James Wong
Kia Sorento Hybrid, PHEV supply 'tokenism at best'
Supply of the in-demand Kia Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid has been described as "tokenism at best" by local executives.
2 Years Ago
About the Kia Sorento
Last updated Dec 18, 2024The fourth-generation Kia Sorento is the company’s answer to a large family SUV that can handle seven passengers in a safe and comfortable fashion packed with the latest technology and features.
With a base model front-wheel drive powered by a 3.5-litre V6 to an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid electric that is nearly double the price, the Kia Sorento range is vast and caters to families of all sorts.
Pros
- Spacious, practical interior
- Petrol engine is a smooth mover, diesel is efficient
- Long list of standard equipment
Cons
- PHEV is $15,000 more expensive than diesel
- Petrol is front-wheel drive only
- Diesel misses auto start/stop
Kia Sorento Rating
Kia Sorento News
2022 Kia Sorento Reviews
2022 Kia Sorento Price
GT-Line
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 3.5L, 8 sp automatic Unleaded FWD 5d Suv | $62,070 |
| 2.2L, 8 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 5d Suv | $65,070 |
| 1.6L, 6 sp automatic Unleaded FWD 5d Suv | $66,750 |
| 1.6L, 6 sp automatic Unleaded 4x4 5d Suv | $69,750 |
| 1.6L, 6 sp automatic Electric 4x4 5d Suv | $80,531 |
S
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 3.5L, 8 sp automatic Unleaded FWD 5d Suv | $46,850 |
| 2.2L, 8 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 5d Suv | $49,850 |
Sport+
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 3.5L, 8 sp automatic Unleaded FWD 5d Suv | $54,850 |
| 2.2L, 8 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 5d Suv | $57,850 |
Sport
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 3.5L, 8 sp automatic Unleaded FWD 5d Suv | $49,470 |
| 2.2L, 8 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 5d Suv | $52,470 |
*excl. on-roads
All Kia Sorento Pricing
2022 Kia Sorento Specs
See our comprehensive details for the Kia Sorento
2022 Kia Sorento Dimensions
1700mm
1900mm
4810mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model.
See all 2022 Kia Sorento Dimensions2022 Kia Sorento Boot Space
In terms of luggage space, the Sorento offers 187L with the third row in place, 616L in its five-seat layout and 2011L with the second and third rows folded flat.
All versions feature a full-size alloy spare under the boot floor, and there’s even space to spare to stow the rear cargo blind.
2022 Kia Sorento Gallery
CarExpert High Resolution Photos of the Kia Sorento
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2022 Kia Sorento Exterior
The Sorento is a gorgeous car from the outside, expressing the South Korean brand's latest design DNA. It's modern without being over the top and we really love the three-quarter view from the rear and the tail lights in particular.
While it may not be as modern in appearance as its smaller Sportage brother, the Sorento represents a very aesthetically-pleasing offering in what is a crowded SUV market.
2022 Kia Sorento Interior
The Sorento offers an appealing blend of style and practicality behind the wheel.
For the Sport+ and above, the driver and passenger sit in heated, leather-trimmed armchairs that offer plenty of support on longer drives. The driving position is good, with more than enough adjustment to accomodate lanky drivers – or to allow small drivers a good look at the road ahead.
With generously padded armrests and a quality steering wheel, it’s a plush place to spend time.
It’s heavy on black plastic, but the dashboard has a handsome design. The climate controls fall easily to hand, and the touchscreen infotainment system takes at least some inspiration from Mercedes-Benz with its gloss black housing.
We’ve had plenty of experience with the widescreen infotainment system featuring in the latest Kia and Hyundai models. It’s intuitive to use and responds quickly to inputs, although the shortcut buttons in the top corner of the screen are hard to reach.
With digital radio, factory navigation, smartphone mirroring, and some neat touches like a Sounds of Nature program that mimics footsteps in crisp snow or the crackle of an open fire, it’s not short on features. It’s a shame there’s no wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, though so you have to plug your phone in for that to work.
The GT-Line gets a slick digital dashboard thanks to its 12.3-inch infotainment system, but the models below have a more conventional analogue dials flanking a colour trip computer. It’s easy to read and still has essentials like a digital speedo, but misses out on the excellent blind-spot view camera offered on the range-topper.
Unfortunately there are no USB-C charge ports, so you're stuck with traditional USB (A/B). With that said, if you got a Sport+ variant or above, you’re not short on places to plug in; there are three ports up front, four in the second row, and two in the third row.
There’s an abundance of storage space up front, with a huge space for phones under the dashboard, two cupholders on the transmission tunnel, a deep bin under the central armrest, and spacious door pockets.
The second row can be moved forward or back, and the seat backs can be reclined.
In terms of numbers, there’s 994mm of headroom and 1034mm of legroom for middle-row passengers.
Third-row occupants get slightly less head- and legroom, 935mm and 752mm respectively.
Second-row legroom and headroom are both impressive for even leggy teenagers and full-sized adults, to the point where six-footers can happily sit behind six-footers. It’s impressive.
You’re not short on amenities, either. A fold-down central armrest is on hand to keep warring children separate, and there’s plenty of cupholders back there for road trips. Although there’s air vents, there’s no temperature controls for second-row occupants.
The third row is okay without being outstanding. As is usually the case in seven-seat SUVs, the rearmost seats are best reserved for small kids. Kia’s one-touch folding system for the second row makes access easier, but it’s a tight squeeze getting back there if you aren’t young and flexible.
Headroom is tight for adults, and the flat seats mean your knees will be up around your chin if you have long legs. Separate fan controls for the third row are a plus, as are the USB charge points and storage for a small bottle and phone.
2022 Kia Sorento Infotainment
All models come with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with the base model making use of an 8.0-inch touchscreen. Moving to the Sport and above gets you a 10.25-inch touchscreen with built in satellite navigation.
2022 Kia Sorento Safety Rating
All Kia Sorento models come with dual-front, front-side, and first- and second-row curtain airbags. They don’t extend all the way along the third seating row.
There are also five top-tether and four ISOFIX anchors, and Safe Exit Assist that warns you if someone is about to open their door into moving traffic or cyclists when parked.
All variants come with active safety features including forward autonomous emergency braking for cars, pedestrians, cyclists and junctions.
Also standard are a driver attention monitor, active lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
The Kia Sorento received a five-star ANCAP safety rating for both petrol and diesel models.
It earned a safety assist score of 89 per cent, along with 82 per cent for adult occupant protection, 85 per cent for child occupant protection, and 63 per cent for vulnerable road user protection.
2022 Kia Sorento Fuel Economy
The 3.5-litre V6 engine has 200kW of power and 332Nm of torque. Fuel economy for the Front-wheel drive petrol is 9.7L/100km combined of regular unleaded (91 RON).
The 2.2-litre diesel has 148kW of power and 440Nm of torque with fuel economy rated at 6.1L/100km of regular diesel driven via all four wheels.
The top-spec all-wheel drive 1.6-litre hybrid model with its 192kW and 350Nm (combined petrol and electric) uses 1.6L/100km of regular unleaded petrol under the official limited testing cycle.
That would include its roughly 68km of full electric range. If the battery is flat the fuel economy figure would be substantially higher.
| Kia Sorento | Fuel Type | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| 2.2L, 8 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 5d Suv | Diesel | 6.1 L/100km |
| 3.5L, 8 sp automatic Unleaded FWD 5d Suv | Unleaded | 9.7 L/100km |
| 1.6L, 6 sp automatic Electric 4x4 5d Suv | Electric | 1.6 L/100km |
| 1.6L, 6 sp automatic Unleaded 4x4 5d Suv | Unleaded | 5.8 L/100km |
| 1.6L, 6 sp automatic Unleaded FWD 5d Suv | Unleaded | 5.3 L/100km |
Cost of ownership
What are the running and servicing costs of a Kia Sorento?
Petrol and diesel models have 12 month or 15,000km servicing intervals.
Over seven years, a petrol Sorento will cost $3449 to service against $3463 for a diesel Sorento. That means the average service cost works out to be just $2 in the V6’s favour.
2.2L Diesel Service Costs
- 1 Year or 15,000 km – $335.00
- 2 Years or 30,000 km – $544.00
- 3 Years or 45,000 km – $408.00
- 4 Years or 60,000 km – $729.00
- 5 Years or 75,000 km – $377.00
- 6 Years or 90,000 km – $670.00
- 7 Years or 105,000 km – $400.00
3.5L Petrol Service Costs
- 1 Year or 15,000 km – $338.00
- 2 Years or 30,000 km – $533.00
- 3 Years or 45,000 km – $411.00
- 4 Years or 60,000 km – $725.00
- 5 Years or 75,000 km – $381.00
- 6 Years or 90,000 km – $657.00
- 7 Years or 105,000 km – $404.00
How does the 2022 Kia Sorento drive?
Our expert take on Kia Sorento drivability.
The driving dynamics are really dependent on the variant you pick. The front-wheel drive petrol models drive rather differently to the all-wheel drive diesel models. Meanwhile, the plug-in hybrid is a different beast entirely. We recommend reading the reviews of each model (look for review section above).
Even so, the main differences from a dynamics perspective are the various wheel and tyre packages (the Sport+ and GT-Line are worse at ironing out sharp bumps); the diesel’s AWD with locking centre and terrain-specific throttle modes; and extra tare weight.
All Sorento models have electrically-assisted power steering, MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension with an Australian-specific damper tune, and 325mm-rotor ventilated disc brakes front and rear.
2022 Kia Sorento Colours
What colours are available for the Kia Sorento
There are seven colours available for the Kia Sorento.
- Clear White,
- Silky Silver,
- Steel Grey,
- Mineral Blue,
- Aurora Black,
- Gravity Blue,
- Snow White Pearl.
The interior is available with Embossed Cloth for the base S and Sport variants while the Sport+ gets leather appointed interior and the GT Line comes with the higher grade Nappa Leather Appointed.
2022 Kia Sorento Warranty
In addition to its seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, Kia offers seven years of capped-price servicing.
2022 Kia Sorento vs other SUVs to consider
Should you buy the 2022 Kia Sorento
Is this the right car for you? Out experts buy or not guide.
Ultimately, the Kia Sorento range offers a variant for everyone at a multitude of price points.
Unless you really want the benefit of a plug-in hybrid with a near 70km range, we recommend the Sport Plus as the best pick for the money.
Kia Sorento FAQs
The cheapest Kia Sorento is the S 7 SEAT that starts from $40,800.
The most expensive Kia Sorento is the GT-LINE 7 SEAT PHEV AWD that starts from $77,500.
The best towing capacity of a Kia Sorento is 2000 kg offered by the following variants: S 7 SEAT, SPORT 7 SEAT, SPORT+ 7 SEAT and GT-LINE 7 SEAT.
The largest Kia Sorento is the S 7 SEAT which measures 1900mm wide, 4810mm in length and sits 1700mm tall.
The most powerful Kia Sorento is the S 7 SEAT which has 200kW of power from its 3.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ engine.
The Kia Sorento is built in Korea and shipped to Australia.
The heaviest Kia Sorento is the GT-LINE 7 SEAT PHEV AWD which weighs 2680 kg (kerb weight).
The Kia Sorento may use different fuel/energy types based on the variant which includes Unleaded Petrol-Electric Hybrid, Diesel or Unleaded Petrol.