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There are many seven-seater SUVs available in the market for those looking for a rugged and practical family mover. But one of the more popular and established names out there is the Kia Sorento, which has been offering great value in this segment for over two decades now.
The Sorento is now in its fourth generation, and has recently received a mid-life facelift to keep it refreshed in order to stay competitive in this highly-contested market, with substantial changes both cosmetically and under the bonnet.
What's new on the updated Sorento?
The main change styling-wise come up front, with the Sorento getting a new grille and headlights that are now vertically-stacked. They serve to make the car look a little more imposing, and mimics the design language of Kia's own EV9 large electric SUV.
The other design changes are more minor in comparison, and are restricted mainly to slightly revised bumpers and rear lights. Otherwise, the Sorento remains pretty much the same as the pre-facelift version.
Inside, the Sorento now features a large dual screen setup, consisting of a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch driver instrument display, both connected to look like one giant screen.
As well, there is also the digital switches below the air con vents that allow you to toggle between climate and infotainment controls with just a quick press of a button. It's a feature that was first seen on Kia's EV models, and has now made its way to the rest of the range.
Finally, the biggest change on the Sorento, for the Singapore market at least, is that the 1.6-litre hybrid powerplant is now the sole drivetrain choice available here.
The pre-facelift model had a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine option, but that has now been understandably dropped in view of the latest legislation here outlawing the new registration of diesel-powered passenger cars in Singapore starting from this year.
1.6-litre engine on such a big SUV? Got power or not?
Got.
Despite its perceived small size, the Sorento's 1.6-litre hybrid unit produces a handy 212hp and a generous 366Nm of torque. While the car's 0-100km/h sprint time of 9.3 seconds doesn't seem particularly fast, in truth, the Sorento feels more sprightly and energetic than its figures suggest.
While the diesel's advantage is that the power comes in quite early at low revs, and can pull the car through most of the rev range, the hybrid more than compensates for it with its electric power that makes initial acceleration brisk.
The transition from electric to petrol power is also extremely seamless, to the point where you can barely tell the difference between diesel and petrol until you get very high up the rev band when the petrol engine starts to slightly run out of puff.
But most people won't ever get there anyway, and in everyday driving, the Sorento Hybrid is more than adequate to get you moving with ease.
In terms of efficiency, Kia claims that the Sorento Hybrid is able to return an average fuel consumption figure of 5.1 litres per 100km, which is in fact better than the diesel's figure of 5.7 litres per 100km.
You save in other ways too, as the Sorento Hybrid's 1.6-litre engine means that you pay just $742 in road tax annually, compared to a hefty $2,052 for the diesel. Not that it matters now anyway since you can no longer buy the diesel brand new.
What about the rest of the car?
The Sorento is still a big seven-seater family SUV at the end of the day, so don't expect it to feel particularly sporty to drive.
That said, it mostly acquits itself well, with stable handling and excellent composure. It feels more at home cruising down the highway, with its well-controlled ride quality that smooths out bumps quietly and effectively.
The interior too is practical but not particularly outstanding. While it is technically a seven-seater, the third row of seats are somewhat tight, and are probably best reserved for small children.
It is pretty well-equipped though, and the Tech Pack trim of our test car comes loaded with features such as a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, interior ambient lighting, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.
This is on top of the stuff you already get from the regular SX trim, such as a smart power tailgate that can open or close just by having you stand behind it for three seconds with the key in hand, as well as a surround view monitor that makes parking the car much easier.
It has to be noted though that the side steps below the doors, as well as the (admittedly tacky) 'Sorento' decals are optional accessories that are fitted specifically to the test car, and are not typically offered to customers.
Is the Sorento still a good value buy then?
It's hard to call a car that costs over a quarter of a million dollars 'good value', but that's mostly a function of the current COE climate rather than any fault of the car itself.
At $261,999 with COE (as of January 2025) in regular SX trim, the Sorento Hybrid is certainly not the cheapest seven-seater SUV you can get out there. The Tech Pack trim tested here costs an additional 10 grand over the SX, and whether the extra outlay is justifiable really depends on how much value you place on a premium sound system and a large glass roof.
That said, if the price is something you can stomach, then the Kia Sorento Hybrid does make for a pretty compelling case, with its decent drive, excellent efficiency, and extensive equipment list. You certainly won't go far wrong if you end up opting for one as your family mover of choice.
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