Kia Sorento

Kia offers exciting new option to Sorento

Andrew Walker

We really liked Kia’s latest Sorento when it arrived last year. However, for company car purposes, neither the petrol nor diesel variants were ticking any BIK boxes, so the arrival of a plug-in-hybrid Sorento with just 11% BIK is big news in our sector.

That BIK is driven by CO2 emissions of just 38g/km and equates to a 20% tax payer forking out £1,080 or a 40% tax payer £2,160 on the 4 spec per annum, compared to £2,713 or £5,426 in the 1.6 petrol. That’s a lot of money in your wallet.

You’re not compromising on appeal either. The Sorento has aggressive SUV looks with a larger grille than the previous version, vertical tail lamps which wrap around the side of the body and a dramatic rear tailgate with twin rear light clusters which look very ‘Bentayga’.

Inside there’s loads of on-trend tech KIA; even the entry level ‘2’ comes with 19” alloys, seven seats, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, tinted glass, roof rails, USB charge ports galore and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allied to an 8” touchscreen which incorporates DAB and a reversing camera.

There’s plenty of safety kit, too, including Hill-start Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist.

The cabin is spacious and the dashboard cocoons the driver into a comfortable driving position. Everything is very solidly made and the interior is finished to a very high quality.

Under the bonnet of the PHEV and you’ll find the same engine as the self-charging petrol Sorento, so six-speed automatic gear box with All Wheel Drive. But, it comes with a bit more power, 261 bhp, under the bonnet. In Sport mode you can reach 62mph in 8.4 seconds and go onto a top speed of 119 mph. Electric range is up to 35 miles on a single battery charge.

Steering is light and overall the Sorento offers quiet urban driving. The ride does feel firm, perhaps due to the car’s suspension, which has been set up to help control the increase in kerb weight created by the 140kg battery hidden under the floor.

The claimed electric range is 35 miles. Even when driving in town and keeping speeds under 40mph locally, we’d caution that 25-27 miles is a more realistic figure. Don’t use the battery on the motorway as the range will disappear instantly.

CC&V VERDICT

If you’re looking for a seven-seat SUV packed with kit and a low BIK, this is a great proposition CC&V RATING: N N N N