The Kia Sorento
Seven seats, all-wheel drive. Diesel, hybrid or plug-in hybrid, from £43,725
A big car that parks like a smaller one
Three rows of seats and all-wheel drive on every version, and it still turns inside 11.6 metres. Wheels run from 17in on the 'Pure' diesel and hybrid up to 20in on the 'Aspire' diesel, with 19in in between and on every plug-in hybrid. LED headlights are standard across the range; 'Evolve' adds low beam assist and sequential indicators, and 'Aspire' puts a panoramic sunroof over the whole cabin.
Six colours. White Pearl is the standard one. Mineral Blue, Midnight Black, Interstellar Grey, Cityscape Green and Volcanic Sand are premium paint at £700.
Three powertrains
Every UK Sorento has all-wheel drive, an automatic gearbox and seven seats. There is no two-wheel-drive version and no five-seat version. What changes is the engine.
The 2.2-litre diesel makes 190bhp and 440Nm through an eight-speed dual-clutch box, and it is the one to have if you tow. It is rated at 2,500kg braked against 2,000kg for the hybrid and 1,700kg for the plug-in.
The hybrid pairs a 1.6 turbo petrol with a 1.49kWh battery for 235bhp and needs no charging. The plug-in carries a 13.8kWh pack, makes 283bhp, and is the quickest of the three at 8.0 seconds to 62mph. Kia gives it 34 miles on the WLTP combined range figure and a 14% company car tax band. It charges on AC only: 3 hours 25 minutes from 10 to 100% on a 3.3kW Type 2, or 5 hours 2 minutes from a three-pin plug.
Diesel
- 0-62mph
- 9.7s
- Combined
- 43.4mpg
- CO2
- 170g/km
- Tows, braked
- 2,500kg
- Company car tax
- 37%
Hybrid
- 0-62mph
- 9.0s
- Combined
- 42.8mpg
- CO2
- 150g/km
- Tows, braked
- 2,000kg
- Company car tax
- 36%
Plug-In Hybrid
- 0-62mph
- 8.0s
- Combined
- 72.43mpg
- CO2
- 35g/km
- Tows, braked
- 1,700kg
- Company car tax
- 14%
Kia publishes WLTP figures per grade, and the ones above are the 'Pure'. Across the three grades the diesel runs 42.8 to 43.4mpg and 170 to 174g/km, and the hybrid 40.9 to 42.8mpg and 150 to 157g/km. The plug-in hybrid is 72.43mpg and 35g/km on all three. Kia gives the plug-in 34 miles on the WLTP combined range row and publishes no weighted combined figure for it. Top speeds are 124mph for the diesel, 121 for the hybrid and 128 for the plug-in. Servicing is every 12 months or 20,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. Company car tax percentages are Kia's published BiK bands. What you actually see depends on how and where you drive.
Seven seats and 2,500kg on the towbar
The diesel is rated to tow 2,500kg braked. The hybrid takes 2,000kg and the plug-in 1,700kg, so the engine you pick decides what you can put behind it. Kerb weights are 1,929kg for the diesel, 1,955kg for the hybrid and 2,110kg for the plug-in.
CarPlay on every one, wirelessly
A 12.3in touchscreen with navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and voice control is standard on all three grades, along with over-the-air software updates and seven years of Kia Connect. 'Evolve' adds a second 12.3in screen for the driver and a 12-speaker Bose system.
Seven seats, whichever one you buy
There is no five-seat Sorento. 'Evolve' brings electric lumbar support for the driver, ambient lighting and a height-adjustable powered tailgate; 'Aspire' adds black Nappa leather, ventilated front seats and a panoramic sunroof with electric blinds.
179 litres up, 1,996 down
Kia quotes three boot volumes rather than the usual two, so you can see what the third row costs you: 179 litres behind it, 813 with it folded, and 1,996 with the second row down as well. The tow ball takes 100kg on all three powertrains.
The boot figures above are the diesel and the hybrid. The plug-in hybrid is 175, 809 and 1,988 litres, because its 13.8kWh battery sits under the cabin. Fuel tanks are 67 litres on the diesel and the hybrid and 47 on the plug-in, and the diesel carries a further 14 litres of AdBlue for its selective catalytic reduction system.
Three grades, nine Sorentos
'Pure', 'Evolve' and 'Aspire', each available with any of the three powertrains. Prices are on-the-road from the official Kia UK price guide. Ignore the figures on Kia's range cards if you have seen them: they run about £1,000 light on every powertrain.
Pure
LED headlights, a 12.3in touchscreen with navigation and wireless smartphone mirroring, keyless start, Smart Cruise Control with stop and go, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Highway Driving Assist.
- Diesel
- £43,725
- Hybrid
- £44,705
- Plug-In Hybrid
- £48,425
Evolve
Adds low beam assist and sequential indicators, a 12.3in driver display, a 12-speaker Bose system, a 360° surround view monitor, a height-adjustable powered tailgate, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting and electric lumbar support.
- Diesel
- £48,375
- Hybrid
- £48,935
- Plug-In Hybrid
- £52,655
Aspire
Adds a panoramic sunroof with electric blinds, black Nappa leather, ventilated front seats, a head-up display, an electronic rear view mirror, the Kia Digital Key, fingerprint recognition and Remote Smart Park Assist.
- Diesel
- £52,875
- Hybrid
- £53,435
- Plug-In Hybrid
- £57,155
Every price above is on the road: it includes the first year's VED, the £55 first registration fee and £775 delivery. Premium paint is £700 and White Pearl is the only colour that does not carry it. Insurance groups run 31D, 32D and 33D on the diesel, 26E, 27E and 29A on the hybrid and 34A, 36A and 36A on the plug-in. Kia notes that the Expensive Car Supplement applies to any model over £40,000 P11D, and the lowest Sorento P11D is £42,260. Warranty is seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, and covers the high-voltage battery on the hybrid and plug-in; Kia's minimum battery capacity term is 84 months on the plug-in. Ring us for a quote on any of the nine derivatives.
Get into a Sorento
Tell us which powertrain you want and which of the three grades, and we'll price it properly with your part exchange in it. If you tow, say so and say how much — it decides the engine. Then we deliver nationwide.
Selling cars since 1917