2026 Kia Sorento S Diesel review

What Does the Sorento Cost in Australia?

Kia has streamlined the Sorento lineup for 2026 around three powertrains: the 2.2-litre turbo diesel, the 1.6-litre turbo hybrid (HEV), and the 1.6-litre turbo plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The V6 petrol has been axed from the Australian market. Here is the full pricing picture:

2.2 Turbo Diesel Variants

1.6 Turbo Hybrid (HEV) Variants

1.6 Turbo Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Variants

Driveaway, expect to add $2,000 to $5,000 depending on your state and any dealer negotiations. The S Diesel AWD at $54,630 is the entry point and already comes with a strong equipment list. The Hyundai Santa Fe starts at $54,400 for comparison, though that is a 2WD turbo petrol.

The value sweet spot in the Sorento range is the Sport Diesel AWD at roughly $58,000. You get leather, heated front seats, a larger touchscreen, and upgraded wheels for just $3,370 over the base. If you are interested in the electrified route, the HEV Sport+ AWD at $66,930 makes a strong case for suburban families who want fuel savings without the plug-in complexity.

The PHEV GT-Line AWD at $86,040 is a big ask. Note that plug-in hybrids stopped qualifying for the FBT exemption for cars first held from 1 April 2025, so do not budget for it here. Our FBT-exempt cars guide explains where the line now sits.

Rivals

Hyundai Santa Fe (from $54,400)

The Hyundai Santa Fe is the Sorento's closest relative, sharing the same platform. The Santa Fe offers a powerful 2.5-litre turbo petrol (206kW) and a hybrid, while the Sorento counters with diesel, hybrid, and PHEV. The Santa Fe has the more dramatic exterior design, a slightly more modern infotainment system, and the turbo petrol makes 206kW. The Sorento wins on powertrain choice and the diesel's towing and touring credentials. If you do not need diesel or PHEV, cross-shop both carefully.

Mitsubishi Outlander (from ~$40,000)

The Outlander undercuts the Sorento significantly on price and offers a strong PHEV variant. It has a modern interior, good safety kit, and a 10-year warranty. Where it falls short is towing capacity (only 1,500kg), and overall size. The Sorento's third row is more usable and the diesel powertrain gives it an edge for touring. But for suburban families on a tighter budget, the Outlander PHEV at around $55,000 is worth serious consideration.

Toyota Kluger (from ~$55,000)

The Kluger is a proven quantity: spacious, reliable, and backed by strong resale values. The hybrid powertrain is fuel-efficient, and Toyota's dealer network reaches everywhere. However, the Kluger's infotainment is a generation behind, it only has a 5-year warranty, and it lacks the powertrain variety of the Sorento. If outright reliability reputation and resale value are your top priorities, the Kluger is safe. If warranty, features, and powertrain choice matter more, the Sorento wins.

*Outlander PHEV figure is combined electric/petrol. Real-world depends on charging frequency.

Running Costs

Running costs vary significantly depending on which powertrain you choose. Here is how they compare at 15,000km per year:

*PHEV fuel cost assumes daily charging and that roughly 60% of driving is done on electric power. If you never plug in, the PHEV uses about 8.5-9.0L/100km, making it more expensive to run than the diesel.

The diesel is surprisingly cheap to run, thanks to its excellent fuel economy and the lower per-litre cost of diesel in many areas. The hybrid saves a small amount over the diesel in fuel, but the savings are modest. The PHEV is the clear winner on running costs, but only if you charge it regularly. That $1,000 annual saving over the diesel takes a long time to offset the $16,000+ price premium.

Salary packaging still helps, but the FBT exemption is not part of it: plug-in hybrids lost that exemption for cars first held from 1 April 2025. Read our novated lease guide for what a novated lease on a PHEV actually saves.

Kia's 7-year capped-price servicing program keeps maintenance predictable, with service intervals at 12 months or 15,000km. Service costs are competitive and there are no nasty surprises. The 7-year unlimited-km warranty matches Hyundai and Mitsubishi as the segment benchmark. It is a genuine differentiator over Toyota (5 years) and Mazda (5 years).

Safety

The Kia Sorento holds a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Like the closely related Hyundai Santa Fe, the full active safety suite is standard across every variant. You do not need to pay more for the important stuff.

Standard safety equipment on all variants includes:

• Forward Collision Avoidance Assist with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning detection
• Lane Following Assist with active lane centring on highways
• Adaptive Cruise Control with stop-and-go in traffic
• Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist with active steering intervention
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance with automatic braking
• Driver Attention Warning monitoring for fatigue
• Leading Vehicle Departure Alert for stop-start traffic
• Safe Exit Warning to prevent dooring cyclists
• Speed Limit Assist via camera-based sign recognition

Passive safety includes eight airbags standard, encompassing front, side, curtain, and a centre-side airbag between the front occupants. ISOFIX anchor points are on the two outer second-row seats, with top-tether points across the second row. All seven seating positions have three-point seatbelts with pretensioners.

On Sport+ and GT-Line, Kia adds Highway Driving Assist II, which combines adaptive cruise, lane centring, and lane-change assist into a semi-autonomous highway driving system. It is a driver aid, not autopilot. Keep your hands on the wheel.

It ranks well in our best family cars list.

Interior and Tech

The Sorento's interior does not shout with flashy design or dramatic shapes. It is laid out for seven occupants.

The dashboard is clean and driver-focused, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster paired to a 12.3-inch central touchscreen on Sport and above. The base S grade gets an 8-inch touchscreen, which is small next to newer rivals' screens. All grades get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired on S, wireless on Sport and above).

Soft-touch surfaces cover the dashboard top and door card inserts, and the Sport and above grades get leather seat trim.

Storage is well thought out. There is a large centre console bin, a wireless phone charging pad (Sport+), decent-sized door bins, and USB-C ports scattered throughout the cabin, including in the third row. The second row gets its own climate controls and air vents, and there is a 12V socket in the boot for camping fridges.

The second-row bench slides and reclines. The third row is the Sorento's one compromise and is best kept for children; for daily third-row use, look at something larger like a Carnival or a Prado.

Boot space with the third row folded flat is a useful 693 litres. With all seven seats occupied, that drops to 175 litres. The boot opening is wide and the load lip is reasonably low.

Equipment Highlights by Variant

Sorento S (Base)

• 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired)
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• LED headlights and tail lights
• Seven seats with 2-3-2 layout
• Cloth seat trim
• Smart key with push-button start
• Forward collision avoidance with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Lane following assist
• Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go
• Blind-spot collision avoidance assist
• Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance
• Rear parking sensors and reversing camera
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Roof rails
• Dual-zone climate control

Sorento Sport

Adds on top of S:

• 12.3-inch touchscreen (upgrade from 8-inch)
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Leather seat trim
• Heated front seats
• Power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats
• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Power tailgate
• Privacy glass
• Tri-zone climate control

Sorento Sport+

Adds on top of Sport:

• Ventilated front seats
• Heated second-row outboard seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Head-up display
• Wireless phone charger
• Surround-view monitor (360-degree camera)
• Blind-spot view monitor (camera in cluster)
• Power-folding and auto-dimming side mirrors

Sorento GT-Line

Adds on top of Sport+:

• Quilted Nappa leather trim
• Bose premium 12-speaker sound system
• Panoramic sunroof
• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Sport-tuned suspension
• Ambient interior lighting
• Power-adjustable driver seat with memory
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Full LED interior lighting
• Premium paint options

The Kia Sorento S Diesel has 440Nm of torque, a claimed 0-100km/h of 9s. It turns in 11.6m. These are the figures that shape how quickly a car gets moving and how easily it parks.

What's Under the Bonnet

Three powertrains, three different buyer profiles. Here is how they compare:

*PHEV fuel economy is based on combined electric and petrol driving. Real-world figure depends heavily on how often you charge.

The 2.2-litre turbo diesel is the workhorse. 148kW of power is modest on paper, but 440Nm of torque arriving low in the rev range is what counts with passengers, luggage or a trailer behind it. It drives through an 8-speed auto. Paired with a 67-litre tank, that makes it the pick of the range for long-haul touring, and it carries the range's highest tow rating at 2,000kg.

The 1.6-litre turbo hybrid pairs the petrol engine with a small electric motor and a 1.49kWh battery. Combined output is 169kW and 350Nm. The electric motor fills in torque at low speed. Around town, the electric motor handles low-speed cruising and the engine shuts off at traffic lights, which is why the hybrid closes most of the gap to the diesel in suburban driving and gives it back again at sustained highway speed.

The PHEV is the headline act. Same 1.6-litre turbo petrol, but a much larger 13.8kWh battery and a more powerful electric motor push combined output to 195kW. The claimed electric-only range is 68km, which is enough for most daily commutes without using a drop of fuel. Charge it every night from a standard household socket (about 5 hours) or a 7kW wall box (about 2 hours), and if your trips fit inside the electric range, the petrol engine rarely needs to run. When the battery runs flat, it operates as a conventional hybrid.

The catch with the PHEV is the price. At $70,880 for the S PHEV AWD and $86,040 for the GT-Line AWD, you are paying a significant premium. The fuel savings only stack up if you charge regularly. If you treat it like a normal car and never plug it in, the PHEV is worse on fuel than the diesel because it is carrying an extra 190kg of battery and electric motor hardware.

Our Take: Should You Buy the Kia Sorento?

Yes, if:

• You want the widest powertrain choice in the seven-seat segment
• The 7-year unlimited-km warranty is important to you
• You tow regularly (the diesel at 2,000kg with 440Nm is hard to beat)
• You do long highway trips where the diesel's 800km+ range shines
• You want a PHEV for daily electric commuting with a family-size body
• Salary packaging can still soften the PHEV's price, though the FBT exemption no longer applies to plug-in hybrids
• You value comprehensive safety kit on every grade

Maybe not, if:

• You want a turbo petrol (check the Hyundai Santa Fe 2.5T)
• Third-row comfort for adults is non-negotiable (consider a Carnival or Prado)
• You want head-turning design (the Santa Fe is bolder, the CX-80 more premium)
• The PHEV pricing pushes past your budget at $86k for the GT-Line
• You rarely tow and do not need diesel (the hybrid is fine, but the Outlander PHEV is cheaper)

The Sorento does not try to be the flashiest or the fastest seven-seat SUV. It tries to be the most practical, the most versatile, and the most sensible. And it succeeds. The diesel suits touring, with 440Nm and a 67-litre tank. The hybrid saves fuel in suburban driving. The PHEV can cover a 68km commute on electricity if you can plug in. And all of it is backed by that 7-year warranty that takes the stress out of ownership.

For most buyers, the Sport Diesel AWD at around $58,000 is the pick of the range. It balances equipment, fuel efficiency, towing capability, and price better than any other variant. If you commute less than 60km a day and can plug in at home or work, the S PHEV AWD at $70,880 will save you serious money at the bowser over time.

Either way, the Sorento is one of the smartest buys in the seven-seat SUV segment in Australia. It won't win any beauty contests, but it will win the ownership-cost spreadsheet. And for most families, that matters more.

→ Compare all Kia Sorento variants on CarSorted (200+ specs)