New 2024 Kia Sorento Models, Colors, Exterior – Kia is betting on a modest third-row seat to differentiate the Sorento from its platform-mate, the Hyundai Santa Fe, and some of today’s best-selling family wagons, such as the Ford Explorer and Lexus RX.
While the additional seats are noticeable on a spec sheet, the otherwise excellent Sorento performs better in five-seat mode, especially when equipped with the efficient hybrid powertrain seen in less expensive variants.
2024 Kia Sorento Redesign
This year, the 2024 Kia Sorento gains a plug-in hybrid powertrain. More models can now be customized with rugged-looking X-Line add-ons, and the majority of models now include a 10.3-inch touchscreen. We’re more perplexed than intrigued by the styling of the new Sorento. It formerly wore generically appealing SUV styling cues; today, it sports metallic fillips and a razor-mesh grille in an attempt to stand apart. You’re right, but we don’t know what to think about some of the road-to-nowhere details and the cluttered, gaming-style dash and controls.
The Sorento drives more engagingly and maintains firm control of its ride quality, but its base 191-horsepower the four-cylinder engine, won’t inspire much excitement. Its 281-horsepower turbo-4 does but at the cost of increased engine noise. Likewise, the 227-horsepower hybrid system earns our endorsement; it’s efficient and just fast enough. We can’t wait to test drive the new plug-in hybrid, which will use less fuel and have more power for a higher price.
The Sorento comfortably accommodates four adults. It has seven seats, but anyone in the middle row or back will understand why those seats are best reserved for special events. Second-row seats slide fore and aft on tracks and offer nearly as much support as the front buckets. All Sorentos include ample cargo space and several small-item storage compartments, not to mention nice extras such as USB connections integrated into the front seatbacks on some models.
Interior
According to 2024 Kia Sorento, the Sorento can seat seven people. If desired, four of them can be full-size; the remainder should be medium-sized or minor. It earns an eight for comfort and utility, owing to its comfortable seats and ample cargo room. With a length of 189.4 inches and a wheelbase of 110.8 inches, the Sorento comes standard with three rows of cloth-covered seats. All models above the Sorento LX include a power driver’s seat and synthetic or genuine leather upholstery, and the majority can be equipped with a power front passenger seat.
The Sorentos we’ve driven had supportive front seats that struck a decent balance between firm bolsters, long-distance comfort, a solid driving position, and adequate lumbar padding. With 41.1 inches of legroom and enough headroom upfront, most passengers will fit comfortably, surrounded by large storage bins in the console and doors. There are 40.7 inches of legroom in row two, with either a sliding bench seat or a pair of captain’s chairs that slide. This allows 6-foot-tall passengers to sit next to each other, with nearby net pockets and USB ports for their carry-ons.
The third row is accessed through a pushbutton, revealing an area with only 29.6 inches of legroom and a low-mounted seat bottom. It is intended for small groups and short journeys only. Even better, fold it down to increase the crossover’s 12.6 cubic feet of cargo space to up to 45.0 cubic feet behind the back seats or up to 75.5 cubic feet behind the front row. This time around, Kia has not improved the Sorento’s fit and finish. Even the most expensive models feature hard plastic, and the powertrains are noisier. Previous iterations felt more robust and opulent.
Engine
It’s quick enough in hybrid and turbo-4 form, but we weren’t able to test the base 191-horsepower inline-4 that accounts for the majority of its sales. We’d recommend any of the three other options based on the performance of that powerplant in comparable products. The Sorento’s 281-horsepower, 2.5-liter turbo-4 engine can propel the vehicle off the line with authority, as long as the drive-mode selector is set to Sport. In Normal mode, the turbo-4’s connection to the dual-clutch transmission becomes lost in low-speed confusion. It shifts slowly and does not respond quickly enough to calls for power transfer. Sport mode removes the powertrain’s reservations and also allows it to hold low ratios longer.
The Sorento Hybrid suits the efficient-family mood better. With 227 horsepower net from its 1.6-liter turbo-4 engine, electric motors, battery pack, and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, it’s both smoother and slower than the Sorento’s more powerful engine, not to mention louder. It does achieve city fuel efficiency numbers in the low 40s, which we were able to replicate during test drives. That is why we are anxious to get inside the plug-in hybrid. 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
The $30,665 Sorento LX is loaded with features, including cloth upholstery, three rows of seating, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We like the $36,465 Sorento EX hybrid model, which comes equipped with wireless smartphone charging, a panoramic sunroof, and all-wheel drive. It is feasible to spend more than $55,000, but it is not recommended.