Verdict
For more than two decades the Kia Sorento has been the Korean brand’s flagship model (EV9 aside, more recently), and while this large SUV costs more than it did, it’s still decent value. The Sorento is more desirable than ever, because it comes with all of the latest comfort and safety tech, and as standard it’ll seat seven. Our sister website CarBuyer crowned the Sorento its 2021 Car of the Year and its 2022 Large Family Car of the Year, while it was our Best Large SUV in our 2024 Used Car awards. The model has won other awards galore, proving the Sorento is a deeply impressive product.
The Kia Sorento celebrated its 21st birthday last year, and since the first edition went on sale back in 2003, this full-sized SUV has changed beyond all recognition.
In most ways those alterations have been for the better, because this is a car that can compete with the best mid-range seven-seat SUVs on the market. That’s a shame if you’re after a reliable SUV that’s also cheap, but if you want a sophisticated full-size SUV that’s easy to own and packs all of the latest tech, it’ll be just the thing as long as your pockets are deep enough.
History
The Kia Sorento Mk4 went on sale in the UK in September 2020, with a choice of two engines: a 1.6 T-GDi hybrid, with a turbo petrol engine, or the 2.2 CRDi diesel that we’d seen in the previous Sorento. All versions are automatics; the hybrid had a six-speed gearbox, while the diesel had an eight-speed dual-clutch unit.
Within weeks a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) had been added to the range, also powered by the 1.6 T-GDi engine. A facelifted Sorento went on sale in April 2024, with a refreshed design inside and out, and still a choice of diesel, hybrid and PHEV powertrains, with prices starting at £41,995.
On the road
No seven-seat SUV is going to feel agile, but Kia has done a pretty good job of making it enjoyable to drive, with a comfortable ride (although some owners disagree), decent body control and better levels of acceleration than you might expect. Higher-spec cars ride better with their self-levelling suspension; the biggest bugbear is the steering, which could feel more engaging than it does. All Sorentos have four-wheel drive as standard.
Which one should I buy?
If you do a lot of long-distance motorway journeys, the diesel is the best option. But if your trips are more mixed, the PHEV should suit you perfectly, while shorter journeys are ideal for the hybrid or PHEV.
