This week we are taking a look at the 2025 Kia Sorento SUV, a very popular 3-row that slots just under the Telluride, but larger than the Sportage or Niro I recently reviewed. Essentially the Sorento is for those who love the Telluride but want to save some money and don’t need as much 3rd row seat or cargo room. Sorento offers many of the same popular features of Telluride for about 5,000 dollars less.
Exterior
The exterior looks of the Sorento are beautiful all the way around.
I love the updated tiger grill that has become a mainstay on newer Kias, the 19” alloy wheels look good, it has bold lines, a sculpted hood, and a spoiler that covers the rear wiper, a feature usually found on way more expensive SUVs and a feature I like a lot, especially when going to a car wash.
LED headlights greet you, and you find some chrome along the bottom of the SUV between the front and rear wheels, chrome around the windows, and chrome roof rails. This is the Steel Gray color on the outside and it has a lighter Dust Blue interior to go along with it.
My review vehicle is the SX-Prestige, which is the pinnacle of the Sorento lineup when you get the hybrid powertrain.
Performance
Under the hood, it combines a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four gasoline engine with a 44-kilowatt electric motor integrated into a six-speed automatic transmission, delivering a total system output of 227-horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system uses a 1.49-kWh lithium-ion battery to provide electric assist during acceleration, enable short all-electric operation at low speeds, and improve overall fuel efficiency, while the transmission’s conventional stepped gearing gives it a more natural driving feel than CVT-equipped rivals. Front-wheel drive is standard, but this one is all-wheel drive, and it has multiple drive modes to adjust throttle mapping, transmission behavior, and with AWD, it changes torque distribution for conditions ranging from sporty driving to snow. Drive modes include Comfort, Eco, Sport, and Smart drive.
Interior
You really feel like you are seeing a luxury SUV when you open the door to enter the cabin. I was impressed with the first impressions of the interior.
The genuine leather (not SynTex) seats are slightly bolstered, stitching is everywhere, there are really attractive diamond pleats on the outsides of the seats, and very nice soft-touch materials in contrast colors adorn the door panels and continue through the dash.
Hit the pushbutton start and the amazing 12.3” digital driver gauge cluster comes to life, welcoming you with a colorful and configurable info center in the middle. You can change it drastically from the settings on the heated, leather-wrapped, tilt steering wheel. This is half of a new screen setup for 2025 that appears as one large screen and it is slightly curved for a better view for the driver. You can’t help but notice it when you enter the cabin.
The center console is terrific with 3-USB ports and a wireless phone charger. There are two cupholders there and an extra cubby for your toll tag or phone if needed. This is also where you activate the Auto Hold, and turn on the heated steering wheel, set the emergency brake, the parking assist, camera views, and hill descent control.
There are switches to turn on the heated and air-conditioned seats I love that there are dedicated knobs to set the automatic temperature-controlled air conditioning and radio volume and tuning, but the display that operates both have to be switched. In other words, you have to hit a button to change the screen. If it is on the A/C screen, the knob to adjust the temperature is the same one as the radio volume so you have to look to see which one is on. It is not a deal killer, but it a small annoyance.
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Center dash is the other half of the 12.3” screen and it operates the Bose Premium sound system, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, the terrific front and rear cameras, SiriusXM, HD radio, Wi-Fi Hotspot, and Bluetooth.
Moving to the second-row captain chairs, room is good and the seats slide, recline, and they are heated. There are rear A/C vents, and Kia cleverly put USB ports in the back of the front seats.
In this trim package, back passengers can raise shades on the side windows to keep the sun out. A button on top of the captain chairs easily tilts the chairs and slides them forward for easy access to the 3rd row. You can even leave a car seat tethered and still have plenty of clearance for the entry to the 3rd row.
Bear in mind the third row seat room is fairly limited, best suited for kids, but likely not comfortable for adults. If you need more room, especially legroom, step up to the Telluride. Headroom is fine throughout the cabin.
Utility
Going to the cargo area, it’s also limited, but there is some underneath storage. The third-row seats manually drop easily for a flat cargo area, and they are easy to pull back up.
If you do that, you’ll be very pleased at how flat the floor becomes. The Sorento offers 12.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row, expandable to 45 cubic feet with the third row folded and 75.5 cubic feet with all rear rows down.
Standard Features
The Sorento SX-Prestige comes loaded with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, a panoramic sunroof, power-folding mirrors, dual 12.3-inch curved displays, navigation, Bose premium audio, wireless phone charging, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row captain’s chairs, a heated steering wheel, perforated leather upholstery, a power-adjustable passenger seat, tri-zone automatic climate control, second- and third-row USB ports, a hands-free power liftgate, and a household-style power outlet.
Safety
Safety-wise, you get forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning detection, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot view monitor, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, lane-following assist, navigation-based smart cruise control with stop-and-go, driver attention warning, safe exit assist, front and rear parking sensors, a surround-view monitor, and a rearview camera with dynamic guidelines. The blind spot system not only shows in your mirrors, but you get a full side view of the road behind you when you use the blinkers. Both side views show up on the gauge cluster, directly in front of you, depending on which direction you are switching to. Very impressive and helpful.
Options
Options are $530 for floor mats, a cargo cover, and a rear cargo mat. The Dust Blue interior color is $295 and well worth it.
It pairs a soft blue leather upholstery with light beige accents on the seats, door panels, and lower dash, along with matching contrast stitching and trim details, creating a brighter, more upscale two-tone cabin compared to the standard darker interior.
MSRP and MPG
Fuel economy with this hybrid is just outstanding at 34 city and 34 highway, and surprise, 34 combined. Total MSRP as you see it here is $49,130 and frankly, it’s amazing you can get this much in an all-wheel drive hybrid SUV at that price.
Ride and Drive
I have to note the quietness inside the Sorento, it is clear this is something Kia has really worked on, and it is noticeable. If you want to venture off the pavement, the X-Pro will certainly do the job, but it is very pleasurable in town, it is easy to park, and the visibility all-around is great. X-Pro is also the only Sorento model rated to tow 4,500-pounds.
Verdict
Kia killed it with this Sorento, it has been a runaway hit since it came out, just like the Telluride has been. It is an outstanding value and of course you get the 10-year/100,000 mile warranty with it.
If you want a Telluride, but you really don’t need adult-sized 3rd row seat room, look at Sorento instead and pocket about $5,000.
2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid
- What I liked most: The interior, standard features, exterior looks, and interior quietness.
- What I would change: Change the A/C and radio controls.
- MSRP: Base price $46,890, as equipped $49,130 with transportation.
- Fuel Economy: Rated at 34 city/34 highway/34 combined.
- Official Color: Steel Gray.
- Odometer reading when tested: 3,300 miles.
- Weight: 4,354pounds/5,622 pound GVWR.
- Spare Tire: Compact spare.
- Length-Width-Height: 189” long/75” wide/66.7” high.
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 17.7 gallons with the filler on the driver’s side.
- Towing Capacity: 4,500 pounds.
- 2025 Sorento in a few words: Another outstanding SUV from Kia that is priced right, capable off-road, and a joy on the pavement.
- Warranty: 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper with roadside assistance, 10-year/100,000 mile power train warranty
- Final Assembly Location: Hwasung, Korea.
- Manufacturer’s website: Kia
Visit CarPro.com for more photos.
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