Kia Sorento review

Whether you opt for Kia’s lighter, aluminium-blocked, 199bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine or its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol hybrid option, the engine is mounted transversely under the bonnet and drives all four wheels through a hydraulic coupling.

In the case of the hybrids, an electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and the gearbox and makes 59bhp in the full hybrid (for a total of 226bhp) and 90bhp in the plug-in hybrid (for a total of 261bhp).

Whereas the diesel uses a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, both hybrids stick with a six-speed torque-converter automatic.

Suspension for the Sorento is all-independent and there’s hydraulic self-levelling on the rear for more stable towing features on all but the entry-level grade. Ground clearance is a fairly modest 185mm. Although that’s slightly more than before, it’s not as much as some rivals offer. And while Kia has added X-Line versions in other markets with better off-road ability on paper, there’s no plan to include those in the UK range.

Towing capacity has risen to 2500kg for the diesel Sorento, but it’s only 1110kg for the hybrid and 1010kg for the PHEV. 

As for aesthetics, this car certainly catches the eye and, on balance, most testers liked what they saw. Kia’s aim was to create a more ‘technical’ look for the car, intended to better express a sense of precision of build quality and all-round technological sophistication. It’s an effect well practised by the German premium brands but – much as this wouldn’t be the first time Kia has copied their homework – it’s quietly effective.

The 2024 facelift changed the front end to be more in line with Kia’s current design language, which was kicked off with the EV9. At the front, there are more upright LED headlights and a redesigned bumper, while the rear gains new exhaust trims. There is a selection of new alloy wheels and three new colours too.

But outside of these sorts of long-haul, low-stress driving environments, its approach to ride comfort isn’t always quite as assured. That aforementioned long-wave softness can cause it to feel heavy, spongy and poorly controlled over particularly uneven surfaces but, worse, this then combines with a firm, leaden-feeling secondary ride over sharper edges. Even on those balloon-like tyres, it can thump quite noisily and forcefully over expansion joints and drain covers.

This leaves the Sorento open to inadvertently painting itself as an at times cumbersome and awkward SUV – one that doesn’t always know quite how to react when it’s taken out of its immediate comfort zone. And it is arguably this slightly imbalanced disposition that most starkly differentiates the Kia from the more polished, upmarket family SUVs that reside north of £50,000.

Assisted driving notes

Kia and Hyundai’s assisted driving systems have proven themselves to be some of the more bothersome in the industry. The adaptive cruise control is quite easily spooked, and you first need to dive into the settings to turn off the Highway Driving Assist system, which incorporates the poorly functioning lane centring and speed limit adaptation. Thankfully, you have to do this only once, since the settings persist.

Of course, the lane keep assist and overspeed warning, neither of which works well in the Sorento, have to come back on by law every time you start the car. The lane keep assist has its own dedicated button on the steering wheel, but the rather loud overspeed warning is hidden behind a few menus.

Trim levels have come and gone, but for most of the Sorento’s life they’ve been extremely logical: you can choose between 2, 3 or 4. The higher the number, the posher the trim. Entry grade it may be, but 2 is hardly short of equipment: heated seats, sat-nav and adaptive cruise control are all standard. The main reasons to upgrade to 3 are to get the electric seats (which have more adjustment options and are more comfortable), the upgraded hi-fi and the bigger wheels.