2026 Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento presents an appealing proposition for families who can benefit from a third row of seats, but don’t need the extra seating every day. Many midsize SUVs are roomier inside, but they’re also more expensive and less efficient. The Sorento is in a sweet spot, being bigger than a compact SUV, but more affordable than a larger 3-row SUV. In addition to being just-right-sized for many families, it has a comfortable, high-tech interior, good fuel economy, and class-leading warranty coverage.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize SUVs, including the Kia Sorento.

The Kia Sorento rolls into the 2026 model year with no notable changes or updates.

The Kia Sorento is one of America’s most affordable 3-row SUVs. The Mitsubishi Outlander is a little cheaper, but it’s also smaller. Another similarly priced option in this class is the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Before buying a Sorento, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Kia Sorento resale value is about average for the segment. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The Kia Sorento’s standard 191-horsepower 4-cylinder engine gets the job done, but most buyers go with the more satisfying 281-hp turbocharged unit. Only the LX and S trims use the non-turbo engine. Both mills match an 8-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD).

The enthusiast in us loves the quicker acceleration of the more powerful engine. It also has the practical perk of more towing capacity (up to 4,000 pounds) while returning almost the same fuel economy as the base engine. And while a full load of people and/or cargo can render the base engine a bit underpowered, the turbo remains relatively unphased.

Being on the smaller side of its class, the Sorento is nimbler around town and in parking lots than most 3-row SUVs, which we count among its key advantages. It’s also about as comfortable on the highway as anything in the segment. For buyers who only occasionally load up more than five people and spend a lot of time navigating parking lots, the Sorento can be an easier way to move about the world.

Fuel Economy

Front-wheel-drive Kia Sorento models return up to 23 city/31 highway/26 combined mpg. When upgrading to all-wheel drive (AWD), those ratings drop to 23 city/28 highway/25 combined mpg. The available turbo engine is still pretty efficient, getting 23 combined mpg with both front- and all-wheel drive. Also, it doesn’t require premium gas like some turbos, so the fuel costs between the two engines aren’t drastically different.

Check out the Sorento Hybrid for better efficiency, which gets up to 36 mpg combined. According to EPA estimates, it results in about $41/month in fuel savings compared to the non-hybrid Sorento. There’s also a Sorento Plug-in Hybrid that goes 31 miles on electricity alone and gets 33 combined mpg with a depleted battery.

The Kia Sorento’s strong value proposition doesn’t just apply to the lower trims. This SUV gets very nice in the upper trims, with features like quilted leather seats, open-pore wood trim, and a bright satin finish that we’re impressed to find in an SUV for under $50,000.

Standard infotainment features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. The SX and SX Prestige trims take the tech up a notch with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. We think Kia does a great job implementing much screen real estate without overwhelming the space.

Seating for seven is standard in the Sorento. Turbocharged models get second-row captain’s chairs, which drops the total seating capacity to six. We consider it a worthwhile trade-off for most buyers since captain’s chairs make the second row more comfortable and the third row more accessible.

Interior space is generous in the first two rows, with plenty of legroom and headroom. However, we didn’t have much room when we climbed into the third row; these seats are best reserved for children. The Sorento has 29.6 inches of third-row legroom, while the bigger Kia Telluride has 31.4 inches. That extra 1.8 inches goes a long way.

Cargo space is tight when all three rows are in place. As in all SUVs, folding down seats yields more cargo space. With the third row folded down, you get generous cargo room with 38.5 cubic feet of space. Behind the third row is a small 12.6-cubic-foot cargo hold (versus 21 cubic feet in the Telluride).

The Kia Sorento’s exterior styling was refreshed in 2024, striking a nice balance of rugged and modern. Its ruggedness increases with the X-Line models, adding an extra inch of ride height, roof rails, and an off-road appearance package with skid plates.

Kia Drive Wise
The standard Kia Drive Wise safety tech suite on every Sorento includes automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, driver attention warning, and more.

Second-row captain’s chairs
Every Sorento with a turbocharged engine comes with second-row captain’s chairs. These not only make the second row more comfortable but also make the third row easier to access.

Exciting turbo engine
The available turbocharged engine is the more popular choice for good reasons. It dramatically improves the performance of the Sorento with only a minor fuel economy penalty.

X-Line package
The X-Line models in the Sorento lineup add a rugged appearance package with an extra inch of ground clearance, high-utility roof rails, and unique wheels and bumpers. They all come standard with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive for added capability.

User-friendly infotainment system
Every Kia Sorento has a user-friendly and feature-rich infotainment system. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, and a few available upgrades include navigation, a Bose audio system, and a wireless charging pad.

Smart Power Tailgate
The EX trim and up have a handy Smart Power Tailgate, allowing hands-free opening and closing. This function adds a lot of convenience to loading and unloading the cargo area.

The Sorento is available with two 4-cylinder engines, both of which have 2.5-liter displacement. The more popular of the two engines is turbocharged, which significantly improves performance and max towing capacity. With both engines, front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional.

Although both engines use an 8-speed automatic transmission, they’re not identical; the turbo engine’s gearbox is a dual-clutch. The Sorento is also available with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, which we review separately.

Class-Leading Warranty

Kia’s warranty coverage is as good as it gets. The Sorento is backed by a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. That’s industry-leading warranty coverage, but it’s tied with its two top competitors: the Hyundai Santa Fe and Mitsubishi Outlander.

Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the Kia Sorento the Top Safety Pick designation in 2024; however, changes in testing protocols disqualified it for 2025 and 2026. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave it a perfect 5-Star overall rating. Moreover, it provides a generous host of advanced standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring.