Should you buy one?

Yes. If you want a spacious, tech-heavy, seven-seat SUV, the Kia Sorento is an easy car to recommend, and the 2024 car has improved what was aleady an excellent car. Its large cabin, efficient engines, comfortable seats, practical boot and arsenal of USB ports place it high on family buyers’ shopping lists. It even has some clever touches to rival the likes Skoda, such as that blind spot camera and those electrically folding rear seats.

However, there are rivals out there that can offer more than just practicality. The more compact Mercedes-Benz GLB is easier to pilot at the cost of interior space, while the Land Rover Discovery Sport is worth considering for its luxurious ride quality and unstoppable off-road capability. The new Skoda Kodiaq is more polished dynamically, and the SEAT Tarraco has much stronger finance offers.

But overall, the Sorento comes through as an extremely strong offering with little in the way of criticisms. The diesel model is clearly the one to have if you frequently cover long-distances or need to haul passengers, luggage and trailers. The plug-in hybrid is the most expensive, but it also offers the lowest benefit-in-kind rate. Plus, it’s quick, refined, and offers part-time zero-emission running.

What we like

The Sorento looks striking, it’s incredibly practical, it’s loaded with safety kit and it comes with all the latest interior technology. The plug-in hybrid also promises low running costs if you keep the battery charged up, and benefit-in-kind advantages. The diesel is a strong performer, offering a good mixture of performance and efficiency, as well as refinement once its rolling.

What we don’t like

Very little indeed. It’s not the most exciting SUV in the world, but who buys a seven-seater SUV for the thrill of driving? The diesel also lacks a bit of refinement at low speeds and makes this big Kia feel less polished than its quieter, electrically assisted contemporaries.