New 2024 Kia Sorento Changes, Price, Redesign – Kia hopes that the Sorento’s modest third-row seat will set it apart from its Hyundai Santa Fe platform-mate and some of the most popular family wagons on the market today. There’s little doubt that Sorento has more room, but it works even better in the five-seat mode because of the efficient hybrid powertrain in lower-priced variants.
2024 Kia Sorento Redesign
A plug-in hybrid engine will be available for the 2024 Kia Sorento this year. The X-Line add-ons are now available on more models, and the 10.3-inch touchscreen is now standard on most models. The new Sorento’s design confounds us more than it intrigues us. To stand out, it now has metallic fillips and a razor-sharp grille. Previously, it had generically beautiful SUV styling. Some of the road-to-nowhere elements and the cluttered, gaming-influenced dashboard and controls are obvious, but we’re unsure what to make of them.
The Sorento has a more engaging steering feel and a more stable ride, but its standard 191-hp 4-cylinder engine isn’t going to excite you. Although it has a 281-horsepower turbo-4, it comes with a higher engine noise level. The 227 hp hybrid earns our approval since it is both efficient and quick enough. The new plug-in hybrid promises better performance while consuming less gasoline to go along with its higher sticker price.
The Sorento has plenty of room for four people to sit comfortably. Only the most special of occasions will have these seven seats used, as will the middle and rear passengers. On some models, USB ports have been built into the front seatbacks of the second row, which slide fore and aft on tracks and provide about the same amount of support as the spacious bucket seats upfront. All Sorentos offer plenty of cargo space and several small-item storage options, too.
Interior
Seating for seven passengers is claimed by the 2024 Kia Sorento. Four of them can be made full-size if desired; the remainder should be medium or smaller in order to keep things simple. The nice seats and enough load room get it an 8 on the comfort and utility-scale. The Sorento has three rows of standard cloth seats in its base configuration, measuring 189.4 inches long by 110.8 inches wide by 110.8 inches high. A power driver’s seat is standard on every Sorento model above the LX, while most may be equipped with a power front passenger seat.
For long-distance comfort, the Sorentos we’ve driven had supportive front seats that struck the right mix between strong bolsters and enough lumbar cushioning. Almost everyone can fit comfortably in the front, thanks to the vehicle’s generous amount of head and legroom and the console’s and doors’ spacious storage compartments. Row two has 40.7 inches of legroom with a sliding bench seat or a pair of captain’s chairs, which are ideal for 6-foot-tall people to sit behind equally tall people, with net pouches and USB plugs nearby to hold their carry-on luggage.
Only 29.6 inches of legroom is available in the third row, which is accessed through a pushbutton. It is only ideal for small individuals and short vacations. To maximize the crossover’s 12.6 cubic feet of storage space, fold it down to increase the rear seats’ storage capacity to 45.0 cubic feet or 75.5 cubic feet behind the front row. This time around, Kia hasn’t improved the Sorento’s fit and finish. Even on the most expensive models, there is a noticeable amount of hard plastic, and the powertrains generate a lot more noise. Past editions have seemed more solid and richer than the current one.
Engine
However, we haven’t tested the 191-hp inline-4 that makes up the majority of the vehicle’s output, despite the fact that it accounts for a significant portion of sales. We’d recommend any of the three other options based on the performance of that powerplant in similar models. When the drive-mode selection is set to Sport, the Sorento’s 281-engine, 2.5-liter turbo-4 has plenty of grunt to get things moving. Low-speed misunderstanding interferes with the turbo-4’s connection to the dual-clutch gearbox in normal mode. It’s sluggish, and when you ask for power to be passed, it takes a long time.
For the engine to perform at its best, it has to be in Sport mode. In spite of the turbo-4, the Sorento is still a hefty 3,979 lb at the base, rising to 4,065 lb with the optional torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system and 20-inch wheels on board. More in keeping with the efficient-family theme is the Sorento Hybrid. Both are quieter and smoother than the Sorento’s 227 net horsepower from its 1.6-liter turbo-4, electric motors, battery pack, and 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. During our test drives, we were able to achieve city fuel efficiency values in the low 40s. Due to its 66.9-kilowatt electric motor and 13.8-kilowatt-hour battery, the plug-in hybrid should accelerate faster than the hybrid alone can while also promising 32 miles of all-electric driving.
2024 Kia Sorento Release Date and Price
The $30,665 Sorento LX has cloth upholstery, three rows of seats, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. All-wheel-drive, wireless smartphone charging, a panoramic sunroof, and a $36,465 starting price make the hybrid Sorento EX an appealing option. Spending more than $55,000 is an option, but it’s not recommended.