By James Stinson
We’ve written a lot about electric cars in these pages over the last year and there’s been some belters, of which my favourite is probably Kia’s EV9. It’s a futuristic, seven-seat SUV with a premium feel. But while it undercuts many rivals, the cheapest version still costs from £65k. And that’s the problem with electric cars, they’re still very pricey… especially in the SUV end of the market. I bring this up because Kia has another seven-seat SUV in its range – the Sorento – which costs from £41,995. Once a cheap and cheerful load lugger, especially good for towing, the Sorento has matured into a refined and luxurious motor.
The fourth generation Sorento has been around since 2020 and was recently given a refresh to bring the interior bang-up-to-date. Most importantly, it still represents great value for money. There are three powertrains to choose from – a petrol hybrid, plugin hybrid (both 1.6 litre petrols) and a 2.2 litre diesel. Indeed, the Sorento is the last SUV where Kia still offers a diesel option and it’s probably the pick of the bunch.
The standard hybrid is a little more expensive and isn’t as economical while the plug-in hybrid is much more expensive and there are better PHEVs around, like the Skoda Kodiaq. It’s the diesel that stands out which is surprising in one way but not in others. Surprising because diesel sales have been falling in recent years. They accounted for just 6% of new cars sold in the UK last year. That’s largely because car makers are being forced to cuts emissions and diesels are in the firing line. In reality, diesels aren’t much worse than petrol powered alternatives. And depending on what legislation is in place at the time, sales of both will be banned sometime in the 2030s while the things that attracted us to diesels in the first place still apply today. They’re strong and economical and especially good for pulling large loads.
Towing capacity for the latest 199bhp diesel Sorento is a massive 2500kg, more than twice what the hybrid and PHEV versions can pull. There are company car tax benefits from buying the PHEV version but no such incentives for private buyers. If you’re a private buyer, the cheapest, sensible options are the petrol and diesel-powered versions. The Sorento’s other big draw is that it’s a proper seven-seater with adults able to use the rearmost set of seats in some comfort.
The 2024 facelift changed the front end to be more in line with Kia’s current design language, which was kicked off with the EV9. At the front, there are more upright LED headlights and a redesigned bumper, while the rear gains new exhaust trims. There is a selection of new alloy wheels and three new colours too. Inside, there’s a new curved screen that incorporates the infotainment and gauge cluster, while underneath is a touch bar that can be switched between climate controls and infotainment shortcuts, like on the EV6 and Sportage.
All versions come with four wheel drive. As for transmissions, there’s a six-speed automatic for hybrids and an eight-speed dual clutch automatic for the diesel. The Sorento, even in entry level 2 trim comes well equipped, including heated front seats and steering wheel as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s a lot of car for less than 42k and even more so when you think that an electric hatchback costs just as much