2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 Kia Sorento

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was a striking presence on the road, with its bold design inspired by the Toyota Tundra pickup truck. The SUV's exterior featured a traditional grille and front bumper, which distinguished it from the Tundra's more unconventional look. Inside, the Sequoia shared many design elements with the Tundra, offering an industrial yet upscale feel, especially in the Capstone trim. This top-tier version boasted a luxurious cream white-over-black two-tone interior, dominated by a massive 14-inch infotainment system. However, despite its premium appearance, some materials reminded occupants of its pickup truck origins. The Sequoia lineup included various trims, each catering to different preferences, from off-road enthusiasts to those seeking luxury.

In contrast, the 2024 Kia Sorento underwent a significant visual update, aligning it more closely with its Kia siblings like the Telluride and EV9. The Sorento's exterior featured a robust new front end with vertically stacked LED headlights and wing-like daytime running lights, giving it a more imposing presence. The rear received subtle updates, including new bumpers and LED taillights on higher trims. Inside, the Sorento's cabin was modern and upscale, with a redesigned dashboard and improved materials. The infotainment and gauge displays were integrated into a single pane of glass, providing a clean and contemporary look. The Sorento's interior offered comfort and style, with options for premium materials and features like ventilated front seats and a brown interior colour for added character.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a powerful hybrid powertrain, featuring a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and an electric motor/generator. This setup delivered an impressive 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, making it a formidable performer. The Sequoia's towing capacity was notably higher than its predecessor, with a maximum rating of 4,137 kilograms in Canada. Fuel efficiency also improved, with a combined rating of 11.7 L/100 km for 4WD models. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences. However, the ride quality could be busy and jittery in certain modes, and the steering was slow, requiring effort in tight manoeuvres.

The 2024 Kia Sorento retained most of its mechanical components, with the base engine being a 2.5-litre four-cylinder producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. While this engine struggled with the Sorento's weight, higher trims featured a turbocharged 2.5-litre engine delivering 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. This turbocharged version provided lively performance and ample passing power. All Sorentos in Canada came with all-wheel drive, and the X-Line and X-Pro trims offered increased ground clearance for light off-road capability. The Sorento's ride was generally smooth and quiet, with well-weighted steering and confident cornering. The X-Pro trim excelled in challenging conditions, offering improved engine cooling and a towing capacity of 2,040 kilograms. Fuel economy for the gas-powered Sorentos was average for the class, with combined ratings of 9.4 L/100 km for non-turbo models and 10.3 L/100 km for turbos.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a comfortable cabin with features like soft leather upholstery, a JBL premium audio system, and a triple-zone climate control system. The front seats were particularly comfortable, and the wide, padded door panel shelf provided a convenient resting place for long drives. However, the Sequoia's interior space was compromised by its hybrid powertrain, resulting in reduced cargo capacity compared to its predecessor. The third-row seat was less comfortable, with limited thigh support and legroom. Cargo space was limited, with only 325 litres available with the third row in use, expandable to 631 litres by sliding the seat forward. Folding the third-row seats increased capacity to 1,387 litres, but this was still less than the previous model.

The 2024 Kia Sorento offered a comfortable and modern cabin, with ample legroom in the first two rows. The front seats provided 1,052 millimetres of legroom, while the second row offered 1,060 millimetres. The third row was tighter, with 752 millimetres of legroom, but it was still more spacious than some competitors. The Sorento's interior featured noise-insulating acoustic glass on higher trims, enhancing comfort. The optional captain's chairs in the second row allowed for easy access to the third row. Cargo space was limited with the third row in use, offering 357 litres, but folding it down expanded capacity to 1,090 to 1,274 litres, depending on the configuration. With all seats down, the Sorento provided up to 2,139 litres of cargo space, making it competitive in its class.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with a standard 8-inch touchscreen on the base trim and a 14-inch touchscreen on higher trims. The system was intuitive and included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, glare on the display was an issue, especially in the Capstone trim. The system allowed for multiple user accounts and included an Intelligent Assistant for voice commands. The Capstone trim also featured a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system. The Sequoia's parking sensors and automatic rear braking system were effective in preventing accidents.

The 2024 Kia Sorento introduced a single-pane, twin-screen setup for its gauge and infotainment displays. All models featured a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, with higher trims offering a second 12.3-inch digital display. The new infotainment system, called "Connected Car Navigation Cockpit" (CCnC), prioritized popular features and offered a user-friendly interface. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, and the system supported over-the-air updates. The Sorento also included USB-C outlets in all three rows and an auxiliary jack for older devices. Higher trims featured a Bose 12-speaker surround sound system, and the X-Line Limited and X-Pro models offered Digital Key 2.0 for keyless access and sharing.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5), which included a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance features. Standard features included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, and road sign recognition. The Sequoia also featured blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. While crash test ratings were not available, the Sequoia's platform shared with the Tundra, which received high ratings from the IIHS.

The 2024 Kia Sorento offered an extensive suite of active safety features, with standard and optional systems. Standard features included adaptive cruise control with stop and go, forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-following and lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert with emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Optional features included navigation-based adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist, and Highway Driving Assist 2 with automated lane changes. The Sorento's adaptive cruise control systems were designed to learn from driver behaviour and maintain precise distances. The Sorento had not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS, but it received "Good" ratings in several tests.