Kia Sorento PHEV overview: Sensible and inexpensive

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 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 dwelling charging is your factor.

One other Korean providing, the most recent Hyundai Sante Fe is spectacular, each to have a look at and drive. However I believe I choose the Sorento for its easy-to-live with persona and plug-in attraction. As somebody who primarily prices at dwelling and who does quite a lot of round town-style journeys, I can see it becoming into my wants with ease. It’s additionally a bit of extra fascinating and gives 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 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, secure, and really comfy with an in-car choice of tech that’s fast and simple to make use of. With the advantage of seven seats, it is excellent 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 stage automobiles include a superb array of tech as customary. In fact, spend a bit of 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 which means is quite a lot of cool angles, significantly across the entrance and rear finish. Considered from the entrance, it is simple to see how this SUV is expounded to the massive and beefy EV9. I believe the angular headlights and bumper prospers make the Sorento look distinctive however not garish.

Issues look simply nearly as good on the again, with a extra angular therapy 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 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 a bit of 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. The truth is, 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 appear

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, they usually’re all comfy too, even once I squeezed into the third row to test how issues are again there.

If you happen to’ve obtained 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 geared toward households, I used to be very impressed by the selection of inside supplies. My check automotive was tastefully completed and whereas it was dripping with the entire further touches you get from the upper trim automobiles, the Sorento would not really feel in any respect ostentatious.

The truth is, that makes me suppose it is going to be an much more engaging proposition for households, because of a selection of finishes which are each sturdy and simple to scrub.

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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 fashionable Korean automobiles, 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 setup that’s similar to the one discovered within the EV9. Having lately pushed a couple of Kia fashions, the options and capabilities have been a lot the identical. Usually, the whole lot is straightforward to determine, however in case you’re a newcomer to the array of controls, the educational curve could be a bit of steeper.

Sensibly, significantly for people who’re seemingly coping with kids, key controls for local weather and the like stay as bodily fingertip contact buttons. Equally, although, I had no downside 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 wonderful function 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 beautiful 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 further weight added resulting from 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 likely to do quite a lot of brief journeys, which is the place the entire plug-in journey works finest. Other than the advantage of elevated gasoline mileage and diminished emissions, the Sorento is supple sufficient on roads, with a trip that feels a bit of spongy at instances. 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 besides. Throw this hefty SUV round turns or take it to locations with much less area and the Sorento will rapidly remind you of its dimension and weight. Other than that although, the Sorento is a simple factor to dwell with on the driving entrance.

Must you purchase the Kia Sorento?

I’m offered on the plug-in model of the Kia Sorento. I believe it is obtained loads going for it, from the acres of area discovered inside, to the consolation, after which there’s the advantage of electrical energy once I’m doing brief hops. Kia’s match and end is nearly as good as ever, and it looks like a really up to date automotive, which ought to hopefully nonetheless look simply as manufacturing unit recent in a couple of years from now. A top quality replace.

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Kia Sorento