Kia Sorento (2025) First Drive Review

Kia is mounting a formidable defence against the wave of Chinese, Japanese, European and other Korean brands eager to carve out their slice of the South African market. With Kia's latest Sorento, a luxury seven-seater SUV, the pricing initially seems excessive until you get into the comfy driver's seat and experience the vastness of luxury, tech, spec, design, and general user-friendliness.

What's new, design-wise?

The Sorento looks more streamlined, and the 'tiger nose' grille is less pronounced, but has more texture.

While remaining in its fourth generation, the Kia Sorento has undergone a rejuvenation treatment that transforms what could have been just another family van on steroids into something quite striking.

Buying used? Read: Everything you need to know about the 2022 Sorento.

The taillights have been revised as well as the lower bumper.

The designers have given the Sorento a higher bonnet for a more muscular stance, while contemporary touches like those distinctive vertical headlights and bold new grille create a presence that commands respect in the school pickup queue. (Check out images and our review of the 2022 Sorento model here.)

A look that makes a statement, without overdoing things.

Sculpted side fenders and standard 20-inch wheels give the Sorento impressive road presence. At the rear, the taillights have been updated while a rear skid plate underscores the Sorento's outdoorsy intentions. It's a mean, premium-looking SUV.

The side profile looks distinguished and posh; we love the chrome detailing!

Inside the Sorento

Slide into the driver's seat, and you'll notice how luxurious and spacious everything feels. The panoramic moonroof, standard on all models, creates an airiness inside. The black headliner and metal pedals add glamour, while textured accents in the corners and smatterings of chrome make for a more interesting interior. 

Related: 2022 Sorento and Carnival launch report

The new model's centre stack seems much more organised, and below the touchscreen, you can toggle between air conditioning and music settings.

While the basic architecture remains familiar, Kia has elevated the ambience with subtle mood lighting throughout the cabin and a redesigned shift-by-wire gear selector. Overall, the look is cleaner and less cluttered. 

There's still space for days inside the Sorento.

The already impressive tech suite has been upgraded, too: the previous 10.25-inch infotainment screen has grown to 12.3 inches, and there's now a digital rear-view mirror and more advanced USB-C charging ports throughout all three rows. The system integrates seamlessly with an iPhone or Android phone (wirelessly), and the new infotainment layout works marvellously.

The roominess knows no bounds in row two.

2025 Kia Sorento lineup

The trim structure has been simplified, dropping the EX+ AWD option from the previous lineup. Prices reflect a substantial premium over the outgoing model; however, the last model was released three years ago, so this was to be expected. 

The entry-level EX+ 2WD now starts at R999,995 (up from R809,995 on launch in 2022), while the range-topping SXL AWD will set you back R1,299,995 (compared to R988,995 for the previous flagship).

The addition of a new front centre airbag boosts safety. The Forward Collision-Avoidance system now includes clever features like Junction Turning, Crossing, and Evasive Steering Assist.

The good news is that the tried-and-tested 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine producing 148kW and 440Nm remains, paired with that smooth-shifting 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. The impressive warranty and maintenance plan also remain unchanged, making a relatively new, pre-loved Sorento a sensible choice.

With the rearmost seats not in use, the boot space is endless.

Driving the Sorento

We drove the mid-spec model, namely the SX AWD 8DCT at just under R1.2-million. In my 2022 review I mentioned how smooth the drive is, and my time behind the wheel reiterated this.

From the moment we pulled away from Cape Town International, the eight-speed wet dual-clutch delivered seamless shifts, while the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine settled into a refined idle that's barely audible.

Ergonomics are top-notch and the entire system is highly intuitive.

The highway stretch toward Sir Lowry's pass reveals the Sorento's sweet spot: effortless cruising with the 440Nm of torque arriving early and staying strong. 

Traversing Sir Lowry's pass, the Sorento never felt laboured despite the seven-seat bulk. The transmission is smart enough to drop down a gear before you even ask, and the all-wheel-drive system operates invisibly. Through Houwhoek's tighter sections, the steering proved well-weighted, while the suspension soaks up those patches where the Western Cape municipality filled potholes. 

Should you have off-road aspirations, the mid- and top-spec Sorentos get Kia's Terrain Mode system, which adapts the all-wheel-drive setup for different surfaces. You'll find a dial on the centre console that lets you select between modes for mud, snow, and sand conditions.

If you're up for a bit of rock crawling at Rust De Winter however, you should rather opt for an SUV with a ladder-frame chassis like a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (the 2.8 GD TX goes for R1 328 900).

There is still a variety of off-road settings to choose from in AWD models.

The flowing bends of the Karwyderskraal road showcased the Sorento at its best: surefooted around sweeping bends and corners, the diesel purring contentedly. This is proper family SUV territory where comfort trumps cornering speeds, and the Sorento nails it. The seat comfort is genuinely impressive, with minimal fatigue after hours on the road, and on cold days you can switch on the seat heaters (and heat the steering wheel), which we did.

With a whole suite of semi-autonomous driving technology, the Sorento is almost able to drive itself, but due to our legislation you still have to have your hands on the steering wheel from time to time. We're not saying you should use this time to fix your makeup, but it definitely takes the hard labour out of driving. I was quite surprised how well the Sorento coped with no hands and no feet; I set the adaptive cruise control to 120km/h and the Sorento did the rest, making its way smoothly around sharper bends without any driver input. Colour me impressed!

Competitors

Kia makes no bones about it: The Sorento is premium and refined enough to take on ze Germans, like the BMW X3 20d xDrive and Mercedes-Benz GLC 220d 4MATIC, which are five-seaters in the same price range, but its biggest rival is from its sister company Hyundai, namely the 1.6-litre, petrol-electric hybrid Santa Fe. 

While South Africans are slowly becoming used to the hybrid life (just look how well the the smaller Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid is selling, even though ICE models still lead by volume), most large SUV buyers will agree that diesel is preferable, especially when towing a caravan or driving long distances. The Santa Fe's towing capacity is 1650 kg (braked) vs. the Sorento's 2500 kg.

Then, there's also the running cost comparison; the diesel engine is more efficient on road-trips, while hybrids do better at urban life.

Hyundai's Palisade (updated in 2023) also sports a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, but the new Sorento has a few advantages over this model.

Does the Sorento rule the roost? It has so much going for it!

Spec and tech in the 3 Sorento variants

The outgoing Sorento was specified to the hilt, but the latest model takes it to a whole new level. Take a look!

Rear passengers will be chauffeured in comfort and style.

The verdict

The Kias in the upper echelons have become aspirational cars over the years and the latest Sorento is playing in the big leagues. There's no need to buy German to gain this sort of refinement, because Kia is at the top of their game.

As for its rivals from Japan like the Land Cruiser Prado? The Sorento SX may not be an expedition vehicle, but it handles most of what families do on a daily basis with more luxury and tech at a lower price point.

Did you know?

There will be plenty more Kias coming our way in 2025 and 2026, including the the new Kia Carens which has been available overseas for quite some time. It was sold in SA but left before 2010. We have seen some previews and it's going to be a looker, with seven seats, coming in around the R500k - R600k mark. It will face fierce competition from the Hyundai Alcazar.

Then there's the smaller Syros, slotting in between the volume-selling Sonet and the larger Seltos. Pricing has not been revealed but we expect it to be competitive.

The upcoming Kia Tasman bakkie is probably the biggest news and it will be powered by the 2.2-litre turbodiesel in the Sorento.

During a fireside chat with Paul Turnbull, Kia SA CEO, he also mentioned a range of EVs heading to SA as well.

The existing Kia Carnival is also due for an update shortly.

Related: Kia Carnival - Is this SA's most underrated family vehicle?