Kia Sorento Review 2024

The Kia Sorento's named after one of Italy's pricier – and slightly misspelled – holiday destinations. And, in 2024, it remains one of the most expensive cars Kia sells. But you're getting plenty for your money – it's a long seven-seat family SUV, measuring in at 4.82 metres in length and inside it's more high-tech than ever.

This Korean-built SUV goes up against other mid-priced seven-seaters, such as the all-new Skoda Kodiaq – which costs a fair bit less than the Kia – the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace and the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Unlike all those rivals, the Kia offers a full-hybrid option, alongside a trusty diesel version.

Step out of the 2020-2023 Sorento and into the facelifted 2024 model that we've tested, and it's clear Kia has turned things up a notch in terms of premium feel and high-tech ambience. As well as redesigned air vents and a general tidying up of the dashboard, all Sorentos now get a large 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring – for the first time in a Kia – wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That screen rubs shoulders with an identically sized digital driver's display, giving clear and bright access to your mpg, speed, revs and battery charge in hybrid models. It's worth noting that entry-level 2 models get a small four-inch dash screen instead.

Standard kit is pretty generous in the Sorento. All models get a reversing camera, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, while mid-spec 3 models get a 360-camera system, leather seats, a wireless phone charger, ambient cabin lighting and a delightfully rumbletastic 12-speaker Bose sound system. Top-spec 4 models get posher nappa leather seats, a digital rear-view mirror, a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, fingerprint recognition and – least importantly – an electrically adjustable steering column. Because using your arms to adjust a steering wheel is so 2023.

You won't be disappointed if you pick the Sorento as your next family car because it scores so well for practicality… so long as you don't use all seven seats. With all seven seats in play there's a pretty measly 187-litre space in the boot for luggage, but things get much better in five-seat mode, where you'll struggle to fill the 616-litre space.

Space for humans is mostly good, too. The second-row seats are plenty roomy for tall adults, and the third row isn't too cramped for small adults or kids. It's worth noting the Sorento is one of the only plug-in hybrids available with seven seats. The Skoda Kodiaq has a much longer electric-only range – 75 miles on a charge vs the Sorento's 32 – but it's only available with five seats if you choose the plug-in.

Perhaps the most forgettable part of the Sorento is how it drives. It's comfortable enough, refined enough and reasonably economical – we averaged 37mpg with the somewhat dated 2.2-litre diesel engine. It doesn't feel sporty – but as we always say, family SUVs don't need to drive like F1 cars. The hybrid and PHEV models work well enough, giving you a blend of electric driving with the backup of a 1.6-litre petrol engine.

As with any Kia, one of the main reasons to recommend the Sorento is its seven-year warranty and the delightfully simple spec list without any optional extras. Just choose a 2, 3 or 4 model and be on your way – our pick is the mid-spec 3.

The Sorento's cabin might not have the sheer 'wow' factor of the latest Skoda Kodiaq's 13-inch infotainment screen and wool upholstery options but, for what's quite an old car underneath, the Sorento still impresses. Updated 2024 models may look subtle on the inside but, compared to the pre-facelift model, it's much neater with fewer obvious air vents, and a cleaner integration of the large 12.3-inch infotainment screen.

The infotainment system itself may not be that different from the one in pre-facelift Sorentos, but the big improvement is the inclusion of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – previously, you had to plug in to use these smartphone mirroring systems. The screen is bright and responsive otherwise, and the built-in Kia software is logical and easy to use.

The Sorento now gets the climate control panel from the latest Sportage, so you get proper knobs for adjusting the temperature, but the panel of shortcut buttons itself is digital and can be switched to control the infotainment system. This means you still have to take your eyes off the road to check whether you're about to chill your knees or retune the radio… which is suboptimal.

It feels as if Kia's desperate to get you to pay the £4,000 required to step up from an entry-level Sorento 2 model to a 3, so the 3 is bestowed with tonnes of extra tech to justify the extra cost. 

For a start, the 3 gets a 12-speaker Bose sound system, which has impressive bass response and goes loud enough to upset even those in the third-row of seats. If you want wireless charging, you'll also want a 3 model – the same goes for leather seats, the 360-degree parking camera and ambient lighting. That all said, we wouldn't bother spending another £4,000 to go up another level to a 4 model – the nappa leather seats feel a tiny bit posher than those in a 3 Sorento, but the head-up display and sunroof are nice-to-haves, rather than must-haves.

The facelift also introduced fingerprint recognition and a digital key – both only available on 4 models. These features let you unlock and start the Sorento with either your phone or your fingerprint.

The Sorento's long been a left-field family favourite, and it's easy to see why. Its cabin is spacious and airy with plenty of storage spaces and – crucially – USB-C ports for nearly every passenger, so even those consigned to the third row of seats can charge their phones.

Front-seat passengers, meanwhile, are treated to well-designed cupholders, a deep storage box under the central armrest and reasonably sized door bins that can hold large bottles of water. They're not felt lined, so loose Maltesers will rattle around until they chemically bond with the door plastics. Thankfully, the glovebox is lined with soft stuff, so your locking wheelnut key won't drive you… spare.

Your middle-seat passengers are treated with traditional Korean hospitality, too – albeit in terms of generous space as opposed to vats of fried chicken. Headroom, legroom and foot room are all good, and the seats slide and recline, too. There's not much of a hump in the middle of the floor either, so there's limited opportunity for games of footsy if you use all three middle seats. A 12-volt socket is on hand, and there is a USB-C socket in the back of each of the front seats. Kia's thoughtfully put a full-sized cupholder in the armrests on each of the rear doors too. 

The Sorento's rearmost seats are accessed by pressing a button on the shoulder of the middle seats, which then slide and rotate forwards. Getting into the back isn't too much of a contortion exercise even for tall adults, but there's limited headroom and kneeroom for most adults. Children will fit fine and the Sorento scores points for featuring Isofix points on both third-row seats – making it one of very few cars on sale to do so. The right-hand passenger has an air-con control knob for the third-row passengers, and each side has a USB-C point.

It might be named for a place of sun, sea and summer bodies, but Kia's version of the Sorento is happy driving like a gentle stroll after some excessively creamy holiday carb-loading. It's a relaxing car to drive, and it doesn't have a sporty bone in its body. The suspension is slightly softer than in the latest Skoda Kodiaq, so it does ride relatively serenely, although it can still get jiggly at lower speeds.

The steering's pretty light, and you sit up nice and high for a decent view over a long bonnet. For urban driving the 3 model's 360-degree camera is a bit of a godsend, especially considering how far away the rear window seems when you're looking back over your shoulder. 

At motorway speeds, the cabin is pretty quiet and refined, though there's a little bit of wind noise over the large, clear door mirrors.

All Sorento models get an automatic gearbox, and – again – it doesn't like rushing. It largely does the right thing at the right time, but can occasionally leave you in the lurch when trying to make a brisk entrance to a roundabout. 

You have to applaud Kia for giving us a diesel option in 2024, albeit a 2.2-litre diesel that's neither as smooth, quiet, economical or punchy as the 2.0-litre options in the Kodiaq. The Kia's is rated at 190hp, and it feels perfectly up to the task in terms of performance thanks to 440Nm of torque – we just wished it was capable of more than a 43mpg average. It can tow up to 2,500kg on a braked trailer, which makes it a solid choice for caravan lovers.

If you're after a petrol Sorento, you'll have to plump for either the full-hybrid or plug-in-hybrid options. The hybrid uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor which combine to give you 212hp – it's efficient around town, but we've seen motorway averages of just 30mpg, which isn't great.

The 248hp plug-in hybrid option uses the same 1.6-litre petrol engine, paired with a more powerful electric motor and bigger 13.8kWh battery. It can travel for about 25 miles on a charge in the real world, which is now some way off the pace of the latest-generation Volkswagen Group hybrids, such as the Tiguan and Kodiaq which can travel more than 50 miles on EV power alone.