Kia Sorento boot space, practicality and safety
- Seating for up to seven on all models
- Middle row passengers are very well catered for
- Plenty of boot space
How much space is there?
Compared with the old model, those sat on the first two rows benefit from increased legroom. In five seat mode there’s plenty of legroom for tall passengers and feet space beneath the front seats. The third row seats are best reserved for children, but slide the middle row further forward and it’s fine for adults on shorter journeys.
Regardless of who sits here, they will fare better than if they were in most rivals, especially the Mercedes-Benz GLB and Land Rover Discovery Sport. As with most of these SUVs, the seats are quite low to the ground, but the Sorento still betters rivals with space for feet underneath the middle row items in front. They’re also catered for with their own air vents and fan control.
Yes, headroom has improved for those on the rearmost seats, but it’s still best to place children back there as those sat in the middle row won’t have their knees so bunched up after sliding their seats forward to free up some legroom behind them.
To make access a little easier, the middle row seats can also slide forward and tip electronically with the press of a button beside the headrest – something the rivals mentioned above lack, too. Those sat in the third row seats also have their own cupholder storage tray and a USB/12V charging point.
Boot space and storage
Boot space in five-seat mode ranges from 608 litres for the hybrid, 604 litres for the plug-in hybrid, and 616 litres for the diesel. Fold all five seats and this jumps up to 1,996 litres for the hybrid, 1,998 litres for the plug-in, and 2,011 for the diesel.
The only slight quirk you might discover at first is the location of the exterior boot button – it’s not above the number plate, but hidden in the deliberately large panel gap at the bottom of the tailgate. You also have a powered tailgate on 3 models and above to make life a little easier, too.
When it comes to storage space up front, you get two cupholders on the centre console, a sunglasses holder, a tall storage box beneath the armrest, a large tray for smartphones – with a wireless charging pad on 3 models and up – and three USB ports.
Those sat in the middle row have map pockets on the front seat backs and drinks holders on the doors as well as the fold-down centre armrest. There’s a USB port and 12V socket in between the front seats, while the person sitting behind the front passenger seat also has a seat-mounted USB port and side-mounted controls to adjust the seat in front of them for more space. This might be the seat the family will be fighting for the most.
Is it easy to park?
The Sorento is a big bus and parking it isn’t as easy as slotting home a Ford Fiesta. But Kia has added a load of tech to make things manageable.
A rear-view camera comes as standard, but if you really worry about parking you’ll want to go for a top-spec ‘4’ model as this unlocks three systems that help.
First up is a 360 degree camera. This gives you a bird’s eye view and an idea of where all of the car’s extremities are. Top-spec cars also unlock a blind-spot monitoring camera. This displays a live camera feed of either of your blind spots when your indicator is on. While its main use is for blind-spots, it’s also good for seeing where a kerb is.
And finally, there’s a remote parking system. Select this, pick a space, and the car will park itself. Like most other autonomous parking systems, it gets you in the spot. But it’s a lot quicker to do it yourself.
How big is it?
| All Kia Sorento models | |
| Length | 4,810mm |
| Width (with mirrors) | 1,900mm |
| Height | 1,700 |
Safety
- Five-star Euro NCAP safety rating
- Blind-spot monitoring system is clever
- Kia’s adaptive cruise control system works well
The 2020 Sorento comes with a raft of standard safety features, and has achieved a full five-star Euro NCAP rating. What that means, in short, is that the Sorento’s well up-to-date for a 2020 SUV, and performs well in the Safety Assist portion of its crash safety tests.
All models get (deep breath):
- LED lights all-round
- Lane-keeping assist
- Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
- Trailer Stability Assist
- Driver Attention Warning
- Hill-start Assist
- Downhill Brake Control
- Multi-Collision Brake Assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Tyre pressure monitoring system
Debuting on this car is Kia’s clever new Blind-Spot View Monitor – this 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.
It’s activated when you use the left or right indicator, and projects an image on the screen where the tachometer or speedometer would normally be located. This clever tech is part of a package including a Surround View Monitor and Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist.
Better yet, there’s Safe Exit Assist – which will prevent 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 rearmost seats.
Watch the Euro NCAP crash test video
Basic equipment
The basic equipment list includes equipment that is standard across all versions of the Kia Sorento SUV.
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Equipment by trim level
To view equipment options for a specific trim level, please select from the following list:
| Equipment included on some trim levels |
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2 equipment
| 2 standard equipment |
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| 2 optional equipment |
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| None available |
3 equipment
| 3 standard equipment |
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| 3 optional equipment |
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| None available |
4 equipment
| 4 standard equipment |
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| 4 optional equipment |
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| None available |
Euro NCAP Rating – 5 stars
The Kia Sorento SUV was tested by Euro NCAP in 2020 and was awarded a 5 star overall rating. This overall rating is calculated from the following individual ratings:
