Kia Sorento review - MPG, running costs & CO2

There’s no pure petrol version of the Kia Sorento – instead buyers have the choice between a diesel, a petrol hybrid or petrol plug-in hybrid. There’s no fully-electric version of the Sorento, with that corner of the market catered to by the Kia EV9.

This will be welcome news for anyone seeking an alternative to diesel power, and the plug-in hybrid helps to broaden the Sorento's audience, particularly to business users put off the regular Sorento by its position in the most expensive Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band. The PHEV may be more expensive in the first place but its BiK liability is less than a third of the diesel, which will equate to a big saving over the course of a year – or three.

Kia Sorento MPG & CO2

The entry-level diesel engine is only really suitable if you plan to take the Sorento for a longer motorway run at least once a month, or if you need to tow a caravan or large trailer. Fuel economy is nothing to write home about, with a figure of 42.8mpg on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions sit at 173g/km, too, so it’s not the best choice as a company car, and the Skoda Kodiaq is more efficient, hitting up to 50.1mpg. During our test drive on UK roads, we found a figure in the mid-40s easy to achieve on a motorway cruise.

Most private buyers will be better served by the petrol hybrid in terms of cheap running costs. Complete WLTP fuel economy figures for the Sorento are yet to be confirmed, but our ‘2’ test car with the standard hybrid system had a fuel economy figure of 42.2mpg. While that’s less than the diesel’s official figure, it’s worth noting the Hybrid is better suited to a range of different driving environments, so if you do a lot of around-town driving but also occasionally drive on the motorway this is the one to go for.

The best version for company-car buyers is the Sorento plug-in hybrid as it will have the lowest CO2 emissions which means it sits in a lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax bracket. Unfortunately exact mpg and CO2 emissions figures are yet to be confirmed, but the pre-facelift PHEV had an official fuel economy of 176.6mpg – achievable only if you keep the Sorento constantly charged up – and CO2 emissions of 38g/km. It’s worth noting that if you don’t keep the battery charged your fuel economy will plummet. Pre-facelift Sorento PHEVs also had a pure-electric range of up to 35 miles which wasn’t far off when we tested it, and we expect similar figures for the facelift.

The Sorento diesel is liable for annual VED (tax) at the standard £190 yearly rate, with the hybrid models qualifying for a discount of £10 given their status as alternative-fuel vehicles. All versions cost over £40,000, meaning they’re subject to the additional VED surcharge in years two to six.

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Insurance groups

Insurance is also likely to be fairly pricey, given that the Sorento is a big, powerful SUV. The pre-facelift hybrid sat in groups 30-31 depending on trim level, with the diesel placed in group 31 and the plug-in hybrid reaching group 33. These are slightly lower than those of the smaller Land Rover Discovery Sport. Insurance groups are yet to be confirmed for the facelifted car, but we’d not expect these to change too much – there’s a chance these could even prove slightly lower due to the updated car’s lower starting price and the fact that previous supply issues meant the outgoing Sorento was only offered in a higher-spec trim before the facelift.

Warranty

Ever since Kia launched its seven-year/100,000-mile warranty with the Kia Ceed in 2007, it has been a key selling point for buyers. It can also be transferred between owners for no extra cost, helping boost resale values. The mechanical warranty is backed up by a 12-year anti-perforation warranty for the bodywork and a five-year paint warranty.

Servicing

Servicing is needed once a year or every 10,000 miles for the hybrid and every 20,000 miles for the diesel, whichever arrives first. The Sorento can also be covered by 'Kia Care' service plans, giving buyers the option of paying for maintenance on a monthly basis.