2023 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Kia has taken plenty of styling risks with models like the current-generation Sportage and Niro, but the design team played it safe with the Sorento. If you asked AI to come up with a generic midsize family SUV, it would probably look something like the current-generation Sorento. It’s still quite handsome, and it has some nice styling details such as the rear-pillar treatment and vent-like trim pieces on the front fenders. But take away the Kia badges and you’d be hard pressed to tell what brand of vehicle this is.

Still, it’s refreshing to see a crossover that doesn’t try to overcompensate with faux off-road costume jewelry or attention-grabbing styling elements like the current Toyota Highlander’s oversized grille. The Sorento is perfect for drivers who don’t need to show off, and that’s especially the case for the plug-in hybrid. The only telltales are small rear badges, model-specific 19-inch wheels, and a charge-port door located on the opposite side of the vehicle from the fuel door.

The interior is a bit more distinctive looking. Rather than just recapitulating design elements from other Kia models, the larger air vents framing the climate controls and big door handles give the cabin a distinctly SUV-like feel. While there is plenty of the typical metallic and piano-black plastic trim, diamond-pattern material on the dashboard and around the door handles makes for an interesting detail.

In Canada, the Kia Sorento PHEV is offered in three trim levels: EX, EX+, and SX. Our test unit is the U.S. equivalent of the top SX trim. Here, leather upholstery is standard, while synthetic leather is used on the Sorento PHEV’s two lower trims. Our test car’s combination of blue leather seats with a white steering wheel and door-panel trim was a pleasant surprise. It’s different from the usual colour palette of car interiors, without being garish.

The Sorento PHEV essentially uses a beefed up version of the Sorento Hybrid powertrain, with a bigger lithium-ion battery pack (14 kilowatt-hours, compared to one kWh for the Sorento Hybrid) and more powerful electric motor. That motor and a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder gas engine produce a combined 261 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, which is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Sorento PHEV isn’t exactly quick—Kia’s zero to 100 km/h estimate is an unremarkable 8.7 seconds—but we were nonetheless impressed by its acceleration considering the need for the small turbocharged engine, transmission, and electric motor to all work in perfect harmony to get the thing moving. It’s not a given that all of these components will work together so smoothly, but they did.

Like other modern Kia models, the current-generation Sorento does everything it can to banish memories of the bargain-basement cars that defined the brand’s early days. Anyone whose idea of Kia is still based on those vehicles will be shocked at how well the modern Sorento isolates road unpleasantries. It has an impressive feeling of solidity for a vehicle from a mainstream brand, and it provides very good ride quality. However, excessive body motion and imprecise steering mean the Sorento PHEV can lose its composure quickly. Those qualities also make it more satisfying to be a passenger than a driver; those looking for a more engaging driving experience should check out the 2024 Mazda CX-90.

Kia gave the Sorento PHEV a mechanical all-wheel drive (AWD) system, which doesn’t offer the fine control of torque like the system used in the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, which relies mostly on front and rear electric motors for propulsion. Nor does Kia’s system include a transfer case, like the more traditional four-wheel drive (4WD) system that gives the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe genuine off-road capability.

Speaking of the Grand Cherokee, that’s likely what you’ll need if you plan on towing with your plug-in hybrid. The Sorento PHEV is only rated to tow up to 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds), down from the 1,587-kilogram (3,500-pound) maximum towing capacity of the gasoline Sorento (that’s with an optional towing package that isn’t available on the plug-in hybrid). The Grand Cherokee 4xe can lug up to 2,720 kilograms (6,000 pounds) when properly equipped.

Kia sells the Sorento PHEV exclusively as a six-seater, with second-row captain’s chairs and a 50/50 split-folding two-seat third row. The Sorento is one of the few plug-in hybrids from a mainstream brand to offer three rows of seating.

Mitsubishi considers the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid’s third row to be for occasional use only. That leaves the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan and crossovers from prestige brands, such as the Volvo XC90 Recharge and Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring. One more competitor arrives for 2024 in the form of the Mazda CX-90, which aims for a spot between mainstream brands like Kia and the luxury brands.

Interior dimensions mostly carry over from the non-hybrid Sorento, albeit with slightly less second-row legroom. That still gives the Sorento PHEV about five centimetres of additional second-row legroom over the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, which otherwise comes fairly close to the Kia’s interior dimensions despite being considered a compact, rather than midsize, model.

As with most other three-row vehicles, the Sorento PHEV can’t carry its full complement of passengers and a lot of cargo at the same time. With the back seats in place, just 357 litres of cargo space is available. That grows to up to 1,274 litres with the third row folded, and 2,139 litres with the second and third rows folded. The Sorento PHEV offers a power liftgate, but not a power-folding third row. However, collapsing the rear seats is much easier than in the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid.

A tilt and telescopic steering column, heated steering wheel, 14-way power adjustable driver’s seat and 10-way power front passenger’s seat, and heated front seats are all standard. Heated 2nd-row seats, integrated 2nd-row sunshades, and a panoramic sunroof are included on the EX+ and SX. Ventilation for the front seats and an integrated memory system for the driver’s seat come in at the SX grade.

The Sorento PHEV SX comes standard with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.25-inch touchscreen with built-in navigation, but they’re placed side-by-side to give the appearance of one big screen. The 10.25-inch touchscreen is used in other Kia (and Hyundai) models, and as in those models, it includes Bluetooth but doesn’t support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You’ll need a cable to use those connectivity features. An 8-inch infotainment screen and analog instruments with a smaller TFT screen is the standard setup on the EX trim, while the EX+ gets the larger infotainment screen but not the digital instrument cluster. Wireless phone charging is standard, along with USB ports available across all three rows. An eight-speaker Bose audio system is included with the SX trim.

Aside from the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s little to complain about. Kia has adopted a sharp design theme for its infotainment systems that’s both distinctive and functional. There’s no need to dig through multiple menus for important functions, either. Certain Kia models, like the smaller Sportage crossover, combine climate and audio functions into one thin bar below the main touchscreen. The Sorento retains a full complement of analog controls for each set of functions.

Kia also keeps controls for the plug-in hybrid system simple. Some plug-in hybrids include multiple modes that, for example, allow the driver to save electric power for later and run exclusively in gasoline mode. The Sorento only includes Comfort, Eco, Sport, Smart, and Snow drive modes. It’s also possible to increase the force of the regenerative braking with paddle shifters. Some drivers might miss the plug-in hybrid-specific functionality, but others will find this setup reassuringly familiar. It’s much closer to a non-hybrid vehicle.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) doesn’t break out safety ratings for the plug-in hybrid, but, overall, the Sorento received the organization’s top “Good” score in all crash tests for the 2023 model year. Sorento models also received the highest scores for headlights and front-crash prevention systems—but only with optional features. The standard headlights received a “Poor” rating, but all versions of the Sorento PHEV sold in Canada ship with the higher-rated LED headlights. The standard front-crash prevention system received the second-highest “Advanced” score in the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian scenario. The higher-rated advanced forward collision avoidance assist system is included with the Sorento PHEV EX+ and SX.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) didn’t rate the 2023 Sorento PHEV, but gave decent scores to the gasoline and hybrid versions. Both received a four-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests, and five stars in side crash testing.

Kia also includes the expected array of driver assist features. Standard features on the Sorento PHEV include: lane-following assist, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Forward collision warning (with junction turning assist), safe exist assist, and rear occupant alert, which reminds the drivers to check the back seats for kids and pets before exiting, are included from the EX+ grade, as is navigation-based adaptive cruise control and Highway Drive Assist (which adds automated lane centring for highway driving). Surround-view and blind-spot-view camera systems are added on the SX. The latter, also available on other Kia and Hyundai models, shows a camera view in the instrument cluster when a turn signal is activated.

The 2023 Sorento PHEV SUV gets a Natural Resources Canada-rated 51 kilometres of electric range with a total fuel economy rating of 3.0 litres-equivalent per 100 kilometres combined. This allows the Kia Sorento PHEV to qualify for the full available amount of the federal iZEV rebate program as well as provincial incentive programs where they exist. The prices provided in this review do not reflect the available rebate amounts, so expect to pay $5,000 to $12,500 less than the listed manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), depending on where you live in Canada.

Kia estimates that it will take 3.5 hours to recharge the battery pack with the standard Level 2 AC charger (DC fast charging isn’t available). Let the battery run down, and the Sorento PHEV is rated at 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres combined in hybrid mode.

Pricing for the 2023 Kia Sorento PHEV as a new car starts at 50,583—including a $2,649 destination charge and other fees, which are not factored into price limits for EV sales incentive programs—for the Kia Sorento PHEV EX. For the Sorento PHEV EX+, the listed MSRP comes to $55,583 with fees, while the Sorento PHEV SX will cost $59,983. These prices do not factor the amount you’ll receive back in from EV rebate programs, which vary across Canada but include the federal $5,000 rebate at a minimum.

The Mitsubishi Outlander, meanwhile, is a better choice for buyers who want a plug-in hybrid first and a crossover second. NRCan estimates 61 kilometres of range and it offers DC fast charging (albeit with the less common CHAdeMO connector), and the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid is designed to drive more like an EV. Five trims are offered in Canada, starting from a new vehicle price of $46,538.

On the competition side, the Hyundai Santa Fe, which is closely related to the Sorento, is sold out in Canada in plug-in hybrid form for 2023. The new generation of Santa Fe launching in 2024 won’t initially offer a PHEV powertrain, either. At the other end of the spectrum, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe emphasizes traditional SUV attributes like towing and off-road capability. But it offers less electric range than the Sorento PHEV (42 kilometres) and starts at $77,880, meaning it doesn’t qualify for rebates. The 2024 Mazda CX-90 will also offer three rows and a plug-in hybrid powertrain with an estimated 42 kilometres of range and a starting price of $62,803. The CX-90 PHEV’s lower range qualifies it for partial amounts of the available EV incentives, but you won’t get the full rebates as you would with the Sorento PHEV.

For now, the Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid fulfills its mission. It’s both efficient and practical, it qualifies for substantial rebates, and its generous feature content and an attractive interior justify its relatively high base price.

Note: Images show a US model.