Used 2023 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

The variety of plug-in hybrid family vehicles has been slowly growing over the years, and one of the top choices is the Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid. A midsize SUV, it has standard 3-row seating with second-row captain’s chairs, standard all-wheel drive, and a long list of standard infotainment and safety tech features — both Kia signature traits. Its achievement as an IIHS Top Safety Pick further adds to its credentials as an excellent SUV for families.

The elephant in the room is the starting price, which is just under $50k before any tax incentives kick in. State and local incentives can help with the hefty price tag depending on where you live.

If you’re looking for a more affordable option, consider the Kia Sorento Hybrid or the regular, non-hybrid Kia Sorento (both are reviewed separately).

There aren’t many options out there for plug-in hybrid 3-row SUVs from non-luxury brands, but the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is an excellent alternative with range and MPGe numbers very similar to the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid.

As its name suggests, the Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). A PHEV uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. Its electric range isn’t as good as a battery electric vehicle (BEV). But, when the hybrid battery is depleted, the gas engine kicks in, and it runs on gas. That means range anxiety isn’t an issue, and you’ll never have to worry about having enough battery to get home or to the next charging station.

So, is the Kia Sorento any good as a PHEV? Absolutely. The turbocharged gas engine and two electric motors are an excellent match. The total output is 261 horsepower, which creates a driving experience that’s pretty enjoyable yet very efficient.

It has an all-electric range of up to 32 miles in EV mode before the gas engine kicks in, which means you can make trips around town or short commutes without burning any gas at all. Even with a drained hybrid battery, it’s still efficient, getting 34 mpg in mixed driving.

This is an easy hybrid to drive even if you’ve never driven a PHEV or an electric car before. It does have a few energy-saving tricks up its sleeve. For example, a paddle on the steering wheel for regenerative braking adjusts the energy from the brakes that gets fed back into the battery. If you’d rather not mess with that, you can drive it just like a regular SUV without much of a learning curve.

We like that the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid comes standard with 3-row seating for up to six people, but that third row is pretty exclusively for children. This is a good SUV if you only occasionally need three rows of seats. If you’ll be using those extra seats regularly, your passengers will be much more comfortable in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.

That said, the first row rows of this SUV are very roomy. The second-row passengers are treated to comfortable captain’s chairs — a costly option in some rivals, but they’re standard in this Kia.

The Sorento Plug-in Hybrid interior design is pleasant and uses nice materials like genuine leather upholstery. Other nice standard interior features include a 10.25-inch infotainment system with navigation, heated front seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Sometimes the battery in a plug-in hybrid powertrain compromises cargo space, but that’s not the case here. The cargo space is the same as the non-hybrid and conventional hybrid variants of the Sorento. It’s a little tight on space behind the third row, but it’s pretty roomy with the third row folded down.

The Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid looks just like the non-hybrid Sorento, which is a good thing. However, you can’t get the rugged X-Line appearance package on the hybrid models. The PHEV has a premium aesthetic with standard 19-inch wheels, satin chrome trim, and an available panoramic moonroof, which helps justify its price tag.

As for the size, the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid is on the smaller side of midsize SUVs. Its dimensions are similar to the Hyundai Santa Fe (and its hybrid counterpart), Toyota Venza, and Ford Edge, and it’s smaller than 3-row SUVs like the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Kia’s own Telluride.

PLUG-IN HYBRID EFFICIENCY
This SUV gets 79 MPGe in mixed driving and has an all-electric range of up to 32 miles before the gas engine kicks in.

SECOND-ROW CAPTAIN’S CHAIRS
This standard feature makes the second row more comfortable and the third row easier to access.

The starting price of the Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid makes more sense when you look at the list of standard features. This includes AWD, a power liftgate, and an expansive suite of standard Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that includes Highway Driving Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance technology. You also get retractable sunshades in the rear doors, a 115-volt inverter, and HomeLink.

The standard infotainment system has a large and user-friendly 10.25-inch touchscreen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM, navigation, etc. You also get eight USB ports across all three rows.

Standard Kia Drive Wise safety tech features include automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist, lane-keeping assist, safe exit assist, and rear occupant alert.

There are no options listed for the 2023 Kia Sorento PHEV. You don’t need much, though, when you already have leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, and a Bose 12-speaker premium audio.

The plug-in Sorento also comes standard with a Blind-Spot View Monitor that feeds a real-time image in the instrument cluster when the turn signal is activated, plus a 360-degree surround-view monitor and reverse automatic emergency braking.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain in this SUV comprises a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 gas engine and two electric motors supplied by a lithium-ion battery pack. The total output is 261 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, which gives this Sorento pretty lively performance. A 6-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive come standard.

With juice in the battery, the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid gets a combined fuel economy rating of 79 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). That means it can travel an average of 79 miles in mixed driving with the amount of energy it takes to burn one gallon of gas. It’s still very efficient when the hybrid battery dies, getting an EPA combined rating of 34 mpg.

This PHEV can travel up to 32 miles on electricity alone before requiring assistance from the gas engine. With a full charge and a full gas tank, it has a total range of 460 miles.

Towing is not a strong suit for this SUV. It can only tow up to 1,654 pounds.

1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4
Two permanent magnet synchronous electric motors
261 horsepower (total system output)
258 lb-ft of torque (total system output)
EPA combined fuel economy: 72 MPGe (electric), 34 mpg (gas/electric hybrid)
Battery-only range: 32 miles

More Sorento Plug-in Hybrid fuel economy information is available at the EPA’s website.

Great Safety Ratings

The Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid boasts the IIHS Top Safety Pick award, bolstering its credentials as a practical family SUV. This specific variant hasn’t been crash-tested by the NHTSA, but the non-hybrid and conventional hybrid Sorento models both get a 4-star overall safety rating.

Class-Leading Warranty

The Sorento Plug-in Hybrid is backed by class-leading warranties. It’s covered by a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.