The once-popular Kia Sorento has been bullied over the years by our tax system. The fourth generation, however, makes its debut as a plug-in hybrid and therefore the Sorento is again a lot of car for a reasonable amount. But how does it compare to a topper like the Mazda CX-5?
The Kia Sorento was once the model with which Kia made the step from no-non-sense to ‘wow!’ made. That thick, but still reasonably priced crossover was a great success. In the meantime, however, our tax system is largely CO2-driven and that has pushed the Sorento out of the market little by little. Fortunately, Kia did not ultimately let that go its way and that is why the new Sorento starts as a hybrid. That results in considerably lower emissions (theoretically at least) and then the Sorento is suddenly a lot cheaper. Earlier we had him in the house for a first driving impression, this time he stays a little longer and that allows us to subject him to a comparative test. We do not spare him and that is why we put the Sorento against one of the better cars of today in this segment and that is the Mazda CX-5.
But first let’s walk around the new Sorento. The design may not be subtle, but quirky and tough all the more. We cannot escape the impression that the designers were mainly thinking of the American market when drawing. This car wouldn’t look out of place in the remake of road movie classics like Breakdown or Joy Ride. The angular, vertical rear lights in particular are striking, just like the front, with a hood that covers the grille and headlights like a cap. And anyone who claims that concept cars are only meant to attract attention at shows should remember our tour around the new Sorento, the ProCeed Concept that was at the IAA in 2017. That shark fin in the C-pillar and the deceptively coupé-like shaped windows together form an effective means to protect this carriage from becoming dazed. A nice detail is the way in which the wiper of the rear window is almost completely absorbed by the spoiler.