Kia Sorento HEV from Korea: family crossover without mains charging

The Kia Sorento of the Korean market of 2020 has a hybrid version of the HEV. Petrol engine for a car of this size is small, turbocharged 1.6 liters, and part of the work is taken over by the electric motor. Therefore, the hybrid Sorento is interesting as a family car for frequent trips around the city.

The role of an electric motor

The Sorento HEV is a parallel hybrid: a petrol engine and an electric motor transmit power to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. The electric motor helps with starting and accelerating, that is, where a large car needs traction. Such a hybrid is not connected to the mains: its battery is small and charges while driving, so for the owner it is a car that is refueled with petrol at a regular gas station.

Five seats or seven

The Sorento is available in five- and seven-seaters. The hybrid version of the Signature has five seats, and the third row is offered as an option, so its availability is checked for each car separately. The third row makes sense if more than five people are riding in the car from time to time.

Signature Salon

In the hybrid Signature, the front seats are equipped with ventilation and heating, the rear seats and steering wheel are heated, and the seat position is memorized. Front, side and rear view cameras, together with parking sensors in the front and rear, help a large car maneuver in the parking lot. A head-up display, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and a panoramic roof were offered as options, and they are also tested on a particular car.

The hybrid version was produced with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, so the drive is chosen on the roads on which the car will drive.

How to order a car from Korea is described on the page of cars from Korea, and Sorento versions can be compared on the model page in the catalog.