Eric's Autos: 2025 Kia Sorento

A couple of months ago, I reviewed the plug-in hybrid version of the Kia Sorento crossover and compared it with its Hyundai-badged fraternal twin, the Sante Fe.

This week, the comparison's with the non-hybrid version of the Sorento.

What It Is

The Sorento is one of just three small crossovers that has room for seven rather than just five because it comes standard with a third row. The other two compact, three-row crossovers are the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Mitsubishi Outlander -- and the difference there is that neither of these two are available with an optional engine. Much less a nearly 300-horsepower optional engine.

The Sorento is also available in hybrid and plug-in hybrid configurations -- which the Tiggy isn't (the Outlander is available in plug-in hybrid form).

This review will focus on the differences between the non-hybrid Sorento and the hybrid version -- starting with the prices of each.

The hybrid Sorento starts at $38,690 for the base EX trim; it's a conventional hybrid that uses the engine to charge the battery pack, which supplies power to run the accessories when the engine is cycled off. The plug-in hybrid (which can be driven for about 30 miles on battery power alone) stickers for $47,990 to start. These both come standard with a 1.6-liter engine.

The non-hybrid comes standard with a larger 2.5-liter engine -- without a turbo. It lists for $31,990 to start for the LX trim.

The non-hybrid Sorento is also available in several other trims that aren't offered with either of the hybrids, including X-Pro (MSRP $47,390), which includes a center-locking differential and a set of 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires that increase the Sorento's grip on snow-slicked roads as well as roads that aren't paved.

Another big difference is the turbocharged, 281-horsepower iteration of the 2.5-liter engine that's available in the non-hybrid Sorento. It's standard in EX and higher trims, including the top-of-the-line X-Pro. It's a much larger engine than the hybrids' (both versions) 1.6-liter engine -- and it makes more power.

Naturally, it burns more gas.

You'll have to decide whether saving on gas is worth spending thousands more for either iteration of the hybrid Sorento. And whether spending $6,100 more to jump from the base LX trim of the non-hybrid to an EX trim (in order to get that 281-horsepower engine) is worth the expense.

Then you'll have to decide whether it might be worth the nearly $50,000 it costs to buy the plug-in version -- and whether the $9,300 bump in price versus the non-plug-in hybrid is worth being able to drive about 30 miles on battery power alone.

What's New for 2025

The Sorento carries on into 2025 unchanged.

What's Good

-- Available 281-horsepower engine uses only a little more gas than the standard 191-horsepower engine.

-- Standard engine is big enough to not need a turbo to make adequate power.

-- Room for seven in a compact package.

What's Not So Good

-- 281-horsepower engine only available in the more expensive trims.

-- Base LX trim is not available with all-wheel drive; if you want that, you have to step up to the S trim and then add AWD, which boosts the MSRP to $36,890 (a $4,900 price bump to get AWD).

-- The other two small crossovers with third rows -- VW's Tiguan ($28,880) and the Mitsubishi Outlander ($28,395) -- both cost a couple thousand less to start.

Under the Hood

LX and S trims come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that doesn't need a turbocharger because it's a big enough engine all by itself. It makes 191 horsepower and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base LX is front-wheel drive only, but you can opt for AWD by moving up to the S and higher trims.

The Sorento is available with a turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter four that makes 281 horsepower and 311 foot-pounds of torque. It is by far the strongest engine you can get in a small crossover that offers third-row seating.

The plug-in hybrid comes standard with a much smaller (1.6-liter) four-cylinder engine augmented by an electric motor and battery pack. The combo makes 227 horsepower and averages 36 mpg, which works out to a roughly 9-mpg overall increase versus the non-hybrid Sorento with the 2.5-liter engine (no turbo) and about a 13-mpg increase versus the Sorento with the turbocharged (281-horsepower) 2.5-liter engine.

You also get 36 more horsepower from the hybrid versus the non-hybrid Sorento with the non-turbo 2.5-liter engine, although the gain in power is offset by the higher curb weight of the hybrid versus the non-hybrid.

The plug-in hybrid ups the horsepower ante to 261 -- just 20 shy of the output of the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine available in the higher-trim Sorento non-hybrids. And you can drive the plug-in for about 30 miles without burning any gas, assuming you charged the battery up before your drive.

On the Road

The Sorento has three things going for it -- the first being that its standard engine has enough power to get it moving adequately without needing a boost from a turbo.

The second is that its optional engine has more than enough power -- which gets it moving very quickly (0-60 mph in 6 seconds).

The third thing -- and it isn't a small thing -- is that the Sorento does not come standard with a continuously variable transmission. This means it does not feel like the transmission is slipping when the Sorento is accelerating. And the engine isn't red-lining and sounding like it's going to chuck pistons through the hood. It also probably means you won't be buying a new transmission after the warranty runs out -- because transmissions that aren't CVTs usually hold up for the life of the vehicle, while CVTs tend to come apart shortly after the warranty coverage expires.

So there's that.

If you like the idea of the hybrid layout, there's that too.

At the Curb

There are so many crossovers on the market -- and they are so much alike -- that deciding which one to pick comes down to "eeny, meeny, miny, moe." Or maybe just brand loyalty. But there are some differences here and there.

The big one, here, is the extra row -- versus the "two rows only" that come in all the other small crossovers except the VW Tiguan and the Mitsubishi Outlander. It's a big deal because it makes the Sorento -- as well as its VW and Mitsu rivals -- a small crossover for a big family. Or even a family that only has two kids. Because those kids will have friends, and where are they going to sit?

The main compromise is that with the third row in use, there's less space (12.6 cubic feet) behind it for stuff than you'd have in a midsize crossover that's a little bit longer. But there may be enough space for you. And if you're not using the third row for passengers, the available space for stuff opens up to 75.5 cubic feet -- a lot of space to carry home boxes and other things when you're not carrying around a bunch of kids.

The Rest

As mentioned earlier, there are several things you can get with the non-hybrid Sorento that you can't get with either iteration of the hybrid -- including the slightly off-roady X-Pro trim that is centered on a set of 17-inch wheels shod with grippier all-terrain tires that make this version of this small crossover a bit more off-roady.

The Bottom Line

The big dilemma here isn't deciding which crossover is right for you. It is deciding which iteration of this crossover is right for you.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.