2022 Kia Sorento PHEV.Handout
With the addition of electrified versions for 2022, the Kia Sorento family has grown to 11 members, but the plug-in hybrid model tested here stands out because it is the only (relatively) affordable, three-row, PHEV offered from a mainstream manufacturer.
The PHEV alone is offered in three trim grades – EX ($44,995), EX+ ($50,595) and this range-topping SX ($54,995) – all well below the $80,000-plus for luxury-brand alternatives.
If you want to cut your carbon footprint, but still want three rows of seating and can’t afford a luxury brand, it is this or the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
The Pacifica has more space, but is definitely still a minivan.
The Sorento is bigger than any compact crossover (including its Sportage sibling) but not quite big enough to fit the midsize mould – the Kia in that role is the 5-metre-long Telluride.
The EX+ trim adds safe exit assist and highway drive assist (Level 2 AD), plus a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation while the SX trim further adds reverse parking collision avoidance assist and a head-up display.Handout
As for the Sorento, its 177-horsepower gas engine partners with a 67-kW (90-horsepower) electric motor and a 14-kWh battery to yield a combined 261 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft of torque. Official maximum electric range is 51 km. Once the initial charge is depleted, hybrid mode delivers 6.7 L/100 km combined rating. For perspective, the gas-stingiest non-hybrid Sorento is rated at 9.7 L/100 km combined.
During our week’s test we planned to maximize our driving in EV mode, but a couple of issues thwarted that. One time we made a charge-management programming error and the Sorento only recouped 9 kilometres of range while plugged in overnight (recharge time is about 10.5 hours on 110V). Also, even in EV mode the gas engine may still report for duty at freeway speeds if you ask for more power than the motor alone can deliver. Plus, of course, some of our outings went further than the official 51-km EV range.
Predictably, cargo volumes sit between compact- and midsize-crossover norms, but closer to the latter.Handout
Nonetheless, we found that 51 km was achievable or even beatable in the right conditions (ambient temperature ranged between 5 and 17 degrees during our week). You can pre-condition the cabin temperature while charging, and there’s an electric auxiliary heater to maintain it. Over the full 408 km of our test, the trip computer reported an average gas consumption of 3.9 L/100 km (and would have been even better if we had fully recharged every night). In hybrid mode, consumption ranged between 6.5 and 8 L/100 km.
Any way you look at it, that’s impressive frugality for a three-row crossover. If your desire for a plug-in hybrid intersects with the need for up to six seats (only the lowest-trim gas Sorentos are seven-seaters), the Sorento may be your only affordable choice. But that doesn’t make it a Hobson’s choice. The Sorento is a pleasing package in its own right, satisfying to drive and richly equipped, with a comfortable, versatile interior. And if it’s smaller inside and out than most other three-rows, well, isn’t a reduced “footprint” the reason you’re shopping a plug-in hybrid in the first place?
Unlike most hybrids, the Sorento has a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission, so the performance feels normal, without the random rev surges of rivals with CVT trannies.Handout
Tech Specs
2022 Kia Sorento PHEV
Price: $44,995 – $54,995
Engine: 1.6-litre, 177-horsepower turbo four-cylinder engine/67-kW electric motor
Transmission: 6-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
Fuel consumption: EV Mode: 2.8 city/3.2 hwy. (L/100 km)
Hybrid Mode: 6.7 city/7.1 hwy.
Alternatives: (3-rows): PHEVs: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. HEVs: Ford Explorer Limited, Toyota Highlander
Looks
The Sorento is quite stylish, but in a generic way; it wouldn’t be instantly recognizable without the Kia grille and badge.
Interior
The driver’s office does better than most at enabling a tall-in-the-saddle posture for those who want it, and there’s little to fault in terms of visibility or minor-control user-friendliness. A full digital gauge cluster is standard on the SX trim. This driver did, however, find the seat padding rather hard – and I do not have a particularly sensitive spine.
Considering its sub-normal midsize envelope, the Sorento is passable as a three-row; the low-to-the-floor rear tier does enforce a knees-up posture, but with appropriate positioning of the sliding second-row captain’s chairs it is at least possible to host adults in all three rows, at least for occasional short-term occupancy (or longer if they’re people you don’t like.
Performance
Unlike most hybrids, the Sorento has a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission, so the performance feels normal, without the random rev surges of rivals with CVT trannies. Kia claims 0-100 km/h in a rather tepid 8.7 seconds, but in routine street driving it feels effortlessly quick thanks to the wealth of low-speed torque (the electric motor alone supplies 242 lb.-ft. from 0–2,100 rpm) and mechanical AWD traction to deploy it effectively.
The powertrain is almost silent driving in EV mode, but the under-hood sound track was a little disappointing when we did make the gas engine work hard. And although the loping sixth gear keeps the ICE subdued on the freeway (about 1,600 rpm at 120 km/h) the serenity is tainted somewhat by tire and wind noise. As for the firm-ish ride, that’s a small price to pay in exchange for the Sorento’s unexpectedly lithe handling; it steers and turns with a pleasing sense of responsive yet relaxed confidence and competence.
Technology
Even as alert-and-avert and autonomous-drive (AD) technologies become increasingly commonplace, the Sorento PHEV goes further than most, with standard features like intelligent speed limit assist and blind-spot collision avoidance assist. Wireless phone charging is standard, as well as UVO Telematics that lets you, among other jobs, remotely manage vehicle charging.
The EX+ trim adds safe exit assist and highway drive assist (Level 2 AD), plus a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation while the SX trim further adds reverse parking collision avoidance assist and a head-up display.
Cargo
Predictably, cargo volumes sit between compact- and midsize-crossover norms, but closer to the latter: 357 L with all seats up, 2139 L with all seats down, and ranging from 1,090 to 1,274 L behind the sliding second-row seats. The tow rating is 2,000 lbs. (properly equipped).
Verdict
A pleasant, practical and painless entrée into electrified automobility.
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