2025 Kia Sorento

SUVs are popular because of their versatility, and that’s precisely what the Kia Sorento delivers. It fits in the midsize SUV class but is the size of many midsize 2-row SUVs while providing standard 3-row seating. We love its many practical benefits, like good fuel economy, tons of standard safety features, and the best warranty in its class. Moreover, the popular turbocharged engine option makes the Sorento more exciting to drive than many true midsize SUVs. If you spring for the X-Pro model, it’s even a pretty good off-roader. The small-ish third row is best for occasional use, which is all some shoppers need.

Consider the Kia Sorento Hybrid or Sorento Plug-in Hybrid for even better fuel economy, each reviewed separately.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize SUVs, including the 2025 Kia Sorento.

Kia gave the Sorento a thorough midcycle refresh for 2024, and we liked it when we drove it. Due to the recent major updates, changes are minor for 2025. This year’s updates are limited to black badging for the X-Line and X-Pro trims and a new Panthera Metal paint option replacing the outgoing Gravity Gray option.

The Kia Sorento’s starting price reflects its status as slotting between the traditional compact and midsize SUVs segments. It’s less expensive than larger 3-row SUVs such as the Honda Pilot, Toyota  Highlander, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Traverse, and its own sibling the Kia Telluride. Yet its more than smaller 2-row SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Volkswagen Tiguan (which also offers a small third row). Perhaps its closest rival is a corporate cousin: the latest Hyundai Santa Fe has been revamped and also offers three rows as standard. That model starts slightly higher than the Sorento.

The Kia Sorento’s resale value is about average for the segment. Before buying a Sorento, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Recouping more money when you sell or trade in a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment for your 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-horsepower turbocharged unit. The enthusiast in us loves the quicker acceleration of the more powerful engine, and it 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.

We’ve found the efficient and quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmission paired with the turbo engine isn’t as smooth and seamless as others, but not to a deal-breaking degree.

The smaller Sorento is more nimble 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 are rated to return 26 mpg with the base engine. Adding all-wheel drive to the base engine drops that down to 25 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, 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 $45/month in fuel savings compared to the non-hybrid Sorento.

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 $50K.

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 a lot of screen real estate without making it overwhelming.

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 since captain’s chairs make the second row more comfortable and the third row easier to access.

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 a generous cargo hold with 38.5 cubic feet of space. Behind the third row is 12.6 cubic feet of cargo space (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-keep 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 they 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 adds a lot of convenience to loading and unloading the cargo area.

The Sorento is available with a choice of two 4-cylinder engines. The more popular of the two engines is turbocharged, significantly improving 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, reviewed separately.

Class-Leading Warranty

Kia’s warranty coverage is about 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.

Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the Kia Sorento the Top Safety Pick designation, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave it a perfect 5-Star overall rating. It gets these excellent scores for its favorable crash-test results and generous host of standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring.