Overview

The Kia Sorento is a hybrid-powered seven-seat SUV, which offers MPV levels of practicality without the stale minicab image. It also plays a leading role in Kia’s assault on the premium car segments – and, with a starting price of around £50,000, it’s certainly priced to compete with its posh rivals.

But tackling the premium segment isn’t easy for Kia. It’s pitching the Sorento against a glut of well-established upmarket SUVs, such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport, Mercedes-Benz GLB and Peugeot 5008. The Volkswagen Group also fields plenty of competitors, such as the SEAT Tarraco, Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

When it was launched in 2020, the Sorento was available with Kia’s usual range of numbered trim-levels, but the company has since slimmed the line-up down to just one specification. It’s badged ‘Edition’ – and it comes with almost everything you need on a modern car.

Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 10.25-inch infotainment system, a wireless smartphone charger, a 12-speaker Bose stereo system, ventilated leather seats and more safety gear than you’ll find in a logging worker’s wardrobe.

Granted, you’ll find most (if not all) of this equipment on the Sorento’s rivals. However, few competitors can match Kia’s excellent seven-year warranty and lauded dealer network. The question is, does this relative newcomer offer enough of a premium edge to make faithful Land Rover and Lexus customers abandon their brands?

Over the next few pages, we’ll review each aspect of the Kia Sorento, reflecting on its practicality, interior quality, technology, running costs and driving experience. We’ll then offer our final verdict on the car and let you know whether it’s worth parting with your cash for.