BOM winner tests Kia Sorento PHEV: An SUV for all purposes

Exterior: SUV for the city questionable

Fundamentally, the Kia Sorento, like many other SUVs, comes across as very "burly." Especially in urban areas, this is a major point of contention. I also have certain reservations about SUVs – nevertheless, I found the vehicle to be visually very appealing. The LED headlight signature and its integration into the grille are notable features from my perspective. The (chrome) applications on the grille also contribute to a very coherent appearance. During the two-week test phase, the Sorento attracted some curious looks from pedestrians – this underscores that Kia has done quite a bit right in terms of design.

Interior: Surprisingly upscale

The core of this (short) experience report is the interior, as this is what I engaged with the most. Fundamentally, it's noticeable that many elements in the interior are found in black piano lacquer. Although this is very susceptible to fingerprints and scratches, I personally like it a lot. Overall, the interior feels very upscale. This is presumably also due to the fact that the test vehicle had top equipment. However, I have learned from press videos that quite a bit is offered even in the standard equipment.

The assistance systems take some getting used to

Kia certainly does not harbor a premium claim among car manufacturers – from this perspective, the interior design and equipment are very pleasing. Operating the display and the analog controls was quite intuitive for me. Driving programs and modes are also easy to set – thus you are ready to drive shortly after getting in. A certain affinity for modern vehicle operating concepts certainly doesn't hurt. It generally makes sense to familiarize yourself more intensively with the vehicle – especially if it has many, possibly unfamiliar, assistance systems on board.

Blind spot effectively eliminated

A big plus goes towards the speedometer and tachometer or efficiency display: Although the interior and exterior mirrors of the Sorento are very large, so is the vehicle itself. In city traffic, a cyclist can quickly be overlooked when turning. A shoulder check doesn't always provide 100-percent certainty either. In the Sorento, when you activate the turn signal, depending on the turning direction, the speedometer or tachometer is replaced by a "blind spot" mirror camera image. Combined with the outside mirrors and a shoulder check, the blind spot is very well resolved, providing the necessary sense of safety.

Good rearview camera, fiddly navigation

I was also positively impressed by the rearview camera and especially the 360° view of the vehicle. The image quality is very good, and a selection of different views is possible. These assistance systems are absolutely recommended, especially for urban parking maneuvers. The navigation guide was absolutely satisfactory. The destination input via voice recognition worked excellently – in this regard, I have had far more negative experiences with premium OEMs. However, prematurely ending route guidance could have been solved with a dedicated button. Instead, you have to switch to the main navigation menu for this. While not too much effort, it is still a minor drawback.

Seat heating lukewarm

One possible area for improvement is the deactivation of the acoustic feedback when operating the display. The driver always receives a, in my view, somewhat annoying, beep. Unfortunately, I failed to disable this signal tone. Whether the problem is the lack of user-friendliness of the infotainment system or rather the inadequacy of the operating person, I cannot say... One last criticism comes from my constantly freezing girlfriend: Even at the highest level, the seat heating is merely lukewarm.

Driving impression and electric range acceptable

As far as I remember, the vehicle's acceleration, also due to its weight, was not an absolute highlight but surprisingly good. The 100 km/h mark is reached in about 9 seconds. Overall, the vehicle drives very comfortably, although on slightly uneven roads in rural areas, the slightly firmer tuning of the Sorento is quite noticeable.

The stated electric range of the electric motor of about 50 kilometers is realistic in my view. For this reason, it makes absolute sense to drive in EV mode in urban areas, avoid the internal combustion engine, and thus take advantage of a hybrid. The fuel consumption of the combustion engine was also absolutely reasonable, considering the vehicle's size. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact consumption figures.

Conclusion

I had no prior experience with Kia. Thus, the Kia Sorento really pleasantly surprised me. Visually, it is very stylish both inside and out – in the trim level I tested, these two weeks of test driving were very convincing. Personally, however, I am not a big fan of SUVs. This is probably mainly because I live in the city, and these types of vehicles are too bulky for me. Not just when looking for a parking space.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the two test weeks with the Sorento a lot. Therefore, I can only recommend anyone looking for an SUV to also take a closer look at the Kia. There are plenty of videos and reviews for a first impression available on the well-known platforms. Many thanks to VISION mobility and HUSS VERLAG for the hassle-free handling and the two-week test drive.

The editorial team thanks Mr. Magdsick for the great experience report.