Kia Sorento

Kia Sorento: Which Version to Buy and Why

The Kia Sorento catalogue covers an SUV 5-doors produced from 2002 onward, with four generations and eight generation or restyling entries in the data. The choice changes substantially by era. Early models emphasize AWD or RWD, longitudinal engines, five-speed gearboxes and up to 210 mm of ground clearance.

The Kia Sorento catalogue covers an SUV 5-doors produced from 2002 onward, with four generations and eight generation or restyling entries in the data. The choice changes substantially by era. Early models emphasize AWD or RWD, longitudinal engines, five-speed gearboxes and up to 210 mm of ground clearance. The second and third generations add FWD variants, six-speed transmissions and more economical turbo-diesels. The fourth generation offers Gasoline, Diesel, Hybrid and Plug-in powertrains, including eight-speed Robotic versions. For performance, the strongest choice is the 300 hp 3.3 AT; for the lowest measured combined consumption, it is a fourth-generation Plug-in version at 1.6 l/100 km. Those figures belong to different generations and should not be treated as directly interchangeable specifications.

Kia Sorento generations: what changed

The first generation ran from 2002 to 2006 as an SUV 5-doors with nine versions. Its listed engines range from 2351 to 3497 cc, with Manual and Automatic gearboxes, AWD or RWD, an 80 l tank and 205–210 mm ground clearance. The 195 hp 3.5 AT AWD reaches 100 km/h in 10.3 seconds, while the 140 hp 2.5 MT AWD takes 14.6 seconds. The restyled first generation, produced from 2006 to 2009, contains 11 versions. It retains the SUV 5-doors body and 80 l tank but adds Gasoline V-shaped engines producing up to 262 hp and Diesel versions producing up to 170 hp. Measured clearance spans 203–210 mm.

The second generation ran from 2009 to 2012 as an SUV 5-doors with 19 versions. Twelve are detailed in the supplied catalogue. Compared with the preceding restyled generation, the listed engine position changes from Front, longitudinal to Front, transverse, the rear suspension changes from Dependent, spring to Independent, spring, and six-speed gearboxes replace the earlier five-speed units. Ground clearance is 184 mm and the tank is 70 l. Its restyling ran from 2012 to 2020, again with 19 versions, of which 12 are detailed. Outputs range from 150 hp to 300 hp, while FWD and AWD, Manual and Automatic configurations are represented. Ground clearance rises by 1 mm to 185 mm.

The third generation ran from 2014 to 2017 as an SUV 5-doors with nine versions. It offers 186 hp and 200 hp turbo-diesels, a 188 hp Gasoline engine and a 250 hp 3.3 AT. All listed transmissions have six gears, while drive may be FWD or AWD. Its restyling ran from 2017 to 2021 with six versions. The restyled range adds eight-speed Automatic choices alongside six-speed Automatic versions. Its 277 hp 3.5 V6 DOHC 24V reaches 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds, while the 200 hp 2.2 EVGT combines AWD with measured combined consumption of 6.2 l/100 km.

The fourth generation ran from 2020 to 2024 as an SUV 5-doors with 16 versions, with 12 detailed in the data. Its range expands beyond Gasoline and Diesel to Hybrid and Plug-in. Outputs span 179–281 hp, measured combined consumption spans 1.6–9.4 l/100 km, and listed gearboxes include Automatic and Robotic units. Ground clearance, where measured, is 174 mm. The fourth-generation restyling began in 2023 and has seven versions. It retains the SUV 5-doors body and offers 194 hp or 202 hp Diesel versions, 281 hp Gasoline versions and a 230 hp Hybrid, with FWD or AWD.

Kia Sorento engine options and specs

Repeated names are separated below by generation, drive or power so that each exact database name remains intact.

Kia Sorento performance and fuel economy

Among all listed versions, the quickest measured acceleration belongs to the second-generation-restyling 3.3 AT with 300 hp: both FWD and AWD versions reach 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. Their combined consumption differs by 0.6 l/100 km: 11.2 l/100 km for FWD and 11.8 l/100 km for AWD. Top speed for both is not measured.

For later Gasoline models, the fourth-generation 2.5 GDI DCT 2WD and restyled 2.5 T-GDI DCT 2WD each produce 281 hp, reach 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds, achieve 210 km/h and consume 9.4 l/100 km combined. The restyled 2.5 T-GDI DCT 4WD is 0.2 seconds slower and consumes 0.4 l/100 km more, while retaining the same 281 hp, 422 Nm and 210 km/h top speed.

The fourth-generation 1.6 T AT Hybrid with 230 hp and the restyled 1.6 T AT Hybrid 2WD both reach 100 km/h in 8.6 seconds, top out at 193 km/h and return 5.4 l/100 km combined. The 265 hp 1.6 T AT 4WD PHEV is 0.2 seconds quicker and records 1.6 l/100 km combined. That is 3.8 l/100 km below the measured Hybrid figure. The 265 hp FWD Plug-in version named 1.6 T AT Hybrid also records 1.6 l/100 km, but takes 8.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h.

For Diesel buyers, the fourth-generation and restyled 2.2 TD AT 2WD produce 202 hp and 440 Nm, reach 100 km/h in 9.0 seconds, achieve 202 km/h and consume 5.6 l/100 km combined. Their AWD equivalents take 9.2 seconds and consume 6.0 l/100 km. The data therefore associates AWD with 0.2 seconds slower acceleration and 0.4 l/100 km higher combined consumption in this comparison.

When any acceleration, top-speed or consumption cell is null in the supplied data, that figure is not measured. This applies, for example, to acceleration and top speed for both restyled fourth-generation 2.2 CRDi DCT versions, although their measured combined consumption is 7.0 l/100 km for 2WD and 7.6 l/100 km for 4WD.

Kia Sorento dimensions, weight and ground clearance

The first generation has the largest tank in the catalogue at 80 l and measured ground clearance of 205–210 mm. Its listed kerb weights range from 1840 kg to 2065 kg, while gross weights range from 2455 kg to 2600 kg. The restyled first generation also has an 80 l tank, with 203–210 mm clearance, 1960–1990 kg measured kerb weights and 2550–2670 kg measured gross weights. Listed wheels include 245/70 R16 and 245/65 R17.

Second-generation versions use a 70 l tank and 184 mm clearance. Where supplied, wheel sizes are 215/70 R16 and 235/65 R17. The restyled second generation has a 70 l tank and 185 mm clearance; its listed wheel choices are 235/65 R17 and 235/55 R19. Kerb weight varies widely in that dataset, from 1433 kg for the 184 hp 2.0 MT FWD to 1810 kg for the 280 hp 3.5 AT.

The third generation and its restyling use a 71 l tank and 185 mm clearance. Listed wheels span 235/65 R17, 235/60 R18 and 235/55 R19. Third-generation kerb weights run from 1735 kg for the 2.4 MT to 1849 kg for the 2.2 AT. In the restyling, they range from 1878 kg for the FWD 2.2 AT to 2032 kg for the AWD 2.2 EVGT.

The fourth generation uses a 67 l tank. Ground clearance is 174 mm when measured, but it is not measured for several versions. The 281 hp 2.5 GDI DCT 2WD weighs 1814 kg and has a gross weight of 2430 kg, producing a calculated 6.46 kg per hp. Its listed wheels are 235/60 R18 and 255/45 R20. The 230 hp 1.6 T AT Hybrid weighs 1858 kg, or 8.08 kg per hp, while the 265 hp 1.6 T AT 4WD PHEV weighs 2057 kg, or 7.76 kg per hp. Kerb weight, gross weight, clearance and wheel sizes are not measured for every restyled fourth-generation version.

Which Kia Sorento version should you buy?

Choose the second-generation-restyling 3.3 AT with 300 hp if measured acceleration is the priority. At 6.7 seconds to 100 km/h, it is 0.7 seconds quicker than the 281 hp fourth-generation 2.5 GDI DCT 2WD. The FWD 3.3 AT weighs 1630 kg, giving 5.43 kg per hp; the AWD version weighs 1708 kg, giving 5.69 kg per hp. AWD adds 78 kg without changing the measured acceleration, but combined consumption rises from 11.2 to 11.8 l/100 km.

Choose the fourth-generation 2.5 GDI DCT 2WD or restyled 2.5 T-GDI DCT 2WD for a later Gasoline specification that balances strong performance with lower measured consumption than the 300 hp 3.3 AT. Both offer 281 hp, 422 Nm, 7.4-second acceleration and 9.4 l/100 km combined. The AWD 2.5 T-GDI DCT 4WD makes sense when AWD matters more than the measured 0.2-second and 0.4-l/100-km penalties.

Choose the 1.6 T AT Hybrid with 230 hp, or the restyled 1.6 T AT Hybrid 2WD, for the lowest measured combined consumption without selecting a Plug-in: 5.4 l/100 km. Its power density is approximately 143.9 hp per litre, compared with approximately 112.5 hp per litre for the 281 hp 2.5 T-GDI DCT versions.

Choose the 265 hp 1.6 T AT 4WD PHEV when the lowest catalogue consumption and AWD are the main criteria. It combines 1.6 l/100 km with 8.4-second acceleration. The data supplies no price, charging, range, reliability, engine-recall or engine-problem information, so none of those can support a buying recommendation here.

Choose the 202 hp 2.2 TD AT 2WD for a Diesel balance of torque and economy. Its 440 Nm exceeds the 281 hp 2.5 T-GDI DCT 2WD by 18 Nm, while its 5.6 l/100 km combined consumption is 3.8 l/100 km lower. Select the 2.2 TD AT 4WD only when AWD justifies its extra 0.4 l/100 km and 0.2 seconds to 100 km/h.

Finally, choose a first-generation or restyled first-generation version when the catalogue priorities are 203–210 mm clearance and an 80 l tank. Later versions reduce the tank to 70, 71 or 67 l and measured clearance to 184, 185 or 174 mm. Within the early range, the 262 hp 3.8 AT is the performance choice at 8.6 seconds to 100 km/h, while the 170 hp 2.5 MT Diesel records 7.9 l/100 km combined and provides 392 Nm. These are materially different propositions: the V-shaped Gasoline version supplies 92 hp more, while the Inline Turbo Diesel uses the lower measured amount of fuel.