Kia Sorento the Large Family SUV; Hybrid; Economical; Great value: Kia Sorento Review & Road Test

The Kia Sorento is big, very practical, extremely capable & reasonably priced family SUV. This new fourth generation gets a larger engine range and a bundle of active safety and driver assistance technology. The Kia Sorento 4's exterior and interior design have also been quite radically reimagined and will definitely catch the eye of even more potential customers who may never have considered owning a Kia before.
This new Mk4 Sorento gets a longer wheelbase too, which means the practical SUV now offers even more space, with enough room for adults in the third row, but only on short trips. Unlike some of the Kia Sorento's rivals, seven seats come as standard when you buy this car, even on the hybrids, which is quite rare, plus every version of the Sorento gets up to a whopping 2000 litres of boot space when all the seats are in their folded position.
Trim levels are easily recognisable as '2', '3' and '4', although you’re limited to the mid-range '3' option if you want the diesel power plant. Every trim can come with either of the hybrid powertrains, and even the entry-level '2' Sorento gets LED lighting front and rear, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch driver's display, an eight-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The '3' trim increases the central screen to 10.25 inches and the wheels to 19 inches, as well as adding ambient interior lighting, a powered tailgate and leather upholstery. The range-topping '4' trim, which we tested in this video, includes Nappa leather ventilated seats, a black headlining, a head-up display and a classy Bose sound system plus a panoramic sunroof with tilt and slide.
The Kia Sorento comes as a hybrid setup with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, an electric motor and a small battery pack. In total it produces 226bhp and gets the Sorento from 0-60mph in just under nine seconds, with fuel economy of 40.9mpg, quite an impressive figure for a petrol-powered seven-seater SUV. It can also tow up to a 1,650kg, which is enough for most caravans, but far less than the diesel can manage. The Sorento plug-in hybrid, powered by the same 1.6-litre petrol engine but with a more potent electric motor and a larger battery, results in an increased power output of 261bhp and decent pulling power off the line with a 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds. Its powertrain is the most economical in the Sorento range too, officially managing 35 miles of electric range and fuel economy of over 170mpg.The 2.2-litre diesel is only offered in level '3' trim, with a new eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. It can get to 60mph in 9.1 seconds, with up to 42.2mpg and tow a respectable 2,500kg.
In terms of rivals, the Kia Sorento is in the mix with a clutch of desirable full-size seven-seater SUV options. The Skoda Kodiaq and SEAT Tarraco from the Volkswagen Group share technology, while the Peugeot 5008 is another worthy candidate. Land Rover has the Discovery Sport or the larger Discovery, and the Sorento splits these models in terms of price starting at £39,750
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