Kia Sorento PHEV review: Practical and affordable

Korean automakers are consistently upping their game and the latest Kia Sorento, alongside the similarly impressive Kia EV9 and EV6, is a perfect example of that trend. It’s a lofty, all-wheel drive SUV with the added benefit of seven proper seats. Alongside petrol hybrid and diesel variants, Kia is offering a plug-in model, which comes with a six-speed auto transmission and the potential to be extremely frugal if home charging is your thing.

Another Korean offering, the latest Hyundai Sante Fe is impressive, both to look at and drive. But I think I prefer the Sorento for its easy-to-live with persona and plug-in appeal. As someone who mainly charges at home and who does a lot of around town-style journeys, I can see it fitting into my needs with ease. It’s also a little more interesting and offers more cargo space than something like the smaller Nissan X-Trail.

Recommended

Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento PHEV will suit drivers who can charge it at home, and, while the all-electric range is a fairly meager 34 miles or so, it works perfectly for short journeys. Out on the highway, the new Sorento feels solid, safe, and very comfortable with an in-car selection of tech that is quick and easy to use. With the benefit of seven seats, it’s perfect for families.

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Price, specs, and availability

I didn’t get at all bamboozled by the trim options that are on offer with the new Sorento. There are three clear-as-day tiers — 2, 3, and 4 — while the powertrain choices are diesel, petrol hybrid or, in my case, plug-in hybrid. Prices in the UK start from £41,995 (around $55,000) and even base level cars come with an excellent array of tech as standard. Of course, spend a little more, and you’ll get a real treat from the posher trims.

Design and build

Distinctive curves and angles

The 2025 Sorento follows a similar theme to other models in Kia’s current range. What that means is a lot of cool angles, particularly around the front and rear end. Viewed from the front, it’s easy to see how this SUV is related to the big and beefy EV9. I think the angular headlights and bumper flourishes make the Sorento look distinctive but not garish.

Things look just as good at the back, with a more angular treatment for the taillights, topped with a cool spoiler that hangs out over the back window. Along the sides, the Sorento sports a sleek look that’s made more effective by the darkened glass and trim embellishments. This is most notable around the rear pillar, but the bottom of the doors is set off nicely by chrome trim as well. Icing on the cake comes from eye-catching alloys.

The Sorento being a heavy hauler, I was a little bit concerned that seven seats over three rows might mean the trunk was going to be limited. Thankfully, the seats are easily reworked to take the base 175 liters of space and turn it into a much more capacious area. In fact, drop both rows of seats and the figure of 809 liters with the third row down turns into 1988 liters.

A refreshing interior

Quality look and feel