Kia Sorento – What you need to know

Seven seats, a choice of petrol, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or turbo-diesel engines, three auto transmissions and front-wheel or part-time all-wheel drive combine to make the family-friendly fourth-generation Kia Sorento the perfect choice for adventures with the clan.

New from the ground up and arriving here in 2020, the latest Kia flagship comes in four model grades – S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line – with prices ranging from $46,850 to $79,330 (plus on-road costs).

The Sorento has already proven itself to be an excellent vehicle, named both 2020 carsales Car of the Year and 2021 Best Family SUV.

Let’s take a closer look to see which Kia Sorento model you want to park in your garage.

At $46,850 plus on-road costs, the entry-model front-wheel drive Kia Sorento S is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. And it boasts the following standard fare:

Options on the Kia Sorento are limited to seven exterior colours, with premium paint making up six and adding $695 to the price.

Richly equipped with safety and driver assist tech, the Kia Sorento has sensors for almost everything, digital screens, cameras and more. It can even park itself while you watch from outside.

All Sorento models come with electronic traction and stability control, front, side and curtain airbags in the first two rows (but not the third), a front-row centre airbag, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with car, pedestrian, cyclist and intersection warning, plus forward collision warning and multi-collision braking.

You also get trailer stability assist, hill start assist, downhill brake assist, parking sensors front and back and a reversing camera.

There are also automatic headlights with auto high beam, auto wipers, lane follow, lane keep and lane change assists, blind spot monitoring and blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention alert and safe exit assist that helps you open the doors safely.

LED fog lights are found at both ends, along with LED daytime running lights and LED headlights. Adaptive cruise control ebbs and flows with the traffic and has a speed limiter.

Moving up to the Sport+ adds an auto-dimming rear-view mirror but for the full spread of safety arsenal head to the GT-Line and its projection LED headlights, blind spot view monitor, reverse parking collision avoidance, a 360-degree camera, rear occupant alert and remote parking that allows you to stand outside and watch your Sorento park itself.

The Kia Sorento also earned a maximum five-star safety rating from ANCAP in 2020 under the independent crash-test authority’s latest protocols.

The entry-model Kia Sorento S has an 8.0-inch LCD touch-screen infotainment system housing Bluetooth phone pairing, audio steaming with wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless and wired Android Auto plus a digital radio played through a six-speaker system.

If you stump up for the Sport as a minimum, you get a 10.25-inch screen, plus satellite navigation (with 10 years of mapping updates provided), wired Apple CarPlay and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system.

Spend more on the GT-Line and an in-car intercom and wireless smartphone charger are yours.

The convenience of three-stage dual-zone climate control is available in the Kia Sorento Sport variant and upwards, with the S having manual air-con.

While the second row in the S has vents, in the Sport and upwards all three rows get vents and fan controls. The Sport also brings automatic window de-fogging.

If you want the comfort of heated front seats and a heated steering wheel without breaking the bank, head to the Sport+.

Are leather seats a must? You can have them by ordering the Sport+ as the S and Sport both have cloth trim. The Sport+ driver’s seat also has 10-way power operation and two lumbar support settings.

However, if you want the suppleness of Nappa leather upholstery, the GT-Line is for you. And only the GT-Line has ventilated (cooling) front-row seats and heating for the second row.

The driver’s seat in the GT-Line has two memory positions and is power-adjustable 14 ways with four lumbar supports, while the front-row passenger can adjust their chair 10 ways including two lumbar supports.

Making ingress and egress easier into the third row, all models have a sliding and reclining 60/40-split second-row seat.

A luggage screen is found in all variants, but the GT-Line goes a step further with a cargo net to secure your goodies.

Drinks on the go are handy and all Kia Sorento models have eight cup holders and four bottle holders.

Does the convenience of a hands-free powered tailgate appeal? Then as a minimum you’ll need to tick the Sport+ box that also snares you rear privacy glass, LED rear combination lights and aero blade front wipers.

Would you like paddle shifters for a touch of sportiness? Slap your money down on the GT-Line that also gains alloy sports pedals, a colour head-up display and a 12.3-inch TFT colour supervision instrument cluster.

And only the GT-Line offers up to 64 mood colours for its LED interior lights, along with second-row sun shades. 

The bold new design of the Sorento sees all variants wearing a black grille surround, satin silver window surrounds and door garnish, a rear spoiler, roof rails, and heated and folding exterior mirrors incorporating turn indicators.

To really stand out, go for the GT-Line with its dual exhausts, panoramic sunroof and 20-inch alloy wheels (19-inch on the GT-Line PHEV).

The S has 17-inch alloys, and the Sport 18-inch rims, while the Sport+ rolls on 19-inch alloys. All have the handiness of a full-size spare.

The Kia Sorento offers one petrol engine, a diesel and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) petrol-electric powertrain option.

Available in the S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line is a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine producing 200kW/332Nm. It is coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission driving only the front wheels.

Standing alone is a GT-Line PHEV with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine that combines with an electric motor for a combined output of 195kW/350Nm. This is tied to a six-speed auto transmission and drives all four wheels.

A 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel is also available in all model grades. This engine is connected to an eight-speed dual-clutch auto and features active (part-time) all-wheel drive with lock mode.

There’s no doubt that every model is comprehensively equipped, but if I had to control my spending due to budget, I’d be lining up for the turbo-diesel Sport for its all-wheel drive capability, plus the power seat for the driver, dual-zone air-con with rear vents, bigger infotainment screen and sat-nav.

However, if money wasn’t a constraint give me the turbo-diesel GT-Line.

While the PHEV variant is excellent, the additional range and the torque of the turbo-diesel when the going gets rough are for me the deciding factors, along with the extra creature comforts and its exclusive styling.

How much does the Kia Sorento cost?
S petrol – $46,850
S diesel – $49,850
Sport petrol – $49,470
Sport diesel – $52,470
Sport+ petrol – $53,850
Sport+ diesel – $56,850
GT-Line petrol – $61,070
GT-Line diesel – $64,070
GT-Line PHEV – $79,330
* Prices exclude on-road costs

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