Key Takeaways
- The Kia Sorento PHEV is a superb selection for individuals who largely drive quick distances and may cost at dwelling.
- The Sorento presents all-electric help, seven seats, and intuitive tech, making it good for households.
- The plug-in model has ample area and trendy options to boost driving expertise.
Korean automakers are persistently upping their sport and the most recent Kia Sorento, alongside the equally spectacular Kia EV9 and EV6, is an ideal instance of that development. 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 feel I favor the Sorento for its easy-to-live with persona and plug-in enchantment. As somebody who primarily expenses at dwelling and who does plenty of round town-style journeys, I can see it becoming into my wants with ease. It’s additionally a little bit extra fascinating and presents extra cargo area than one thing just like the smaller Nissan X-Path.
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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 stable, protected, and really comfy with an in-car number of tech that’s fast and straightforward to make use of. With the good thing about 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 might be on supply with the brand new Sorento. There are three clear-as-day tiers — 2, 3, and 4 — whereas the powertrain decisions 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 commonplace. In fact, spend a little bit 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 plenty of cool angles, notably across the entrance and rear finish. Considered from the entrance, it is easy to see how this SUV is expounded to the massive and beefy EV9. I feel the angular headlights and bumper thrives 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 glossy look that’s made more practical by the darkened glass and trim elaborations. That is most notable across the rear pillar, however the backside of the doorways is ready off properly by chrome trim as effectively. Icing on the cake comes from eye-catching alloys.
Alongside the edges, the Sorento sports activities a glossy look that is made more practical by the darkened glass and trim elaborations.
The Sorento being a heavy hauler, I used to be a little bit 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 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 appear and feel
Central to the enchantment 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 once I squeezed into the third row to examine how issues are again there.
My check automotive was tastefully completed and whereas it was dripping with the entire further touches you get from the upper trim vehicles, the Sorento does not really feel in any respect ostentatious.
For those who’ve acquired a household, then chances are high the children 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 vehicles, the Sorento does not really feel in any respect ostentatious.
In truth, that makes me assume it is going to be an much more engaging proposition for households, because of a selection of finishes which might be each sturdy and straightforward to scrub.
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The expertise breakdown
A fantastic degree of tech on all fashions
One other spotlight, because it so usually 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 just lately pushed just a few Kia fashions, the options and features had been a lot the identical. Usually, the whole lot is simple to determine, however in the event you’re a newcomer to the array of controls, the training curve is perhaps a little bit steeper.
One other spotlight, because it so usually the case with trendy Korean vehicles, is the extent of expertise that is to be discovered contained in the 2025 Sorento.
Sensibly, notably for people who’re possible coping with kids, 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 could be scrolled by means of with a swift swipe. It is all very properly performed. One other glorious 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 enchantment
The Kia Sorento is a stunning factor to drive, with the plug-in mannequin providing the good thing about easy 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 because of its bulkiness, however armed with a comparatively small 13.8kWh battery pack, the PHEV presents as much as 34 miles of electrical vary.
For US highways, I am certain the Sorento will really feel good.
Whereas I do know that determine is not precisely big, I are likely to do plenty of quick journeys, which is the place the entire plug-in journey works greatest. Except for the good thing about elevated gasoline mileage and decreased emissions, the Sorento is supple sufficient on roads, with a trip that feels a little bit spongy at occasions. 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 besides. 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 dwell with on the driving entrance.
Must you purchase the Kia Sorento?
I’m bought on the plug-in model of the Kia Sorento. I feel it is acquired lots going for it, from the acres of area discovered inside, to the consolation, after which there’s the good thing about electrical energy once I’m doing quick 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 contemporary in just a few years from now. A top quality replace.
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