If you find yourself confused, having narrowed your 7-seat SUV search to the Kia Sorento, about which variant to go with, fear not. There might be four different trims and three powertrains, but we’re here to help you decide.
We’ve jumped in the upper mid-spec Sport+ V6 petrol offering to check things out. The line-up starts with the S, before stepping up to the Sport and then this model, which is priced from $61,990 drive away. A GT-Line sits above it.
Tested here in Aurora Black, the Sport+ Sorento, which is front-wheel drive, surprises when you first get behind the wheel. The steering is very light for a large SUV, especially compared to its all-wheel drive siblings.
Power delivery is that bit more on demand than the diesel options, with the 3.5-litre V6 making 200kW and 332Nm, and while it feeds on quite nicely, it can be a bit spritely with a heavier right foot. Regardless, it has a nice exhaust note when you do so.
Road comfort is good, and the 19-inch wheels and tyres do a good job of handling various road surfaces. The brakes do feel a little touchy though, with the suspension doing an okay job of ironing out uneven road surfaces.
Externally, Kia has revised the look of the Sorento, with squared off angles like those on the EV9 now apparent here too. It’s most evident in the big, right angular head and taillights. That said, it retains the purposeful appearance of the pre-facelift car.
We’re not sure we love the black paint, even if it does look great with the black and silver machined alloys. It’s the road grime that you can see that does it for us. That said, there’s also Clear White, Silky Silver, Steel Grey, Mineral Blue and Gravity Blue.
Snow White Pearl, Volcanic Sand Brown and Cityscape Green can also be had. Some chrome trim pieces in the front fender and the rear quarter are highlighted that little bit more against the black, without looking cheap or tacky though.
Inside, everything feels well put together and purposeful. The big cupholders in the doors look chunky, but are not likely to spill your drink any time soon. The gear selector comes from higher-end Genesis vehicles, and is minimalistic, yet classy.
The same cannot be said of the drive mode selector, which somehow feels quite cheap in comparison. Two large 12.3-inch screens make up the instrument and infotainment displays, keeping the front row looking modern.
The instrument cluster is basic but informative, and the colours change when selecting different drive modes. The graphics do a decent job of mimicking a speedo and tacho, but there aren’t any numbers on the outer edge, making them a little impractical.
There’s black leather throughout in the Sport+, which feels nice and offers enough comfort for the most-part. The front row features a heated steering wheel and seats, while the second row gets sunshades built into the doors.
All rows score USB connectivity and climate controls. Space in that last row is quite limited, especially with the roof line and hatch reducing headroom, making it a child-only proposition. The second row is quite decent though, with a sliding base and reclining.
Boot space starts at a modest sounding 179-litres for your basic shopping in 7-seat mode, and opens up to 608-litres with the third row down, and 1,996-litres with the second row flat as well.
Lowering and raising the second and third rows is made easy with the press of a button and some pull straps – which proved quite useful when we picked up some dining chairs that fit quite comfortably in the rear.
Across all five rear seats are tether points for child seats, with ISOFIX connectors in four of them. Audio is fed through a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system that includes a subwoofer. Native sat-nav is provided and comes with 10-years of traffic updates.
Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay offer a decent alternative, as well as access to your own music or podcasts. The Sport+ does miss out on a wireless charging pad however, so you’ll need to plug in via a cable.
What it does grab is a decent array of safety tech, including blind spot monitoring and lane keep assist. The latter will vibrate the steering wheel and sound an audible tone should you go astray. It also comes with an SOS button in the overhead console, should you need it.
Kia’s 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty features, with scheduled servicing every 12 months or 15,000km. The 2024 Kia Sorento Sport+ offers a family friendly, robust but capable 7-seater SUV that has enough creature comforts to stand out from the crowd.
It makes a compelling argument to save a few dollars over the range-topping GT-Line and still have a car that can haul the family around in comfort, safety and style. You can find out more from the Kia Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership.
To get a low rate finance quote on your next vehicle purchase, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Kia Australia for independent review purposes.
