UK Drive: The Kia Sorento brings comfort and space in an impressive all-round package

Kia has come a long way in the last 20 years, with it producing some of the most desirable cars on the market.

When it comes to SUVs, it’s got it cracked, with the Sportage being one of Britain’s best-selling cars.

However, one model that has slipped under the radar over the years is the Sorento, which is one of the brand’s longest-serving models, having been around since 2003.

Now in its fourth iteration, the current model has been kicking about since 2020, so Kia has freshened it up with a few updates to make this forgotten sibling a more attractive proposition in the world of seven-seat SUVs.

You’ll notice this updated car now incorporates Kia’s new ‘Opposites United’ design language with vertical front headlights and the firm’s ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights.

There are some fresh alloy wheel designs, a new bonnet, a redesigned radiator grille with a 3D mesh pattern, new front and rear bumpers, updated rear taillights with diagonal LEDs, and wider front and rear skid plates.

Inside, the Sorento’s interior remains the same in terms of design, though Kia has featured more sustainable materials with recycled plastics.

The Sorento is offered with diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power, with all variants offering efficient, frugal and decent performance.

We’re driving the hybrid model which is equipped with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor to develop a total of 212bhp and 367Nm of torque. The car can dash to 60mph in 9.5 seconds and the top speed is 113mph.

Kia claims that the Sorento with this setup can achieve up to 39.8mpg on the combined cycle and that emissions are 160g/km of CO2.

All Sorentos come with an automatic transmission as standard and all-wheel drive, while the plug-in hybrid model features the same setup as our test car with the addition of a 13.8kWh battery pack, which can take the car a claimed 34 miles on electric power.

The Sorento isn’t the most agile or involving car to drive in this segment, although it still provides a relaxing experience.

Our hybrid test car is smooth, quiet and refined around town, while on the motorway, the cabin is well-insulated from outside noise.

The ride is supple and the car’s standard all-wheel drive system provides a decent amount of traction on slippery road conditions.

There is also an excellent amount of all-round visibility, thanks to the large side windows and thin A and B pillars, making manoeuvring this big family wagon a lot less intimidating.

Where the Sorento starts to fall down is with the steering, which is numb and feels artificially heavy, taking away any kind of involvement on a twisty road, while the petrol engine is rather noisy under hard acceleration.

Seven-seat SUVs tend to have rather tall and slab-sided stances and the Sorento follows suit here.

At the front, the new vertical headlights and 3D mesh grille give the Sorento its Kia identity; sharing the same nostril as the smaller Sportage.

The car’s side profile’s tall door lines, triangular rear quarter window and satin silver trim make it look like a proper no nonsense family wagon.

Meanwhile, at the back, the distinctive vertical taillight designs and spoiler make the Sorento look a lot more modern compared to its predecessor.

The Sorento’s cabin is a lovely place to be with its dual curved touchscreens, gloss black trim and silver accents.

Our test car is the flagship model, which means the cabin is flooded with light from the twin panoramic sunroof and there is a decent amount of physical buttons which feel tactile and robust.

The materials used throughout have a soft-touch feel to them, it’s just a shame that the plastics lower down feel hard and brittle, and don’t reflect in the car’s £50,000 price tag.

At least there’s lots of storage space with two cup holders, a deep centre armrest storage area, large front door bins and a hidden compartment in the centre console that reveals the wireless phone charger and USB ports.

In the back, things get even better with further cupholders in the door panels, USB-C ports in the side of the front seats, a centre armrest that hides two extra cupholders and net-styled front seatback pockets. There is plenty of rear-seat legroom too, though bear in mind that the panoramic sunroof fitted to our test car does pinch a bit of headroom for taller adults.

Climb into the third row of chairs and the second row of seats easily slide forwards to gain access. Unfortunately, once you’re in, the low-seating makes it only ideal for small children.

At least the second row of seats can slide forwards to increase the legroom to an extent and passengers do get their own climate control settings, USB-C ports and phone storage.

With all seven seats in place, the Sorento provides a boot capacity of 179 litres, while that extends to a colossal 819 litres with the third row of chairs stowed away and 1,996 litres with all seats pushed down. That makes the Sorento more practical that its direct Korean rival, the Hyundai Santa Fe, but falls short of the Peugeot 5008’s 2,150-litre total capacity.

Kia always offers lots of standard equipment with its cars and the Sorento is available in three guises and a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

Prices start at £42,675 for the entry-level ‘2’ model with a diesel engine and is equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, a six-speaker audio system and all-round electric windows.

The mid-level ‘3’ is yours for £47,290 and boasts 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, privacy glass, black leather upholstery and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display.

We’re driving the top-of-the-line ‘4’, which comes in at £51,790 and features a panoramic tilt and sliding sunroof, ventilated front seats, black Nappa leather upholstery, a digital rear view mirror and aluminium pedals.

Compared to its rivals, the Hyundai Santa Fe in seven-seat guise comes in at a rather hefty £48,390, which is £5,715 more than the cheapest Sorento, making this Kia look like great value.

If you’re looking for a practical, efficient and well-restrained seven-seat SUV, then the Sorento is a worthy contender in this category.

Its superb levels of interior space, refined driving experience and decent levels of standard equipment make this a great family-friendly SUV.

The interior plastics lower down the cabin don’t reflect in the car’s near £50,000 price tag, and the driving experience is rather anonymous. Nevertheless, taking into account a standard seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, a great reliability record and usable seven-seat layout, the Sorento is an impressive all-round package.