- The Kia Sorento is a Goldilocks SUV, with space for three rows of seating but a smaller footprint than most 3-row SUVs
- It was all new for 2021, so rather than reinventing it for the new model year, Kia has improved its safety equipment and added some convenience features
- All advanced driver assists are now standard, including rear cross-traffic alert
- Pricing for the 2023 Kia Sorento starts at $29,990 | Price it your way
- On sale now | See Kia Sorento models for sale near you
Many 3-row SUVs are big enough that driving them, after driving midsize cars and SUVs, requires a real adjustment. The 2023 Kia Sorento, however, threads a needle, driving like a 2-row SUV with seating for up to seven.
Kia brought us an all-new Sorento for the 2021 model year, so they haven’t needed to reinvent it for 2023. But, with a year of customer feedback on the stylish new design, Kia has added some convenience features and reconfigured the trim levels to match what buyers tended to ask for.
They’ve also expanded its roster of advanced driver assistance systems, which now includes blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and Safe Exit Assist.
New Driver Assists
Advanced driver assistance features have made their way down from luxury cars to more mainstream cars in recent years. But they’re not all the same.
Kia’s Drive Wise suite of advanced driver assistance features got strong reviews last year when it included Highway Driving Assist, automatic emergency braking, lane following assist, and more.
For 2023, Kia has extended it to include several new safety features, and most come standard with no added fee.
Blind-spot collision avoidance alerts can alert you of traffic in hard-to-see spots and even apply the brakes to help avoid a collision. An available Blind-Spot View Monitor also displays a live feed of the blind spots in the dashboard gauge cluster.
New rear cross-traffic collision avoidance technology can alert the driver of obstacles behind the vehicle while in reverse and even brake to avoid crossing traffic.
Safe Exit Assist uses the same sensors to keep you from accidentally opening a door into traffic. It works for front and rear doors and will activate the child locks, if necessary, to prevent an accident.
Livable New Conveniences
Kia designers have added thoughtful touches that make the Sorento easy to live with day-to-day.
Inexpensive S models for 2023 come with a standard wireless phone charging pad located in the center console.
All trims also get a standard 115-volt power inverter that can charge household items like laptops.
Retractable rear door shades are also now standard equipment – a convenience in a vehicle often used by families.
Two Kinds of Hybrid
Sorento shoppers might also want to consider Kia’s two hybrid Sorento models.
Hybrids used to mean compromises for added fuel economy. In 2023, that’s no longer true. The standard Sorento uses a 191-horsepower 4-cylinder engine good for 24 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway (with a slight penalty if you add all-wheel-drive). The 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid is more fuel-efficient (39 in the city and 35 on the highway). But it’s also zippier, with 227 horsepower.
A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model might appeal to those considering an electric vehicle. It can travel up to 32 miles on electric power alone before its gasoline engine even kicks in. For most families, that means it operates just like an electric car around town. But you can take road trips in the Sorento PHEV without worrying about range using its gasoline engine. At 261 horsepower, it’s almost the quickest Sorento.
Almost? There’s a 281 horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine available on EX, SX, SX Prestige, and SX Prestige X-Line models.
More 2023 Kia Sorento
Build and price your own 2023 Kia Sorento to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or see Sorento models for sale near you.
