2025 Kia Sorento review | CarExpert

The Kia Sorento is among the nonetheless few giant SUVs in Australia out there with a hybrid possibility – however spoiler alert, it’s nonetheless in very quick provide.

Word: That is an up to date model of a assessment first printed in June, as there have been no main modifications to pricing for specification prior to now six months since publication.

Now we have up to date key particulars reminiscent of pricing and specs with the freshest data out there. Learn the unique model of this assessment here

WATCH: Paul’s video assessment of the 2024 Kia Sorento GT-Line HEV AWD

That is the Kia Sorento GT-Line HEV AWD, which is the penultimate variant within the vary sitting beneath the much more electrified Sorento GT-Line PHEV AWD, which prices $11,000 extra.

Priced from just a little over $73,000 earlier than on-road prices, the up to date mannequin is a couple of thousand {dollars} dearer than earlier than – and supply is still pegged around 20 units per month, sadly.

Nonetheless, the top-spec Sorento Hybrid is across the similar cash as a mid-tier Toyota Kluger Hybrid. The associated Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has simply arrived with higher provide and a wider vary of variants, however a extra polarising design.

Key upgrades as a part of the mid-life refresh embody a contemporary exterior design, in addition to an up to date inside and an enhanced expertise suite. The hybrid drivetrain, in the meantime, is unchanged.

Must you be getting within the queue for considered one of these electrified Kias, or are you higher off different choices?

How does the Kia Sorento examine?

View an in depth breakdown of the Kia Sorento towards equally sized automobiles.

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Sorento

How a lot does the Kia Sorento value?

The mannequin 12 months 2025 (MY25) Kia Sorento didn’t see any additional worth changes for the reason that preliminary launch earlier within the 12 months, although every facelifted mannequin carries a circa-$3000 premium over the equal pre-update mannequin.

As was the case pre-update, the Sorento Hybrid (HEV) and Plug-in Hybrid are solely out there in top-spec GT-Line guise resulting from restricted provide.

Kia Australia says it’s working with the manufacturing unit to extend allocation, however the automobile is sourced from the manufacturing unit that provides Europe, North America and the Korean home market.

To see how the Kia Sorento strains up towards the competitors, try our comparison tool

What’s the Kia Sorento like on the within?

If you happen to’ve sat in an up to date Sorento GT-Line, it’s just about the identical right here.

Save for power movement graphics and a devoted hybrid menu within the infotainment system and cluster, it’s in any other case the identical as a Sorento GT-Line in V6 or diesel flavours.

Meaning you get a properly trimmed cabin with Nappa leather-based upholstery, lashings of gloss black, and brighter silver tones, and it’s all properly put collectively and has an upmarket appear and feel to it.

Even the bottom Sorento S scores a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Kia Join, and better grades get embedded satellite tv for pc navigation with real-time site visitors updates. Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are additionally commonplace throughout the board, as is DAB radio.

The GT-Line will get the upscale twin 12.3-inch array which successfully provides the Sorento the identical full digital cockpit because the bigger all-electric EV9.

There’s additionally a 10-inch head-up show with higher graphics, and might venture turn-by-turn navigation prompts from third-party mapping apps from smartphones. There’s a digital rear-view mirror on the flagship too.

Kia’s newest software program options right here, bringing wi-fi smartphone mirroring throughout the vary (yay!) and Kia Join for related navigation, over the air software program updates, and distant features together with cabin pre-conditioning, and extra.

Larger grades provide prolonged performance too, reminiscent of encompass digicam snapshots on the GT-Line, and you’ll management the car’s home windows GT-Line fashions with auto up/down performance.

All of that is accessed by way of the Kia Join smartphone app. We’ve tried these options in different Kias, they usually’re helpful when you get all of it arrange. The Bose 12-speaker premium audio system can be good, with crisp audio and punchy bass.

Consolation and house up entrance are fairly good, with loads of nooks and crannies to retailer your telephones, wallets, and keys. There’s a giant shelf beneath the centre stack to your cellphone, toothed cupholders, and a number of other bins and cubbies – although the door pockets will solely match smaller bottles.

The GT-Line gives a wi-fi cellphone quick charger. Value noting is a number of the cubbies aren’t felt or rubber lined so more durable objects can rattle round a bit.

One other new function of the Sorento is the contact bar that serves as a local weather management panel and digital arduous controls for the infotainment system. We’ve seen this on the EV6 and Sportage; not like some touch-based controls the Kia ones work very similar to typical switchgear.

As earlier than, the GT-Line will get a slew of luxurious options like heated and ventilated entrance seats, in addition to a heated steering wheel and guide rear sunshades. A panoramic sunroof is once more reserved for the flagship, and it’s an excellent function in case your children prefer to search for on the sky whereas within the automobile.

Not a lot has modified within the rear apart from some new seat designs and new USB-C ports on the seat backs in greater fashions, however there’s nonetheless loads of goodness within the second and third rows.

Adults simply match behind adults within the second row, even three abreast with out it being an excessive amount of of a squeeze. The third row is among the extra sensible for the phase, although it’s not so good as the Palisade or Carnival and the curtain airbags solely cowl that second window – and due to this fact technically don’t provide full three-row protection.

The Sorento can be very kid-friendly, with 5 top-tether and 4 ISOFIX anchors that means you may replenish the rear two rows with baby capsules in case you want the house. The second row has a one-touch entrance operate too to make getting out and in of the rearmost seats simpler.

The third row itself stays among the best in school, with sufficient room for average-sized adults for shorter journeys and greater than sufficient house for youths. Disappointingly, the Sorento doesn’t get a correct third zone of computerized local weather management like quite a few rivals do.

Rounding out the rear facilities are a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, net-type map pockets behind the entrance seats, cupholders, and bottle holders within the doorways themselves, in addition to a 12V outlet behind the centre console. GT-Line fashions additionally function heated outer second-row seats.

No matter which Sorento you select, there’s a full-size alloy spare wheel beneath the boot ground as properly. Props to Kia for persevering with to supply this, which little doubt will probably be a key level of distinction to many consumers.

To see how the Kia Sorento strains up towards the competitors, try our comparison tool

What’s beneath the bonnet?

As earlier than, it’s a 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid drivetrain beneath the pores and skin.

To see how the Kia Sorento strains up towards the competitors, try our comparison tool

How does the Kia Sorento drive?

The combustion-only Sorento vary is already good, and the HEV provides an electrified powertrain into that blend.

With a small turbocharged engine and an electrical motor constructed into the six-speed computerized transmission, the Sorento HEV requires little studying curve to get accustomed to its driving traits.

The Sorento HEV will typically begin in silence, however on chilly begins the petrol engine fires up shortly after with the buzzy, muted tone this unit has in different Hyundai-Kia merchandise. It generally sends slight vibrations into the cabin, nevertheless it’s removed from harsh.

Being mated to a traditional auto and never a dual-clutch, in addition to having an electrical motor fill the void that might usually be turbo lag, the Sorento HEV really will get off the road fairly easily.

In comparison with one thing like a Kluger Hybrid, which makes use of an e-CVT, you may must get used to the shifting between cogs, however in any other case it’s fairly typical. You’ll discover it doesn’t keep in EV mode a lot throughout acceleration except you’re actually feathering it or rolling at sluggish speeds in stop-start site visitors.

The Sorento HEV is clearly pitched at people who hardly ever enterprise onto the open street, with its hybrid system doing its greatest work on the town. The gearing sees the 1.6-litre engine spinning at about 2000rpm at 100km/h. By comparability, the V6 and diesel will probably be far much less pressured on the freeway because of their eight-speed ‘bins.

It’s additionally evident within the indicated gas consumption. Our week ended with an indicated readout of 6.8L/100km which is sweet for this measurement of car given we primarily drove to and from the workplace in peak hour with excessive site visitors, although it’s nonetheless a bit up on the model’s 5.7L/100km declare. Spend extra time on the freeway and also you’ll see sevens.

Technically the electrical motor acts as a launch gear and reverse, so you possibly can take into account it a seven-speeder, however the last drive seems a contact quick to actually make this a correct all-rounder. If you happen to spend extra time on the freeway, the diesel even with out idle stop-start will do higher numbers than the dearer hybrid.

In any other case it’s all just about commonplace Sorento, as with the mid-life replace each the Sorento HEV and PHEV have been given the identical experience and dealing with tune as the broader vary, which wasn’t the case beforehand. As you’d count on, the Sorento HEV handles with accuracy and confidence, with a stunning steadiness between consolation and engagement.

The up to date mannequin feels properly tied collectively to masks its measurement, and is just a little softer in its damping so as to add an additional layer of compliance over undulations and more durable hits.

The Sorento HEV barely has any added weight in comparison with the equal petrol or diesel. Whereas Kia Australia doesn’t quote 0-100km/h instances, the UK division quotes 8.7 seconds for the Sorento Hybrid, with the PHEV lowering that to eight.4 seconds. In keeping with British specs, the diesel is sort of half a second slower.

It doesn’t really feel as outright punchy because the V6, nor as effortlessly torquey because the diesel. It splits the 2 when it comes to efficiency and refinement, including the electrified low-speed drive as a bonus whereas additionally attaining diesel-like financial system for essentially the most half.

Insulation from street and wind noise is sweet, and the brand new Santa Fe arguably pushes the sport ahead once more with its very clear give attention to premium rivals when it comes to presentation and atmosphere.

The array of driver help methods works properly, as we discovered within the core vary. Freeway Driving Help combines adaptive cruise and lane centring for a semi-autonomous freeway driving expertise, and works properly if for the odd confusion in freeway development zones or if a car abruptly cuts you off.

Blind Spot View Monitor bolsters the usual blind-spot and rear cross-traffic help options by exhibiting you a dwell facet digicam feed each time you point out, and the encompass digicam with 3D view likewise will increase visibility.

If there’s one criticism, it’s the annoying beeps and bongs of the Velocity Restrict Help default to on and could be fairly annoying even when they’re quieter than earlier iterations. Greatest so as to add the shortcut to the help menu to the star-labelled button on the steering wheel.

To see how the Kia Sorento strains up towards the competitors, try our comparison tool

What do you get?

The Sorento HEV is solely provided in flagship GT-Line trim, that means it comes absolutely loaded.

Sorento HEV GT-Line highlights:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Full measurement spare wheel
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Blind Spot View Monitor
• Distant Sensible Parking Help
• Parking Collision Avoidance Help – Reverse
• Quilted Nappa leather-appointed seats
• Digital centre mirror
• Suede headliner
• Inside temper lighting
• 360-degree encompass view monitor
• Heated, ventilated entrance seats
• Heated second-row seats – outer
• Panoramic sunroof – powered
• Kia Join
• Over the Air (OTA) updates

To see how the Kia Sorento strains up towards the competitors, try our comparison tool

Is the Kia Sorento protected?

The brand new Sorento carries over the pre-update mannequin’s five-star ANCAP security score, based mostly on Euro NCAP exams.

Commonplace security options embody:

• 7 airbags incl. front-centre
• Adaptive cruise management
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Automobile detection
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Bike owner detection
  • Junction help
• Blind-spot help
• Driver consideration alert
• Freeway Driving Help (HDA)
  • Adaptive cruise incl. cease/go
  • Lane Following Help
  • Navigation-based
• Lane Following Help
• Lane preserve help
• Clever Velocity Restrict Help
• Parking sensors entrance, rear
• Rear cross-traffic help
• Reversing digicam
• Protected Exit Warning
• Tyre stress monitoring

Kia Join options embody:

• eCall
• Distant lock
• Distant local weather management
• Car monitoring
• Car standing monitoring
• Voice assistant
• Vacation spot ship to car
• Actual-time site visitors updates
• Valet parking mode

It’s value noting the up to date Australian vary doesn’t decide up extra airbags like Korean fashions, which get rear-side inflators and a driver’s knee airbag – bringing the overall to 10.

Native fashions additionally seem to overlook out on the ‘reverse information lamp’ that’s just like the taillights provided by Genesis fashions.

To see how the Kia Sorento strains up towards the competitors, try our comparison tool

How a lot does the Kia Sorento value to run?

The Kia Sorento lineup is roofed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee. Excessive-voltage battery and motor elements for electrified fashions are lined for seven years or 150,000 kilometres.

Scheduled upkeep is required each 12 months or 10,000 kilometres – whichever comes first. Kia fashions with turbocharged petrol engines have shorter mileage intervals than naturally aspirated petrols and turbo-diesels.

It’s additionally value noting the associated Hyundai Santa Fe with an analogous hybrid system is much cheaper to service, not less than over a five-year interval.

*MY24 service pricing proven

To see how the Kia Sorento strains up towards the competitors, try our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia Sorento

The Sorento Hybrid stays a stable possibility for households wanting to cut back their emissions, if you may get your arms on one.

Whereas the Australian-market diesel continues with older Euro 5 emissions methods, the HEV is definitely the cleanest technique to get round. If you happen to’re spending extra time on the town, it’ll outdo each the V6 and oiler for gas consumption.

It’ll take a while to make up the $4000-$5000 premium over the equal V6 and diesel, and the dearth of nationwide drive-away pricing implies that preliminary deficit might be wider from the get-go. However, in case you’re not solely shopping for for the gas financial savings and simply basic discount of impression and maybe future resale, it might be the higher wager.

There are some things going towards it, nonetheless. Excessive relative consumption on the freeway is one, which I think about will solely worsen with seven on board. As famous earlier, common freeway stints or plans to tow would make the cheaper and extra available diesel a greater possibility.

Very quick provide is the opposite enormous gray cloud. You would be ready a really very long time for one. It isn’t be topic to FBT exemptions just like the PHEV is till April 1, 2025 – which in case you’re leasing, might make the plug-in extra enticing.

Lastly, there’s the actual fact the brand new Santa Fe Hybrid does the identical issues however gives a wider vary of variants and higher provide (ranging from $15,000 much less), in addition to a extra energy (172kW v 169kW). It could have appears that polarise, nevertheless it has a more recent model of the identical mechanicals beneath.

That every one mentioned, the Sorento stacks up properly nonetheless towards the Toyota Kluger like-for-like, and can little doubt be a really succesful household chariot for these fortunate few that may get one of their driveway. Hopefully upcoming emissions regulations in Australia open up extra provide Down Underneath.

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