• Seating for seven on all models
• Generously sized second seating row
• Plenty of storage and boot space

How much space is there?

Ample. Those sitting in the front two rows will enjoy generous amounts of legroom and headroom. Kia has also allowed enough footroom beneath the front seats to allow tall passengers in the second row to stretch out. This isn’t always the case – some rivals hide bulky electrical components and vents under the front seats, which eat vital space.

The third row of seats is a little cramped, so we reckon it’s best reserved for children. However, you can slide the second row forward to liberate some extra space and make the experience bearable for adults on shorter journeys. In any case, though, you get more space in the Sorento’s rearmost seats than rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz GLB and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

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Like most seven-seat SUVs, the third row is mounted quite close to the floor, which means your knees sit higher than they do in the first and second rows. Foot space under the second row is also more generous than competitor cars and passengers get their own air vents, fan controls, storage trays and USB charging ports.

Boot space and storage

With the rearmost seats stowed, boot space ranges from 604 to 616 litres depending on whether you opt for the hybrid, plug-in hybrid or diesel powertrain. Fold all the seats flat and you’ll unlock a cavernous load bay sized between 1,996 and 2,011 litres. Kia doesn’t quote the amount of available space with all the seats erected, but there’s room for a couple of small cases or a few shopping bags.

Kia has also tried to make it as easy as possible for owners to transform the Sorento from a family bus to a courier van. The second row of seats can slide forwards and tumble with the push of a button. There’s a control panel beside the headrest – something the rivals mentioned above lack.

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Oddment storage is good. Front seat passengers get two cupholders on the centre console, a sunglasses holder in the headlining and a tall cubby beneath the centre armrest. Those sitting in the seconds row have map pockets on the front seat backs, drinks holders in the doors and a fold-down armrest. The seat behind the front passenger also gets its own USB port and controls to adjust the seat ahead to improve legroom. This might be the seat your family will fight over the most.

Is it easy to park?

Not really. But it’s a seven-seat SUV, so what do you expect? Plus, Kia has fitted the Sorento with plenty of technology to make the job more manageable. Now, every model comes as standard with all-round parking sensors, a blind-spot monitoring system and a 360-degree parking camera.

The 360-degree camera presents you with a bird’s eye view of the car, which makes it easy to spot where the white lines are in narrow multi-storey parking bays. Kia’s blind-spot monitoring camera also displays a live camera feed of your blind spots when your indicator is on. We found this technology particularly useful for avoiding steep, alloy-gouging kerbs.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP safety rating
• Blind-spot monitoring system is clever
• Kia’s adaptive cruise control system works well

The Sorento was last crash-tested in 2020 – and it scored a full five-star rating from the experts at Euro NCAP. However, the organisation has since re-evaluated its safety parameters, which means a brand new five-star SUV, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, could fare better in an accident.

Nevertheless, the Sorento crashes quite well with respectable scores in the adult occupant, child occupant and safety assist portions of the tests. The Sorento’s level of protection for vulnerable road users is less impressive – but we didn’t need Euro NCAP to tell us that. It’s a two-tonne tank. It’s obviously going to hurt a pedestrian if they step out into its path.

Kia introduced a clever new blind-spot monitoring system on the Sorento. We mentioned it above, but it’s worthy of further discussion here. It uses a camera hidden in each door mirror and the 12.3-inch digital dial screen to show you cars lurking in your blind spots – and it’s activated each time you use your indicators. If you try to pull into the path of a car in your blind spot, the Sorento will issue an audible warning and even steer itself back into its lane.

Better yet, there’s Safe Exit Assist. This prevents the rear doors from opening if the vehicle detects an approaching hazard. Perfect for families with young children. When it comes to fitting child seats, there are Isofix points on the outer two middle row seats and the rearmost seats.

Watch the Kia Sorento’s Euro NCAP crash test video