The NHTSA rates it at four stars overall, a disappointing score for a new family vehicle. The IIHS calls the Sorento a Top Safety Pick, but only the most expensive models have the good LED headlights that earn that designation. The second-row seats slide fore and aft on tracks and have nearly as much support as the comfortable buckets in front all Sorentos have lots of cargo room and all kinds of small-item storage, not to mention nice frills like USB ports molded into the front seatbacks on some versions. It has seven seats, but the middle passenger in the middle row±and anyone in the way back-will know why those seats are best used on rare occasions. We also like the smooth-driving plug-in hybrid, which uses less fuel while it posts stronger performance, but all that comes with limited availability and a stiffer price tag. So does the 227-hp hybrid system that gets our nod it’s efficient and just fast enough. Its 281-hp turbo-4 does, but it matches strong acceleration with more powertrain noise.

The Sorento steers with more interest and stays in firm control of its ride quality, but its base 191-hp 4-cylinder won’t generate much buzz. We see you-we’re just not sure what to make of some of the road-to-nowhere details and the busy, gaming-influenced look of the dash and controls. In the past it wore generically handsome SUV cues now it dons metallic fillips and a razor-mesh grille in a ploy to get noticed. We’re more baffled than intrigued by the latest Sorento’s style. More models can be trimmed with rugged-ish X-Line add-ons, and most versions now have a 10.3-inch touchscreen. Sold in LX, S, EX, SX, and SX-Prestige trims, the 2022 Sorento adds a plug-in hybrid powertrain this year. We give it a TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10, but we have concerns about its crash-test scores. The extra seats may stand out on a spec sheet, but the otherwise fine Sorento does better in five-seat mode, with the frugal hybrid powertrain in less expensive models. With the Sorento, Kia gambles that a small third-row seat will set it apart from its platform-mate, the Hyundai Santa Fe, as well as some of today’s best-selling family wagons-including the Ford Explorer and Lexus RX. What kind of car is the 2022 Kia Sorento? What does it compare to?

Sorento xline 2022