2024 Kia Sorento Plug In Hybrid Engine, Redesign, Price – To set the 2024 Kia Sorento apart from the Hyundai Santa Fe and other popular family wagons on the market, Kia is including only a tiny third-row seat in the redesigned Sorento. Even though Sorento’s five-seat configuration seems better on paper, the otherwise great car performs better when powered by the economical hybrid powertrain in less expensive models.
2024 Kia Sorento Redesign
The 2024 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid gets a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the first time in its history. The X-Line add-ons are now available on more models, and most devices now include a 10.3-inch touchscreen. The new Sorento’s design confounds us more than it intrigues us. It aims to stand out from the crowd with a razor-sharp grille and metallic fillips. Previously, it sported SUV-like stylistic elements. Some features, like the road that goes nowhere and the cluttered, video game-like look of the dashboard and buttons, made us scratch our heads.
Even though the Sorento’s standard 191-horsepower four-cylinder engine delivers a more exciting driving experience and better control over its ride quality, its 281-horsepower turbo-4 does too, albeit at the expense of greater engine noise. Our recommendation goes to the 227-horsepower hybrid powertrain since it’s both efficient and quick enough. As soon as we get our hands on one of the upcoming plug-in hybrids, we can’t wait to see how it performs.
Four people may travel in luxury with the Sorento. If you sit in the center or back, you’ll understand why it’s best kept for rare occasions only. The fore and aft-sliding seats in the second row give almost as much support as the bucket seats up front. Several small-item storage compartments are included in every Sorento, and some versions even have USB ports built into the seatbacks.
Interior
Kia claims that the Sorento has seating for seven passengers. Four of them can be large if you want them to; the others should be medium or small. Its spacious cargo area and comfy seats give it an eight out of ten for comfort and practicality. The Sorento has a wheelbase of 110.8 inches, a length of 189.4 inches, and three rows of cloth-covered seats as standard equipment. All Sorento LX and above versions come standard with a motorized driver’s seat, as well as synthetic or real leather upholstery.
All of our Sorentos featured supportive front seats with a good mix of strong bolsters, long-distance comfort, and a stable driving position with ample lumbar cushioning. With 41.1 inches of legroom and appropriate headroom in the front, most people will be able to settle comfortably, surrounded by huge storage bins in the console and doors. Row two has 40.7 inches of legroom, with the option of a slidable bench seat or a pair of slidable captain’s chairs. Six-footers may sit next to one another with net pockets and USB ports for their carry-ons right next to each other.
There is just 29.6 inches of legroom in the third row, which may be opened by pressing a button. Only small parties and brief trips should use it. Improved load capacity of 45.0 cu ft behind the rear seats or 75.5 cu ft behind the front row is possible when the second row is folded down. Kia hasn’t made any improvements to the Sorento’s fit and finish since the last model year. Harder plastic and louder engines may be found on even the most costly versions. A more robust and sumptuous experience was had in previous versions.
Engine
The hybrid and turbo-4 versions are both speedy, but we weren’t able to test the car’s most popular powertrain, the 191-horsepower inline-4. We’d prefer any of the three alternative options based on the performance of that engine in other goods. Only when Sport mode is selected can the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 281 horsepower, 2.56 turbo-4 engine move the car from a standstill with authority. Low-speed misunderstanding causes the turbo-4’s link to the dual-clutch gearbox to be broken in Normal mode.
It’s sluggish, and when a request for power transfer comes in, it’s much slower. The powertrain’s reservations are removed in sport mode, and low ratios can be held for longer. The Sorento’s weight is too much for a turbo-4 to overcome. Empty, it weighs 3,979 pounds; with the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system and 20-inch wheels, the weight climbs to 4,065 pounds.
When it comes to efficiency, the Sorento Hybrid is better. In comparison to the Sorento’s more powerful 1.6-liter turbo-4 engine, its electric motors, battery pack, and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, it’s both smoother and slower, not to mention noisier. We were able to duplicate low-40s city fuel economy ratings during test rides. As a result, we can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the hybrid plug-in. With a 66.9-kilowatt electric engine and a 13.8-kilowatt-hour battery, it should accelerate faster than the hybrid alone, while also offering 32 miles of pure electric driving.
2024 Kia Sorento Release Date and Price
Among the many amenities of the $30,665 Kia Sorento LX are cloth upholstery, third-row seating, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All-wheel drive, a panoramic sunroof, and wireless smartphone charging round out the features of the $36,465 Sorento EX hybrid. It is possible, but not encouraged, to spend more than $55,000 on a house.