The Sorento hybrid is the pick of the Sorento range, we think. It is pleasantly powerful, beyond an initial delay off the line, and returned 28 mpg overall—impressive for a three-row SUV but still lags the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, let alone the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The plug-in hybrid has a 32 miles of electric range if using a light foot.
The non-hybrid's standard 191-hp, four-cylinder engine is neither energetic nor quiet. But the nearly $39,000 midlevel EX AWD trim we tested has a 281-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder—which essentially replaces the previous V6—with lots of oomph. With that engine, it returned an impressive 25 mpg overall. The EX comes mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that transmits vibrations when creeping along in stop-and-go traffic, but shifts smoothly and quickly at speed. The turbo-four enables the Sorento to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds, which is about 1.5 seconds quicker than its predecessor managed with the V6—impressive stuff.
The Hybrid's ride is noticeably calmer and absorbs bumps in a gentler way than the regular version. The standard Sorento’s ride is stiff and jumpy, with pronounced impacts from bumps transmitted into the cabin over rough pavement, a sharp contrast to the comfortable ride of the previous model.
Handling is responsive, the suspension doing a nice good job controlling body roll through corners, but the steering is light and rather dull. Dimensions that position the Sorento between midsized and compact SUVs make it maneuverable and easy to park.
The Hybrid’s cabin is quiet, benefitting from its initial electric drive and the 1.6-liter turbo rarely needs to rev high, thanks to its ample power. The other Sorento models remain reasonably quiet, too. And with the turbo four-cylinder, there isn’t a need to rev the engine much because it has abundant and readily-accessible low-end power. The non-turbo four-cylinder that comes on the lower trims exhibits considerably more engine noise.
All versions of the Sorento have wide and supportive front seats, suiting many body types. Higher trims get comfy second-row captain’s chairs, which have a neat folding mechanism that makes for easier access to the third row, but this essentially makes the Sorento a four-seat SUV because the third-row is too cramped for adults.
Controls are easy to use and the infotainment system is mostly user friendly. But, like other recent Kia models, the split-use climate/media touchscreen-panel below the infotainment display is frustrating to use while driving. It requires toggling back and forth between the climate and media systems, which is annoying.
Fit and finish is decent but we found it a bit bland in terms of cabin ambience, given the relatively high price of our tested EX.
Standard active safety and driver assist features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, lane centering assistance, adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning.