Kia Sorento review: Tayside and Fife in updated PHEV version

Looking for a big, capable SUV that can transport seven people and is generously equipped? Then the Kia Sorento may be for you.

For a long time it was Kia’s biggest car, but it’s recently been pipped by the electric EV9, which is even more gigantic – and a lot more expensive.

The Sorento is currently in its fourth generation and earlier this year Kia gave it a mid-life refresh.

I had a good look around the car when it arrived outside my home in Dundee. It’s a smart-looking beastie.

A silver Kia Sorento parked on a gravel patch with warehouses in the background. — The Kia Sorento was refreshed earlier this year. Image: Jack McKeown.

The grille has a new shape and comes with integrated LED headlights.

Interior quality has stepped up, as well, with soft-touch materials, greater use of chrome, and an updated screen and controls inspired by the flagship EV9.

What’s under the bonnet of the new Kia Sorento?

The Sorento is available with a choice of engines.

Despite what you might hear, diesel isn’t dead, and there’s the option of a 190bhp, 2.2 litre unit. This is the one to go for if you regularly tow a trailer or caravan, as it can haul up to 2,500kg.

the car parked in a country layby with a rainbow over fields in the distance — The plug-in hybrid model can do most short journeys on battery power. Image: Kia.

There is a self-charging hybrid with 212bhp. Then there is the plug-in hybrid I spent a week with.

It pairs a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 13.8kWh battery and electric motor. With a combined output of almost 250bhp, it’s the most powerful Sorento and completes the 0-62mph sprint in 8.8 seconds.

the kia sorento seen side on — The Sorento comes with a seven-year warranty. Image: Jack McKeown.

It will also cover up to 34 miles on electric power before the battery has to kick in. I managed to get from Dundee to St Andrews and back on a full battery.

Unlike many manufacturers, Kia keeps its spec levels simple – there are ‘2’, ‘3’, and ‘4’ models.

My top-spec Sorento 4 came with all bells-and-whistles, with leather seats, electric front seats, heated and cooled seats, a heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, self-levelling rear suspension, and enough cameras and sensors to (hopefully) stop you reversing into anything.

Heading to Dunkeld in the Sorento

I loaded some outdoor gear into the Sorento and headed to Dunkeld to hike up Birnam Hill.

It is a big, comfortable, rangy machine. Driven on electric power it’s very quiet indeed. If you run out of battery or ask for full acceleration, the petrol engine flares into life.

It’s a little raspy under full throttle but settles down nicely once you’re up to speed.

The nice thing about a plug-in hybrid – or PHEV – is that you can do all your short trips on electric power but don’t have any range anxiety on long journeys.

the car seen from the front on a winding road through fields — The Kia Sorento is a comfortable cruiser. Image: Kia.

At 70mph on the A9 the Sorento was sitting so comfortably that I was tempted to press on towards Aviemore or Inverness.

It isn’t the last word in sharp handling but few people will be looking to use the Sorento to set a lap record at Knockhill, so that’s not important.

All Sorentos are four-wheel drive. They’re not designed to take you roaming up hillsides but they’re more than adequate for a camping holiday or a winter trip to Glenshee.

Interior space

There’s loads of room in the front and in the middle row. And unlike most cars that are billed as seven-seaters, actual adults can fit in the rearmost seats.

They lift up from the boot floor and are easy to clamber into by sliding the middle row forward.

With all seven seats in place, there’s a small, 175-litre boot space left over. In five-seat configuration, the Sorento has a gargantuan 809-litre boot.

the Sorento's boot — You can carry seven people or five and a lot of gear. Image: Kia.

A large touchscreen swoops around the central console. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, so you can operate your phone on the move.

And all seats have USB ports so people in the back can charge phones and tablets.

One thing Kia needs to get on top of is the amount of bings and bongs its cars emit.

The speed limit warning sounds if you do 21mph in a 20 zone, and often gets the speed limit wrong – beeping when it shouldn’t.

You have to delve four screens deep into the menu to switch it off, and you have to do that every time you start the car.

the interior of the Kia Sorento — The Kia has all the standard equipment you could need. Image: Kia.

Similarly, the dashboard flashes a warning suggesting stopping for a cuppa when the car thinks you’re looking tired.

And the front seat begins giving you a massage at random times of the day. I’m all for massage seats but I’d like to be able to switch them on and off when I choose.

While some cars have you delving into touchscreen menus to operate the heater, the Sorento does at least have physical dials that let you adjust the temperature quickly and without looking away from the road.

Prices and verdict

Kia Sorento prices start at around £40,000 and the top-spec plug-in hybrid model I drove cost £56,000. That’s not exactly bargain basement.

All cars have got more expensive, however, and the Sorento does at least come with an equipment list as long as your arm. And the only other seven-seat Kia, the fully electric EV9, starts at a whopping £65,000.