Kia Sorento PHEV is an easy car to get along with

Kia Sorento PHEV drive by Steve Rogers

Not so long ago Kia was shaking up the car industry. Reasonably priced, well built and with a ground-breaking seven year warranty.

From humble beginnings the Korean company has become an unstoppable force always ahead of the game, the strength of its electric car range is a case in point. But, there is always a but, does it have what it takes to fend off the cut price Chinese onslaught?

Sorento is a good example of how things have been turned on their head. Go back a year or so and it would be lauded as one of the best value seven seaters on the market. And then the Chinese arrived. The likes of Chery Tiggo 9 and the MG S9, a contender for my car of the year, have come along with plug-in hybrids at a fraction of the price of not just the Kia but every other seven seater outside their own market.

So how is Kia meeting the challenge? Let’s be clear, the Sorento is a fine car in all sorts of ways and the telling factor for me is that it is an easy car to get on with. If the Chinese models have one big fault it is that they can be bland and complicated. You are basically faced with two screens and have to get on with it.

Sorento, on the other hand, has arguably the best dashboard layout I have come across with a curved wide screen split into two 12.3in sections, driver’s display and central touchscreen. The driver’s display is big and bold with several steering wheel buttons to select a wad of information.

Sounds complicated but it’s not, although it might take a little time to find some of the clever short cut features like holding down the volume control to turn off the overspeed beep. Actually I found that useful and left it on. And there is a button to turn off lane hold rather than dabbing through the touchscreen menus.

Below is a clever mini touchscreen strip which alternates between quick keys for the radio and such like, or heating selections. Or just be lazy and use voice control for navigation destinations, changing the heating settings or radio stations. See what I mean about being easy to live with.

The most useful feature on the central screen takes the stress out of keeping within the limit on long stretches with an average speed camera. It monitors and displays your speed at all times, particularly useful on A roads where you are reluctant to overtake a slower driver for fear of being over the limit at the end.

Is Sorento really big enough to take seven people? The short answer is ‘yes’ because I put two adults in the third row who were satisfied with leg room and the full size seats while I had ample legroom sitting in the middle row.

Getting in and out is relatively easy as well thanks to a one touch button with a motor to tilt and shift the middle row forward. At 4.8 metres long there is a mound of space with all back seats levelled, sleep there if you like, or take advantage of huge boot space as a five seater.

An area where Sorento steals a march on Chinese rivals is ride comfort and driving enjoyment. With self levelling rear suspension, it absorbs everything our rubbish roads throw up while all wheel drive offers up sure footed handling. Remember this is family transport not a rally car but is still surprisingly steady through twisting roads considering its bulk.

If there is a drawback it is the miserly 34 miles of electric range. Kia has opted for a 13.8kW battery while rivals go bigger and therefore achieve more miles on electric, 63 for the MG S9 and 91 for Tiggo 9, but the extra battery weight carries a penalty making Sorento a better car to drive.

For a big all wheel drive the Sorento’s 1.6 litre engine packs a punch and outguns the MG on horsepower. Once down to petrol power only expect low forties to the gallon, I averaged 44mpg over 500 miles and shaded 50mpg on a couple of motorway runs which goes to show how petrol efficiency has soared in the last decade. Diesel is very much a thing of the past although Kia still offers it.

In all but price Sorento matches or betters its Chinese rivals particularly on driver safety aids, comfort, layout and, for the moment reputation and reliability,

My choice is Evolve, in the middle of the range, because it has everything you need.

Fast facts

Sorento Evolve PHEV AWD

£52,655 (starts £48,425)

1.6 litre 6sp auto, 283bhp

0-62mph 8secs; 128mph

Battery 13.8kW

72.4mpg with electric boost

35g/km. 1st VED £115

Boot: 809-1988 litres

Insurance group 36

Towing: 1700kg