Kia Sorento SUV (2024 - ) review

The Sorento is a large SUV so it’s not a cheap car to buy or drive, but, compared with other seven-seaters (with the exception of the Dacia Jogger), the price tag on the new Sorento is great (it starts at £3,000 below the current Sorento). And if you’re willing to buy diesel when everyone else is turning against it, the base diesel version will cost you the same as an electric hatchback. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will cost you more, as will the higher trims, but you may not need the extra creature comforts (wireless smartphone connection is free, as are front and rear parking sensors and cruise control). Diesel costs more at the pumps, but if you’re doing an annual mileage of more than 20,000, you should find you recoup the higher spend, and the hybrid versions keep fuelling costs low. Watch out for the depreciation, which may prove painful as more people move away from diesel (it powers six per cent of cars bought currently), but on the other hand you’re getting a bargain when you buy it. You should find, given Kia’s great reliability and seven-year warranty, that you don’t have many unexpected servicing costs.

It’s the Kia Sorento or sister car, the Hyundai Santa Fe, if reliability is top of your wishlist for a seven-seat SUV. You’re looking at tried and tested technology, platforms and powertrains, and both brands are so confident in their ability to manufacture cars that last, that they offer long warranties - seven years in Kia’s case (versus Hyundai’s five years). Kia has updated some of the tech and software in this refreshed Sorento, but we don’t expect any issues (we’ve said it now…).

Safety systems have been upgraded for the new Sorento. You can now choose from a menu including a 360-degree camera, seven airbags, lane-change assist, blind-spot warning, rear-traffic collision warning, evasive steering if an accident is imminent, a warning if you’re about to open your door into traffic, and a remote parking function which allows you to move the car forward and back in a tight space via the key. In other words, it’s got it all, if you have the money to spend. The base version, however, still gives you a good view of the road ahead and the surrounding traffic, and all the basic safety functions.

We drove it through rush hour in Manhattan while judging World Car of the Year (which electric sister, the EV9, won). We thumped through potholes, over manhole covers and broken road surfaces, and it soaked up jolts and bumps admirably. This really does feel like a car twice its price, with a serene, calm space inside, and only a distant rumble from that diesel engine. There is a huge amount of space for passengers: with the third row of seats folded, the boot is spacious, and when they are up, there is still leg space for two adults, which often isn’t the case. (Head space may be slightly compromised if you’re six foot tall, but it’s the same in the competition, unless you go for a van design like the Dacia Jogger).There’s a lovely amount of light from the roof and windows, comfy seats which can be heated and ventilated, and a great amount of storage: the Sorento has the vibe of a commodious American SUV, built for big drinks bottles, big bags, big living. As for materials, you can choose luxurious, double-stitched, quilted leather, or go for a vegan interior (not necessary better for the environment, as leather in cars is a waste product of the beef industry, but it fits in with the healthy-living vibe) with artificial leather and recycled PET plastic bottles replacing new cloth on the seats.

The new Sorento has fingerprint recognition to start the car and link to your saved profile for seat settings, music and so on, or you can also link your smartphone to the car and use it as the key, to save carrying around a fob. There’s also wireless phone charging, six USB-C charging ports (two per row), which is really useful, and a Bose premium sound system. You can also choose a digital rear-view mirror, which turns the view from a reflection into a camera feed of what’s behind you, meaning you can load the car to the gills and not worry about seeing out. There are large display screens and a head-up display on the windscreen for extra convenience. In short, Kia offers a very premium experience with this car, at a lower price.

Drivers can choose from a 2.2-litre diesel engine on its own, or a 1.6-litre diesel engine in a hybrid system (you don’t plug it in: the battery charges from the engine and is there to boost acceleration and reduce fuel consumption) or in a plug-in hybrid system (more electric miles, and you can plug it in, meaning that, for many drivers, most of their mileage will be done on electric power). The 2.2-litre diesel comes with all-wheel drive; the two hybrids are available with all-wheel or front-wheel drive. We suggest the latter, to save money and fuel, unless you really do some genuine off-roading every year and need the extra traction. We aren’t huge fans of integrated hybrids, preferring a plug-in hybrid for some proper electric driving, but Kia’s hybrid system is very efficient, and smooth: you don’t feel the system switch between engine and battery, which it does automatically and frequently, lowering fuel consumption noticeably. All versions are satisfying to drive, with precise, delicate steering and very little road and wind noise or vibration entering the car. When you compare the premium driving experience with the price, Sorento owners should feel very smug indeed.