’t find much more back there than a storage tray and a cupholder on each side, but that’s better than some SUVs.
You can also get climate controls in this row, too. Our only whinge is the slightly small side windows back there, but that’s true of many rivals.
It’s easy to fold these seats down to create a huge boot, although the middle row only folds in a 60/40 split if you wanted to make one vast load area. At least you can do so easily via buttons on the sides of the boot.
Still, with a massive 813 litres of capacity even with five seats in place (dropping only slightly to 809 litres in the plug-in hybrid) you’re unlikely to need to do that often.
With the third row in place capacity is reduced to just 179 litres, but you do get access to the underfloor storage area. Overall, it’s an impressive load space given how generous passenger space is also.
Performance & drive: What is the Kia Sorento like on the road?
Don’t expect the effortless surge of power from the Sorento that you’ll find in more expensive large SUVs like the Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90, but for most family buyers all versions offer ample acceleration.
The Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine is mated to a 64kW electric motor producing a combined 215hp. As its 0-62mph time of 9.7 seconds suggests it isn’t rapid, but it feels strong enough in most situations and doesn’t feel overwhelmed with seven adults on board.
The electric assistance also gives it plenty of zip off the line, though that’s more evident in the PHEV. That puts out 252hp from the same petrol engine mated to a more powerful electric motor and battery combo. Again, this is no sports car, but a 0-62mph time of 8.8 seconds means it’ll rarely feel underpowered.
The familiar (but now lighter) 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine in the Sorento CRDI offers up a modest 193hp, but with significantly more torque than either hybrid model it feels stronger in most situations and is the best choice for those regularly loading up their car with people and stuff.
It’s also the one to go for if you’re towing thanks to its 2500kg capacity. Should you buy a diesel car in 2025? That's up for debate and worth researching, but the best application today is in large SUVs such as this.
All versions of the Sorento come with all-wheel drive as standard (unlike many rivals), and power goes through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It’s more responsive with the torquey diesel, but mostly smooth and unobtrusive in other engine options.
Power, 0-62mph times
- Sorento 2.2 CRDI: 193hp/ 9.7 secs
- Sorento Hybrid: 215hp/ 9.7 secs
- Sorento Plug-In Hybrid: 248hp/ 8.8 secs
Ride and handling
As you might expect, comfort is the order of the day in the Kia Sorento. That’s particularly true of base models with the 17in wheels, which allow less suspension thump through into the cabin over potholes and poor surfaces.
Equipped with 19in wheels the Sorento is still comfortable but does thud into sharp intrusions more and doesn’t feel as isolating at lower speeds. The Sorento isn’t as smooth as a Land Rover Discovery, but it is a bit better at keeping occupants cushioned than a Skoda Kodiaq. The PHEV’s heavier weight makes it the least comfortable version overall.
Sorento 3 and 4 trims come with self-levelling rear suspension, which makes it ideal for towing or heavy loads.
Accept that this is a big family bus not designed to carve around bends and the Sorento handles pretty well. The steering is accurate and well-weighted, being light enough at low speed for easy parking but weighting up nicely for high-speed stability.
Grip levels are generally good enough, and while body lean is noticeable it isn’t excessive by any means. Having said that, the Nissan X-Trail and Volkswagen Tayron feel nimbler and more agile thanks to their lighter weight.
Noise and refinement
The Sorento offers decent but not class-leading refinement for a large SUV. Wind and road noise are mostly well isolated, but you’ll notice more of the latter by opting for the bigger 19in wheels. Meanwhile, the diesel engine’s rumble is only intrusive at idle and settles down at speed, while the petrols are smooth at a cruise but get coarse when you extract full power.
Euro NCAP: is the Kia Sorento a safe car?
The Kia Sorento’s older design shows in its Euro NCAP crash test performance. Despite achieving the maximum five-star rating back in 2020, several newer rivals have bettered its scores.
Its 82% rating for adult occupant protection falls a few points behind rivals from VW, Hyundai and Skoda, for example, while several alternatives better protect vulnerable road users. The 85% child protection rating is above average, however, as is its safety assist score.
All Sorentos come with kit such as automatic emergency braking, lane keep and lane follow assist, a multi-collision braking system and trailer stability assist for towing.
Upgrading to 3 of 4 spec brings a more advanced emergency braking system along with blind-sport collision avoidance assist and rear cross-traffic alert. You get Kia’s handy Blind-Spot View Monitor, displaying a camera image of each blind spot in the dials when you indicate. Furthermore, 3 and 4 trim get a more advanced version of Kia’s Highway Driving Assist.
A 360-degree camera system is also standard on those top two trims, but if you don’t want to use it then 4 trim adds Remote Smart Park Assist. This lets you get out the car and reverse or drive forwards into and out of a parking bay via the key.
Running costs and fuel economy
Kia doesn’t offer a pure petrol version of the Sorento, unlike several key rivals. It’s probably no loss, though, as it would be even thirstier than it is in the smaller Sportage.
Instead, the 2.2 diesel kicks off the range. It manages a respectable 42.8mpg on the WLTP combined test cycle – some way short of the lighter VW Tayron or Skoda Kodiaq diesels but okay given the Kia’s sheer bulk.
Interestingly, the petrol hybrid isn’t far behind at all, managing between 39.8 and 42.2mpg in official tests depending on wheel size. That’s about the same as the Santa Fe Hybrid, though in our experience you’ll get closer to that figure at lower speeds than on the motorway (the opposite to the diesel).
The plug-in hybrid, meanwhile, promises 176mpg on the same test regime with a full battery – with the usual caveat that you’ll never get anywhere near this figure if you drive much beyond the range of the battery (more on that below).
While that seems like a great figure in isolation, Kia’s PHEV system is falling behind the best. VW and Skoda’s eHybrid system, for example, promises well over 600mpg in the same test thanks to its much larger battery. For company car drivers the plug-in Sorento will be much cheaper to run than the hybrid or diesel, but again doesn’t offer the savings of the VW or Skoda.
One thing to bear in mind with every Sorento is that, because even the cheapest version is more than £40,000, all will be liable for the Expensive Car Supplement – an additional car tax paid from the second to the sixth year after the car’s first registration.
Kia Sorento PHEV: electric range and charging
Kia claims the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is capable of up to 34 miles of range on a charge from its 13.8 kWh battery – that’s one more mile than the Santa Fe manages with the same hybrid system.
In isolation that’s useful, and enough to tackle most people’s commute without much intervention of the petrol engine. But the standard of PHEVs is moving on, and the Peugeot 5008 PHEV promises up to 48 miles from its bigger battery.
That’s not to mention the Volkswagen Tayron eHybrid, which sets new standards in the seven-seater class with a massive 71 miles of range from its 20kWh battery.
How much does the Kia Sorento cost to insure?
The cheapest to insure Kia Sorento variant is likely to be the hybrid model, which starts from insurance group 25 in ‘2’ trim, rising by one group as you move up the trim levels. The diesel version sits in insurance group 30-32, while all plug-in hybrid models sit in group 37.
Across the board those groups are higher than the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tayron (the latter by only a small amount) but generally less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.
Kia Sorento FAQs
Is the Kia Sorento worth buying?
We reckon the Kia Sorento is a good choice if you’re after a seven-seat SUV that can take adults in the third row. It’s practical, comfortable and very well equipped, although there are more fuel-efficient and faster alternatives.
How much does a Kia Sorento cost new?
The Kia Sorento starts from £42,675 in diesel form, rising to £43,685 for the hybrid and £47,405 for the plug-in hybrid. Those prices are correct as of August 2025.
How many miles per gallon does a Kia Sorento Hybrid get?
The Kia Sorento Hybrid promises up to 42.2mpg combined depending on spec, while the Plug-In Hybrid manages 176mpg on the same test – but it will only do that if you keep mostly within the range of the battery.
