2024 Kia Sorento PHEV review: seven seater's real EV range and how it compares to the Hyundai Santa Fe
A major update to the fourth-generation Kia Sorento SUV for 2024 has refreshed the four-year-old model to extend its appeal and bring the design in line with the brand’s flagship model, the all-electric EV9. The result is a striking, well-equipped and practical slab of a seven-seater SUV, with three engine options and the same number of trim levels.
I tested the top-specification ‘4’, with the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power plant capable of a theoretical 34-miles of EV-only driving. Also available with a diesel or hybrid (HEV) set-up, the PHEV seeks to deliver a best of both worlds balance of all-electric efficiency at low speed, whilst eliminating range anxiety for longer journeys. Add to that low C02 emissions and an EV-only range that see it in the 12 per cent Benefit in Kind tax bracket and the Sorento starts to shape up as a compelling proposition for company car buyers, in particular.
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Hide AdTax benefits are less compelling for private buyers. While low emissions mean a first year ‘showroom’ tax rate of just £10, with standard vehicle excise duty of £190 applied thereafter, the £55,995 list price of our PHEV model means it’s also subject to the £410 per year ‘luxury car tax’ over and above the standard rates, for the first five years of ownership. This rate will increase to £425 from April 2025.
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Not a low-cost offering then, but with a huge amount of space, both for passengers and luggage, and a long list of options, it’s a hugely attractive package. A glance at the competition will show that new, sub-£40,000 7-seat options are few and far between, anyway. Lower spec Volkswagen Touran or Skoda Kodiaq’s fit the bill as do non hybrid versions of the Peugeot 5008 and the budget Dacia Jogger, but the Sorento is all-wheel drive as standard and a PHEV. Of course, there’s also all the money you’ll save in the long-run on fuel once you get into the calculus of the 34-mile EV-only range.
There is a 34-mile EV-only range, right?
This is where it does start to get a little bit complicated - to the point where I actually contacted Kia Europe during my loan, in order to clarify how it is the system actually works. The Sorento features three drive modes, Eco, Hybrid and Sport. In Eco mode, the car will primarily rely on battery power, shifting to Hybrid mode for periods of higher strain, or low power. In Hybrid mode, the car will intelligently decide which kind of power to use based on the situation, whilst in Sport mode, the car engages the engine more readily to prioritise high performance.
In addition to driving conditions and style, the other factor considered is state of charge (SOC). If the battery drops below a certain level, then EV-only driving will cease to be available and the car will remain in hybrid mode. This can be as high as 40-50% of charge, depending on factors like driving conditions, climate control etc. This means that, in practice, even hitting the ‘EV mode’ toggle in the centre console is no guarantee of close to 34 miles of continuous EV driving. The likelihood is that on any journey close to that distance, EV-only driving will be disabled long before the thirty mile mark. The best I achieved was 18-miles of EV-only driving before EV driving became unavailable.
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Hide AdKia Sorento PHEV '4'
Price: £55,995 (BiK 12%)
Power: 248bhp
Battery: 13.8kWh
Acceleration:0-62mph in 8.8 seconds
Fuel consumption: 176.6 MPG (WLTP)
Emissions: 37g/km C02
Seats: 7
Better to stay in Eco or Hybrid mode and let the computer do the work, rather than trying to ‘run it as an EV’ for 34-miles as I did during part of my test. Do that and you can average combined miles per gallon of 176.6 (WLTP), provided you regularly top up the battery by plugging it in at a changing point. If you want a seven-seat EV, in the EV9 Kia has a car for that already.
Practicality, equipment and interior
The Sorento majors on interior space. Kia has forgone the fashion in some quarters for an SUV coupe-style sloping rear roof line and, as such, headroom for front and rear passengers is more than comfortable, even in the two very rear seats. Similarly, legroom is excellent and the second, heated, row of seats slide, as well as recline for added comfort.
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The wide rear bench means that three adults can sit comfortably in the back row and, more importantly in the seven-seat market, three children’s front-facing seats can be accommodated side by side. The rearmost seats fold down to the floor to maximise boot capacity when not in use and a re pretty comfortable examples of the breed, although better suited to children due to their position mounted hard against the boot floor with little room for legs.
Accessing the rear most seats is easily done by folding the middle row forward for access. With all seats in use, there was still enough luggage capacity to handle a our weekly shop or, potentially three Ryanair compliant carry-on cases. With the back two seats folded flat the but is a capacious 809-litres in the PHEV model, giving up four litres of space versus the HEV and Diesel variants.
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Hide AdUp in the front, the driver enjoys a high viewpoint and our top of the range model featured fully adjustable seats with a memory function. The black Nappa leather seats in our ‘4’ model have something called Smart Support, which made me doubt my sanity on one long drive. When active it will automatically adjust things like lumbar support on the move, depending on your speed, style of driving and whether the onboard assistant thinks you are fatigued or paying attention. Out of the blue our test car started doing this three days in and I told off my poor children for kicking the back of the seat several times, convinced they were gaslighting me until I cottoned onto what was happening.
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The 12.3-inch infotainment and navigation monitor is nicely integrated into the dashboard and the operating system is simple to use, supporting both Android Auto and Apple Carplay wirelessly. Material standards are decent, with high-gloss piano black the finish of choice around the cabin.
Drive, handling and ride
The combination of the 1.6-litre petrol engine and the electric motor provide a maximum output of 248bhp, with a top speed of 113mph and a nought to 62mph time of 8.8 seconds. How that feels in practice depends very much on the selected drive mode, but with foot to the floor it feels gutsy on the motorway, with more than enough power available. The Sorento has a maximum braked trailer weight of 1,010kg, meaning the less powerful diesel version of the car is still the better option for towing.
Given that during most drive modes, the on-board computer is making decisions on the fly about switching between EV and hybrid or petrol driving in order to optimise efficiency, it’s as well that the transition between electric motor and petrol engine is seamless in terms of noise. Only under aggressive acceleration are you really conscious of the engine and generally it's very refined.
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Hide AdThe Sorento’s dimensions are its great advantage in terms of practicality, but size and weight are things you become conscious of at higher speeds. The ride could be more settled and the light steering, which is ideal for navigating towns and cities, doesn't tighten up enough for my liking at pace. Here’s some noticeable body-roll during cornering, although it’s more than acceptable for a car of this size.
Fundamentally, the Sorento is a tall car and the PHEV version has a kerb weight north of two tonnes - it rides and handles accordingly and in line with similar-sized vehicles. Anyone making a transition from a smaller SUV or a traditional saloon or hatchback will notice the difference. Large SUV veterans will find it compares favourably with much of the competition and the mult-link rear suspension does a reasonable job of keeping things as composed as possible.
How does the Kia Sorento compare with the Hyundai Santa Fe?
I’ve referenced a couple of competitor models already and, certainly, competition in the 7-seater segment is particularly strong at the moment. Price-wise, the Peugeot 5008 PHEV and the Hyundai Santa-fe PHEV are probably the closest competitors, but it’s the latter that will draw the most comparisons, given the shared genetic heritage between Hyundai and Kia models.
The new Santa Fe is the more striking appearance wise, although the bold exterior has proven to be a bit marmite. The interior does feel more luxurious than the equivalent Kia trim. Kia famously has a 7-year, 100k miles warranty, while Hyundai opts for 5-year with unlimited miles. Price-wise, the top-spec ‘Caligraphy’ model comes in around £1,000 more than the Sorento ‘4’ I tested. Both cars share a similar 34-mile EV-only range claim.
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Hide AdCompared with the fourth generation Santa Fe, the Sorento is better by almost every measure but, cards on the table, I haven’t yet driven the Fifth generation Hyundai on the road so can’t provide a driving comparison.
From a static reveal, the latest version of the Hyundai is definitely the more modern-looking and luxurious car, but comparing the numbers the Kia appears to still be the clear winner when it comes to practicality. The boot is bigger, 809 - 1988-litres in size depending on the seat configuration for the Kia versus 621 - 1942 for the plug-in version of the Santa Fe and the 176mpg figure beats the Hyundai by 14-miles, meaning it’s kinder on your pocket long-term as well as at the point of purchase.
The Hyundai has appears to have the luxury appeal, but the Sorento looks like it will shape up as the better family workhorse.
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Verdict
Refined, well-equipped and hugely practical, the Sorento is a top option for any large family needing space for passengers without compromising on luggage capacity. Well appointed, with decent build quality, buyers needn’t compromise on comfort either. This PHEV version is a compelling option for company car shoppers in particular and the real-world MPG benefits will save on fuel in the long-term.
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Hide AdKia’s comprehensive facelift of the Sorento model and range has succeeded in extending the appeal and this will remain an appealing option for buyers for some time to come. It’s not cheap, but buyers won’t feel shortchanged given the high quality and strong levels of equipment on offer.
For those in need of the space, the lifestyle benefits of one of the most practical big cars available speak for themselves.
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