Professionals: Accessible hybrids; dimensions could also be ‘Goldilocks’ just-right measurement for a lot of; glorious security tech
Cons: Gradual base engine; hybrids don’t get up to date for 2024; cramped third row for a three-row SUV
The Kia Sorento has been up to date extensively for 2024. It additionally carries over largely unchanged. Huh?
You see, the variations powered solely by gasoline get a litany of updates and upgrades, together with bolder styling, a brand new tech interface encased inside a slick curved housing, further options and a brand new X-Professional rugged trim stage. The 2024 Kia Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid don’t get any of that, and are the identical midsize, three-row SUV you can get final mannequin 12 months. They’ll be getting the identical updates, minus the X-Professional, for 2025.
So, the query have to be requested: Must you await them? After spending time within the new Sorento X-Professional in addition to seeing different variations in individual, we will not say it is a substantial leap over what was already fairly nice. It is largely aesthetic modifications, and it is fairly attainable that some could discover the brand new inside controls and infotainment system much less user-friendly. There additionally aren’t any noteworthy mechanical updates, other than the off-road-oriented X-Professional, so the remainder of the 2024 Sorento lineup ought to theoretically drive the identical. The hybrids will drive precisely the identical, which is simply tremendous.
Finally, we really feel protected in saying that the 2024 Kia Sorento stays certainly one of our top-recommended three-row SUVs. We’re optimistic concerning the hybrids, particularly as electrified household automobiles are so uncommon. We admire each Sorento’s in-betweener measurement for individuals who want more room and seating than two-row compacts provide however don’t wish to go all the way in which as much as Telluride-sized household haulers. Basically, the Sorento may be very well-rounded, which the updates shouldn’t change … no matter once they happen.
Inside & Expertise | Passenger & Cargo House | Efficiency & Gas Financial system
What it is wish to drive | Pricing & Trim Ranges | Crash Rankings & Security Options
2024 Kia Sorento X-Professional and 2024 Kia Sorento PHEV
What’s new for 2024?
The gas-only Sorento trims get new entrance styling and mildly refreshed rear styling. We’re unsure it is an enchancment, might truly be a bit ugly now. Inside, there’s a brand new infotainment system with a next-generation consumer interface, greater screens encased in a single curved housing and wi-fi Apple/Android connectivity throughout the board. Kia’s dual-mode local weather/infotainment management panel beforehand discovered within the EV6 and Niro make their manner into the Sorento, which might not be to everybody’s liking. A brand new X-Professional trim stage debuts, constructing upon the prevailing X-Line with BF Goodrich all-terrain tires wrapping 17-inch wheels. You may learn extra about these modifications in our 2024 Kia Sorento preview, and skim our first drive of the 2024 Sorento X-Professional.
The Sorento Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid successfully carry over unchanged for 2024, however will get the above type and infotainment updates for 2025. You may see the visible modifications above.
What are the Sorento inside and in-car expertise like?
As famous above, the inside differs primarily based on powertrain. The up to date design (above in tan) is sleeker, with slim door-to-door air vents, touch-sensitive menu buttons and a wow-moment curved infotainment panel. The hybrids’ carry-over design (above in white and blue) options eight air vents, bodily buttons, a conventional instrument binnacle and dash-top display screen. It undoubtedly doesn’t look nearly as good, however we additionally thought it appeared fairly good earlier than and nonetheless do. These touch-sensitive menu buttons are additionally a love-‘em-or-hate-‘em characteristic in different Kias (the hate-‘em group appears to be individuals who continuously modify the local weather management system), so relying in your viewpoint, performance might truly be worse. The Sorento’s high-quality supplies and strong construct high quality are the identical with each, although.
Expertise is completely totally different. All hybrid trims get a ten.25-inch infotainment display screen that runs a user-friendly, feature-packed interface that’s extra fashionable than lots of different carmakers’ infotainment methods. The brand new 12.3-inch touchscreen interface discovered within the up to date gas-only variations incorporates a totally different consumer interface, and in sure methods, we expect it could be a step again by way of performance. There is no option to see audio info within the split-screen operate when utilizing navigation, and when utilizing the radio, you possibly can now not see your favourite/preset buttons and the present music enjoying (as you possibly can see the outdated/hybrid system might within the photograph under). The radio menu shortcut button can also be gone altogether, that means it’s important to press “Media” a bunch of instances to get the place you wish to go. We do like that each have a customizable star button, which we wish to set for fast entry to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
The Hybrid will get conventional gauges customary on the EX and an all-digital instrument panel on the SX. Within the new design, a second 12.3-inch display screen is used for the instrument panel, however designs differ by trim stage. The SX Status pictured within the gallery above affords a number of design selections, which might be tied to drive mode or individually chosen.
How huge is the Sorento?
The Sorento has three rows of seats and is taken into account a midsize crossover, nevertheless it’s significantly smaller than different automobiles described as such. It is 8 inches shorter in size than the Telluride and 4 inches narrower, which is important. It additionally has practically 2 fewer inches of third-row legroom (plus a seat that is a lot nearer to the ground and subsequently much less snug) and three.1 fewer inches of middle-row shoulder room. These are two dimensions probably to make a distinction when loading up with folks. All that mentioned, the Telluride is among the largest automobiles within the section, and the Sorento is not that far off the tempo. It might not be as spacious or snug again there, however the seats are hardly packed tight, and for those who’re on the small facet, journeys will not be as tortuous as you would possibly assume. It is also essential to notice the Sorento has mainly the identical exterior dimensions as two-row midsize crossovers – in that manner, the third row can mainly be considered a bonus characteristic for infrequent use.
One different factor to remember: A second-row bench seat is non-obligatory on most trims, that means there may be continuously solely six seats aboard with the second-row captain’s chairs and two-person third row. Most three-row crossovers nowadays have seatbelts for seven or eight relying on the center seating row. Entry to that third row may be higher because the second row simply would not go away a lot of a spot when slid ahead (pictured under).
Cargo house with the third row lowered (38.4 cubic ft) and all seats lowered (75.5) is best than what you may get in most two-row midsize SUVs (and a bit higher than what you get in a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4). The place it actually suffers relative different three-row crossovers is cargo house behind the raised third row. Its mere 12.6 cubic ft trails all these greater three-rows significantly, and by way of precise baggage, might barely match two carry-on curler suitcases in our testing. As such, utilizing all three rows is one thing that is unlikely to be finished for prolonged journeys, except your loved ones packs actually mild or invests in a roof-top service. If that funding appears possible, know that the X-Line has raised roof rails (pictured under) that usually make doing so lots simpler.
What are the Sorento gasoline economic system and efficiency specs?
The 2024 Sorento LX and S trim ranges come customary with a 2.5-liter inline-four that produces 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. A standard eight-speed computerized and front-wheel drive are customary, with all-wheel drive an choice. Though engine output is much like what you’d discover in a CR-V or RAV4, the Sorento’s better weight ends in slower acceleration – Kia says this engine will get the Sorento from 0-62 mph (100 kph) in 9.5 seconds. Kia estimates gasoline economic system of 23 mpg metropolis, 31 mpg freeway and 26 mpg mixed with FWD and 23/28/25 with AWD.
All different trims get a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque – an output that exceeds that of larger three-row SUVs. Its 0-62 time is 7.4 seconds, which is extra aggressive, however hardly eye-popping given the obtainable energy and the way fast it instantly feels off the road. A whole lot of credit score goes to all that torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automated handbook transmission that for all intents and functions behaves like several outdated computerized. Kia estimates gasoline ecinomy figures of 20 mpg metropolis, 29 mpg freeway and 23 mpg mixed with FWD and 20/27/23 with AWD.
The usual Sorento Hybrid incorporates a mixture of a 1.6-liter inline-four and a single electrical motor for a mixed output of 227 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Not like most different hybrids, it depends on a conventional six-speed computerized transmission leading to it feeling a bit extra regular behind the wheel. Its 0-62 time falls in between the 2 above engines at 8.6 seconds. EPA gasoline economic system estimates for 2024 are 39 mpg metropolis, 35 mpg freeway and 37 mpg mixed with FWD and 36/33/34 with AWD.
The 2024 Sorento PHEV is a plug-in hybrid (under in white) that makes use of the identical gasoline engine however will get a extra highly effective electrical motor and a much bigger battery that, because the title suggests, might be replenished by plugging in. Output is 261 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It may journey an EPA-estimated 32 miles on electrical energy alone, which is nice for such a big PHEV. It will get a ranking of 79 miles-per-gallon equal from the EPA. Its acceleration needs to be the identical because the common hybrid.
What is the Sorento wish to drive?
Though we now have but to drive the gas-only 2024 Sorento fashions in something however the brand new X-Professional trim, that is actually the one model that needs to be totally different from final 12 months’s mannequin. As such, look forward to finding the Sorento drives like a smaller automobile when behind the wheel than a Telluride or different three-row crossovers. On the similar time, it feels a little bit extra substantial and premium, so to talk, than compact SUVs just like the Hyundai Tucson or Toyota RAV4 would. That mentioned, the trip and dealing with do differ by the model you get, particularly the extra off-road-oriented ones. The X-Strains have better floor clearance and subsequently a taller suspension you undoubtedly discover, because it feels a little bit ponderous and extra liable to physique roll. As for the brand new X-Professional, you do discover the more durable rubber and knobbier tread sample, leading to firmer responses to bumps and an occasional nervous trip high quality on sure forms of seemingly clean pavement. Street-holding grip and braking distances also needs to undergo with these tires, so we might undoubtedly assume twice about getting the X-Professional as an alternative of the X-Line. In fact, there’s nothing that claims you possibly can’t swap all-seasons onto an X-Professional … or all-terrains onto an X-Line.
Finally, the largest distinction will stay your alternative of powertrain. Anticipate the bottom engine to be awfully sluggish (we are saying “count on” as a result of we’ve by no means examined one), whereas the turbo showcases severe guts. Its 281 hp and 311 lb-ft is an terrible lot to feed by means of the entrance wheels alone, and never surprisingly, the front-wheel-drive Sorento EX we examined demonstrated loads of torque steer when accelerating onerous from a cease or powering out of a nook. You will additionally find yourself interacting with the steadiness management system extra usually, particularly on slippery surfaces. The obtainable all-wheel-drive system ends in the turbo Sorento feeling much less frenetic off the road and considerably extra assured in slippery circumstances. The Sorento’s dual-clutch automated handbook transmission is an atypical alternative for a household SUV and customarily behaves like a standard computerized, although you might discover it rolls again barely on inclines earlier than shortly partaking as an adept driver of a handbook transmission would possibly. Till that occurred to us, we had spent per week completely forgetting the Sorento had a DCT.
The hybrid is arguably a more sensible choice – even for those who’ll need to reside with final 12 months’s design and tech (and we’re actually unsure that is a foul factor). It doesn’t have the outright grunt of the non-hybrid turbo engine, however its 227 horsepower and 258 pound-feet aren’t any slouch. And having each an electrical motor and turbocharger, it affords a lot of that torque low within the rev band, making for straightforward acceleration. It additionally incorporates a six-speed computerized as an alternative of a DCT. The result’s a lot smoother shifts and fewer of them, although it’s sluggish to make modifications. And naturally, the hybrid will get significantly higher gasoline economic system than the gas-only Sorentos.
The Plug-In Hybrid successfully affords the very same expertise as soon as its 32 miles of electrical vary are exhausted. Whereas that is round, although, it could possibly present the quiet and punchy acceleration of an electrical automotive. Should you can hold it plugged in at night time and have a round-trip commute inside its vary, this needs to be the way you’ll expertise the PHEV more often than not. There are two issues to remember. First, it nonetheless has a six-speed computerized, that means you’ll expertise gear modifications when in electric-only mode. That’ll really feel completely regular for these coming from a gas-powered automotive, and completely weird ought to you might have expertise with a full EV. Second, the gasoline engine will kick on mechanically must you want stronger acceleration.
What different Kia Sorento opinions can I learn?
2024 Kia Sorento X-Professional First Drive Evaluate: Up to date midsizer will get harder and techier
This family-friendly three-row SUV will get off-road updates that do not punish the trip.
2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Street Check Evaluate
We had been very a lot impressed by the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid however lamented that it was nearly unattainable to get again in September 2022. These availability issues have since been alleviated to some extent.
Kia Sorento Baggage Check
Because it’s one of many smallest three-row SUVs, it should not be shocking that the Sorento has one of many smallest cargo areas behind its raised third row. We take a look at how a lot you possibly can match with all seats raised, plus how a lot is feasible for those who simply put one facet of the 50/50-split third-row down.
2021 Kia Sorento SX Status X-Line Street Check
We evaluate the X-Line model of the range-topping SX Status. It seems to be totally different, nevertheless it ought to drive the identical because the up to date 2024 model.
2021 Kia Sorento First Drive Evaluate
Learn extra about this era of the Sorento, together with its engineering and design relative the earlier model.
What’s the 2024 Sorento worth and the place is it constructed?
The Sorento hybrids are inbuilt Hwasung, South Korea, whereas the gas-only Sorento fashions are inbuilt West Level, Georgia. This has all the time been the case; it has nothing to do with the mannequin 12 months changeover.
Full pricing for the 2024 Sorento lineup follows. Costs under embrace the $1,375 vacation spot cost.
LX FWD: $33,365S FWD: $35,765S AWD: $37,765EX FWD: $39,365EX X-Line AWD: $43,065SX FWD: $43,065SX X-Line AWD: $44,865SX Status X-Line AWD: $47,765SX Status X-Professional AWD: $48,765
Hybrid EX FWD: $38,015Hybrid EX AWD: $40,315Hybrid SX Status AWD: $43,815
PHEV SX Status AWD: $51,315
Moreover the powertrain choices and the same old ladder-like escalation of kit with every trim stage, there are some basic variations to pay attention to. As the worth and title would suggest, the SX Status could be the luxury-oriented trim. The X-Line is the outdoorsy journey alternative, boasting an additional inch of floor clearance, extra versatile raised roof rails and extra rugged styling cues. The brand new X-Professional goes additional by including BFGoodrich all-terrain tires wrapping 17-inch wheels.
What are the Sorento security rankings and driver help options?
The Sorento not solely comes with lots of driver help methods, however they’re among the many best-executed within the business. These embrace ahead collision warning with computerized emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane-keeping help, a driver inattention warning system and a rear occupant alert system. All however the LX additionally get blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, rear parking sensors and Secure Exit Help (warns rear seat occupants of visitors approaching from behind). The ahead collision warning system within the EX and SX trims can detect cyclists and ahead cross visitors. Adaptive cruise management with stop-and-go functionality and lane-centering steering help is included within the S, EX, all hybrids and the PHEVs. The gas-only SX and SX Status get a more recent, upgraded adaptive cruise management system that adjusts its acceleration tendencies primarily based on observing the driving force.
The Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security had solely partially examined the gas-only 2024 Sorento on the time of this writing. It obtained a best-possible “Good” within the three checks it was subjected to. It was beforehand a High Security Choose with equally sturdy crash rankings in further checks. Its accident avoidance tech additionally obtained prime marks. It is onerous to see this altering with the updates. The brand new front-end redesign might change the headlight scores, although, which had been “Good” for the SX and SX Status and “Poor” for every part else. In NHTSA crash testing, the Sorento Hybrid acquired a four-star total ranking out of 5 with a four-star frontal and five-star facet ranking.