The Kia Sorento has been a bit scarce lately. Not in the world at large---look around you, they're everywhere. But in my driveway.
It's been four years since the last time I had one for review, and more than ten years since the one that made me smile every time I get booked in a Sorento---our epic eight-day camping trip in a 2015 model.
Obviously, a lot has changed in a decade, but there have been changes since the '21 model I reviewed too. A facelift for 2023, with slimmer headlights, a more artfully integrated grille and front bumper, freshened taillamps and a new instrument panel.
Not having had a Sorento since '21 also means this is my first time with the Sorento PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle), which debuted in the 2022 model year.
It combines a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor for a total system output of 261 horsepower. That's 34 more horsepower than the non-plug-in Kia Sorento Hybrid. Performance is solid at 7.6 seconds, zero to 60, and the fuel economy is good, if not spectacular, at a combined 33 mpg city/highway (blame the six-speed automatic transmission).
But, as with all PHEVs, the real selling point here is the pure electric range. There are 30 miles you can drive on a charge without using a drop of gasoline or emitting a particle of pollutants from your tailpipe. If you have a 15-mile commute to work each way, you might not dip into the gas tank at all. And even longer commutes, or for that matter, roadtrips, benefit from that first thirty miles before the hybrid system kicks in.
Third-row seating cuts into cargo space pretty severely---only 12.6 cubic feet back there. Fold them, and it improves to 45 cubic feet, and if you only need the front seats, there's a generous 75.5 cubic feet of cargo room with the second and third rows folded.
The third row is best left to kids, with only 29.6 inches of legroom. Folks in the second row fare considerably better, a limo-like 40.3 inches.
There are two trim levels available for the 2025 Kia Sportage PHEV---EX AWD and SX-Prestige AWD. Our tester was the latter. Base price $53,090 ($54,465 with destination). What you get for that price is a long list of standard equipment, including a comprehensive suite of active safety features, navigation, a Bose premium audio system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a three-month free subscription to SiriusXM Satellite Radio, dual-zone automatic climate control, smart key with pushbutton start and remote start, front and rear USB ports, a wireless device charger, power front seats with leather trim, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs with one-touch slide and fold, 19-inch alloy wheels, a smart power liftgate, LED headlights, taillights, fog lights and interior lighting, tow package pre-wiring, a panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, power-folding exterior mirrors, surround-view and blind spot monitors, digital rearview mirror, heated steering wheel, retractable rear door windowshades, a 115-volt power adapter, premium interior trim and aluminum sport pedals.
If that sounds all-inclusive, it is. The only extra-cost option on our test vehicle was $225 for carpeted floor mats, putting the bottom line on the window sticker at $54,690.
The only drawback to PHEVs, no matter the manufacturer, is that they are significantly more expensive than a non-plug-in hybrid. In the case of a Sorento in SX-Prestige AWD trim, the gap is $6,200. But, if your driving habits are such that you would be doing most of your miles on pure electric power, the fuel savings can offset that pretty quickly.
I'm a big fan of PHEVs in general...and the Kia Sorento PHEV would be at the top of my list if I were in the market.
