Kia Sorento First Drive Review: Hybrid, Diesel, AWD - The Ideal All-Rounder?

When you think about it, the 25 to 50 lakh rupees segment has very limited options. You either have the entry compact luxury SUV, hybrid MPV or three row petrol powered SUVs. Nothing that is an all rounder. Well, the aims to change that with the new Sorento. Globally, the Sorento is in its fourth generation with the current generation on sale from 2020 with the facelift arriving in 2023. Kia is convinced that there is a market gap it can address. The conviction is strong enough for the automaker to locally manufacture the Sorento, even as its competition is locally assembled in India.

And it's not hedging its bets on the powertrain, either. You can have the Sorento with a 2.2-litre diesel or a 1.6-litre turbo petrol hybrid, and you can pair either one with six or seven seats, depending on the trim you pick. That's a lot of choice for one nameplate.

Kia Sorento Review: Design 

Let's start outside, because the Sorento is a big car and it carries that size in a fairly understated way. It measures 4.8 metres in length with a wheelbase of over 2.8 metres, 1.9 metres in width, and nearly 1.8 metres in height. It’s hard to miss one on the road. Those numbers put it firmly in full-size three-row territory, yet the shape is clean and upright rather than bulky.

Up front, Kia calls it the Digital Tiger Face. What you see is a wide grille flanked by vertical lamp clusters, and the top-spec cars use LED projection headlamps with a thin light signature running across the nose. At the back, the tail lamps are vertical units that Kia calls Starmap LEDs.

The wheels are 19-inch crystal-cut alloys on the HTK trim and above. Step down to the base HTE and HTE (O) trims and you get 18-inchers instead. You get eight colour options and two interior colour choices, depending on the variant, and the Black Line edition is specific to India.

Kia Sorento Review: Cabin

The cabin is a nice and comfortable space in the Sorento.You have a nice commanding view of the road, a head up display for company and the front seats are ten way adjustable. That's fantastic. In fact, the driver's seat gets something called the Ergo Motion feature, which is a fancy way of saying massaging function. And honestly, it is a nice place to be in ventilated seeds again. So overall the comfort factor is very much there.

You also like the fact that it has a nice mix of functionality and tech curve screen right there, 12.3in each and very good in terms of what it offers. Nice and readable, very easy and very intuitive to use. All of that feels fantastic. And you also get, of course, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and you also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Not just that, you have a digital IRVM. There is a camera at the back that will relay information here, and a good mix of digital buttons as well as physical buttons. I think that is what I like the most.

The curved display, with the 12.3-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch instrument cluster starts from the HTK trim. The head-up display, the digital rear-view mirror and the driver's memory seat come with the top HTX trim.

The HTX also gets the Kia AI Assistant, which the automaker describes as a real-time generative AI voice assistant. The automaker has partnered with perplexity for the same and can handle complex tasks beyond the usual set of commands. Our test cars weren’t able to connect with the server to try out this feature, so we will share our opinion on this aspect once we have the Sorento for longer.

Kia Sorento Review: Second Row 

The second row experience in the Sorento is actually quite nice.Legroom is not a problem, headroom is great and in the captain seats you also get these winged headrests so more support around the neck. What I also like is the fact that I get ventilated seats in the second row. And the fact that it gets a boss mode two so more legroom is hardly a problem. But more than that, I think the sense of space is very nice. Massive panoramic sunroof quality levels are fantastic and overall this is a lovely cabin to be in. The one caveat is the under thigh support, which could be better for taller passengers. The hybrid also gets a few extras, including a 220-volt outlet. Kia calls this the first vehicle-to-load system in the category, which means you can power a laptop or small appliance from the car.

Kia Sorento Review: Third Row 

You can actually walk into the third row, or use the one-button function to push the seat forward, and then make way into the third row. The space, however, is negligible. It’s best for kids or pets who can fit here, and under-thigh support is zero for adults. I will absolutely not fit here. That being said, you do get a blower, you get a USB charging port, a section for your phone, and even a cup holder as well as an adjustable headrest. So, for short journeys you could squeeze someone here, depending on how much you dislike them. 

Kia Sorento Review: Boot Space

Kia quotes 813 litres of boot space with the second row in place. With all seven seats occupied, you're looking at a modest amount of space at 179 litres for luggage, so family road trips with a full load will need some planning.

Kia Sorento Review: Turbo Hybrid Engine 

The 1.6-litre turbo petrol makes 178 bhp and 265 Nm of torque. It’s supported by an electric motor that adds an extra 264 Nm and 64 bhp. The hybrid powertrain is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission with 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive configurations.

This is India's first turbo hybrid and it is a powerful motor. 264 Nm available from the electric motor alone, and it’s quick off the line. What really impresses you is just how silent it gets in the city at low speeds. So you really do not know that a big engine is at play under that bonnet. Give it the beans around a faster road or twisties and you will just see how powerful it is. What really works is that for a lot of markets, especially in Delhi-NCR, this would be the ideal choice over the diesel. In those markets the hybrid will work the best. At the same time, the hybrid does not compromise on performance. Power delivery is quick, linear, and the mid-range is superb. You can easily sit between 90-100 kmph, and the engine can handle it all. It is not overly aggressive, but you will enjoy the power delivery.

Kia Sorento Review: Turbo Hybrid Fuel Efficiency 

Fuel economy is a real question for any hybrid buyer, and Kia claims 17.70 kmpl on the 4-wheel drive version, and 19.60 kmpl on the 2-wheel drive version with the hybrid powertrain. We were driving the AWD version, and saw up to 12 kmpl on the SUV’s MID unit. A longer stretch of driving should give us a fair idea of what the real-world efficiency looks like on the turbo-hybrid. 

Kia Sorento Review: Ride Quality & Handling

The ride quality is slightly on the stiffer side. You will feel that stiffness when you are going through bad patches of roads at low speeds. But once it builds speeds, it has a very planted feel. The SUV just settles in very well and there is very little to complain about on that front. What I really like is just how communicative it gets. And yes, for the second row two, I think it will be a very comfortable cabin to be in.

This is a large SUV, and despite that I think it handles very well. You do forget some of its length when you are behind the wheel, and that is a very nice thing to see. What I also like is the steering feedback. Body roll is well contained and this one actually handles beautifully. The monocoque chassis does a good job when it comes to overall performance and handling.

Sure, it's not as responsive as the Tayron. But the handling is mostly positive, The hardware backs that up. Up front it's a MacPherson strut setup, and at the rear there's an independent multi-link arrangement. That rear layout is something you don't always see at this end of the segment, and it tends to help with both ride and stability. Brakes are discs on all four wheels and they have a planted feel when you hit the pedal.

Kia Sorento Review: Diesel Engine

Compared to the turbo hybrid available, the diesel is a very different experience. Distinct clatter right from the start and hardly something to complain about. There is ample torque available for 442 Nm with 190 bhp on offer, and this is your de facto option if you want something tried and tested. It will work fabulously, and it really makes the Sorento a great mile muncher. You can sit at 100 kmph just under 2000 rpm right up in the eighth gear, and it is a refined experience.

You also get four driving modes, one more compared to the turbo hybrid. So there is eco, normal, sport and smart and that's pretty much the bigger give away about this is a different cabin compared to the turbo hybrid. You do have the EV version and the tachometer on the right side. Over here on the diesel, you just get the tachometer. Those are the little differences in terms of equipment on the hybrid and diesel, but the experience inside the cabin remains very much the same. The ride quality too is very identical.

Kia Sorento Review: Diesel Fuel Efficiency

Kia claims a fuel efficiency of 15.79 kmpl on the Sorento diesel 4WD and 17.66 kmpl on the 2-wheel drive version. We mostly saw single digit figures on the MID at around 9 kmpl in our relatively short drive. Peak torque is available between 1750 and 2750 rpm on the diesel, and the wide, early torque band is what makes it feel relaxed on the highway and efficient too. The 8-speed dual-clutch automatic is quick, and does a decent job, though it is not the fastest in the segment.

Kia Sorento Review: Safety

The Sorento gets electronic stability control, hill-start assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX anchor points, a rear occupant alert and a rear-view camera is standard.  Airbag count varies, though. The base HTE trim comes with seven airbags. The top HTX AWD trim gets ten, including a driver's knee airbag and rear-seat side airbags.

On ADAS, the HTK (A) trim gets what Kia calls Level 2 with 21 features. The HTX (A) AWD steps up to Level 2+ with 29 features, adding highway driving assist, navigation-based cruise control and evasive steering assist. It also gets remote smart parking assist and a 360-degree camera with a blind-view monitor in the cluster.

Kia Sorento Review: Competition

Who is the Sorento up against? We’ve already mentioned the Volkswagen Tayron, and there’s also the Skoda Kodiaq and Jeep Meridian. However, the Sorento’s hybrid power also challenges the Toyota Innova Hycross, as well as the mighty Toyota Fortuner and MG Majestor. While each of these offerings have something special, the Sorento is a combination of hybrid and diesel options, all-wheel drive, and a long equipment list.

Kia Sorento Review: Verdict

The Kia Sorento is a jack of all trades, that's for sure. The turbo hybrid and the diesel are fantastic engines and the driving experience is super nice. What is really impressive? The second row comfort, that is just convenient and keeps you super happy. So for buyers this would be a fantastic car over the weekdays and if you want to take the wheel yourself over the weekends, it does that very capably and I think that is what works for it. As an all rounder, it takes all the right boxes and keeps you super, super comfortable and the highway mannerisms are just fantastic. What really works though, is that price tag, because Kia is making this in India and that gives it the advantage to price it, undercutting everything else in this segment. So if you are interested in an all rounder SUV that can truly do it all, go take a test drive. You will be very impressed.