Kia Sorento engines & performance

Kia's implementation of a hybrid powertrain in this latest Sorento comes across as a slightly hollow gesture. This is entirely down to its underwhelming electric performance.

It’s quick enough when you floor it – it hit 60mph in 8.5sec when we road tested it in 2021 – but it just lacks the effortless mid-range grunt you want in a big, relaxed family hauler.

The Americans must find us comically twee over here in Britain, with the ‘huge’ Sorento. They get the V6-engined Kia Telluride, whose wheelbase is 86mm longer and whose presence on the road really is absolutely monstrous.

Richard Lane

Deputy road test editor

With more than two tonnes worth of metal to shift, the Sorento’s 59bhp electric motor simply doesn’t have the muscle required to move the SUV off from a standstill with any alacrity, let alone bring it up to speed.

As a result, the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder tends to kick in by default from around 25-30mph, and any time you ask for any acceleration at all. It’s quite a coarse and noisy engine that sounds strained.

It’s better to view it as a glorified mild hybrid, but even then, the Sorento’s powertrain is easily outclassed by the Skoda Kodiaq’s, whose mild-hybrid 1.5 is much quieter, and gives more consistent accelerator response. The Skoda has only front-wheel drive, but then not everyone needs four-wheel drive.

Things are improved in the PHEV, which has a more powerful, 90bhp electric motor and a much larger, 13.8kWh battery. Around town, performance in EV mode feels quite sufficient, and it doesn't feel especially lacking when you hit faster stretches. And don’t fret: if you’ve locked it into EV mode (done via a button) but suddenly need a burst of serious acceleration, the engine will jump in to help.