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2024 Kia Sorento GT Line: Review, Interior & Price – A little over two years after its introduction and the Kia Sorento has established itself as one of the most effective options for carrying an expanding family on the cost. The GT-Line has also proven itself to be a viable alternative to costly European seven-seaters. Kia has joined Mazda as well as Hyundai in the push to make its models more expensive. The GT-Line diesel engine isn’t exactly the highest-priced model in the lineup anymore considering that the hybrid is now in production, however, it’s certainly not inexpensive anymore.
The reality is that our previous observations have confirmed that the GT-Line is far more than enough to justify the cost, especially with diesel versions.
So why do we bother to get back in the car? It’s been over two years since we last drove the Sorento in GT-Line Diesel AWD trim, and the sport has evolved over the past two years.
The Sorento has gotten more expensive from the moment it was launched as well as its competitors are getting better over the years. Diesel choices are not as popular in comparison to the past, as the market shifts toward electric and hybrid cars as the cost is rising when compared to petrol. 2024 Kia Sorento GT Line
Review
The Kia Sorento HEV GT-Line AWD is a new addition to the rapidly growing hybrid segment and is competing with big hitters such as Toyota Kluger and Hyundai Santa Fe. Hyundai Santa Fe, and Toyota Kluger, but what is it that sets it apart from its rivals?
The model is a seven-seater with the four ISOFIX Child seat mountings as well as five top-tethers (I can feel the families singing at this point) But it’s actually the list of features that make the model worth watching.
I’ve been there for the past week with my entire three siblings and there’s more than just my tiny boy that is amazed!
The Sorento is an attractive SUV with a sleek design. There’s plenty that will entice you such as the chrome-plated paneling and highlights, 19-inch alloy wheels as well as wide LED light sources.
At 1900mm it feels like the SUV’s name is appropriate, however, the length of 4810mm and 1700mm width will make it seem well-placed and suitable for city adventures too.
The interior has been beautifully designed with soft touchpoints and with quilted Nappa leather, faux leather trims, and glossy chrome accents. It’s a great look for the marketplace and is definitely of top quality.
The natural lighting provides an inviting atmosphere even in dim light, while the wide display that is on the dashboard looks fantastic.
Each row is similar layout points that make an overall design feel that is well executed.
The exterior colors can be boring, with our Mineral Blue paintwork ($695) is one of the best options nevertheless, there’s a refined elegant look that comes with the Sorento which will make it look trendy for many years to come.
Interior
In the case of a seven-seater vehicle that isn’t considered a “people mover, it’s very useful. The first and second rows are able to enjoy plenty of headroom and legroom (even thanks to the panoramic sunroof). Drivers are spoiled by technology that is easy to use, feels contemporary, and is stylish.
Its 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system comes with integrated satellite navigation with built-in satellites, Bluetooth connectivity, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Its 12.3-inch display for digital instruments can be customized to make it easily read, and the head-up display is also customizable. Three USB-A ports as well as a 12-volt socket, as well as a wireless charging pad also. It’s like I said, spoilt.
The storage throughout is quite good However, the drinks bottles that are placed in every door are slightly narrow and shallow to make use of larger and more popular plastic bottles available in the market today.
My 6-year-old felt like King in the 2nd row. He had no trouble getting through and out thanks to the 176mm clearance from the ground and the handles on the doors were not too tall for him to reach himself.
He also appreciated the sunshade retractable, directionally air vents, cupholders within the armrest, and cupholders on the handle of the door.
Adults are sure to be content with this seat during a long journey as well. A USB-A connection is located on the back of every front seat and a second one is on the back behind the console’s middle. It’s not a battle for power.
The third row is usually reserved that are reserved for adults according to me. However, what is lacking in size is made up of the facilities.
There are air vents that can be directed and fan controlled. There are also drinks trays, snack trays as well as reading lamps along with a few USB-A ports.
The front end is a bit disappointing, however. The car is in the small part of the market. It’s the 187L (VDA) which includes the seven seats available.
Place the third row in storage and it will only increase in size to 616L (VDA). The space for load leveling and shape squares make seem larger than it really is. it was enough to do my daily errands as well as my grocery shopping.
If you’re looking for more space, you could increase it up to an enormous 2011L (VDA) only with the front seats being used. It’s impressive that you can get an extra tire that is full size, in addition.
If the motor’s electric power is only being used for its purpose in this case, the engine sound is not heard and you get the same reversing sound as with a fully electric vehicle, but after that, it shifts to the engine. It will be loud, as well as make a whine when you press the foot down.
The steering is supple yet smooth. 11.6m turn circle is helpful for parking spaces that are tight. Also, the sharp 360-degree camera angle.
The lane-keeping aid is somewhat jerky in certain instances and I did not like it. It’s also difficult to shut off at every turn however I’d try to do it to use it in cities.
Contrary to other Kia models The Sorento Hybrid has not been modified to be tuned in Australia to be able to adapt to the local climate. This means that the ride is significantly firmer ride than I expected and you can feel every bump on the road.
The car rattles, shakes, and bounces on the rural roads around me. I believe this is better suitable for urban drivers.
It’s an extremely heavy vehicle and it will be apparent while slowing down or going through turns. There was a lot of discord from my fellow customers this week, even with having a slower cruising speed so as to avoid causing a disturbance.
The safety features are the reason this is a real family vehicle, and worried parents don’t have to worry because these features come as regular features: LED daytime running lights, LED light bulbs with automatic emergency brakes (with pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as junction assistance) forward collision warn, Lane departure alarm and lane-keeping aid emergency lane-keeping aid rear cross-traffic warning camera, 360-degree angle view with parking guidance as well as rear and front sensors for parking and an occupant rear alert (which flashes whenever parking).
An extra mention should be made for the camera with a blind spot that appears in the instrument panel after you make a selection. It was an extremely nice function in the city and provided some comfort in the event of having to change the lane.
The car only comes with seven airbags. These do contain the latest front center airbag. However, the curtain airbags do not extend to those in the 3rd row. This is a factor to take into consideration in case you intend to use this row often.
It has ISOFIX Child seat mounting points in outboard seats on the middle row as well as three anchor points for top tethers. In addition, the third row is also equipped with 2 ISOFIX mounts for child seats, as well as two top tether anchors. The space is ample when an 0-4 rearward-facing child seat when is mounted.
Engine
The hybrid models (including one that plugs in) all share the same engine: one 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, with four cylinders, which has a maximum power of 265Nm/132kW.
The motor is also an electric motor that produces 44 kilowatts in power and an impressive 264Nm of torque. Its total power output is 350Nm/169kW.
The motor’s power comes from a polymer lithium battery. The motor’s electric power tends to be more active at a lower speed, stops-start traffic as well as idle.
The engine might appear a little underpowered at slower speeds. When paired with the automatic transmission that has six speeds, it’s not exactly what I’d describe as fast. Once you’re into the flow and you’re comfortable, this is an excellent SUV to drive through.
I’m pretty happy with how it’s done with regards to fuel economy but I’m surprised that it didn’t have better results for an electric hybrid.
The most official total cycle fuel consumption is 5.8L/100km and in my real-world tests, I was able to average 7.1L/100km.
It’s not as impressive as some hybrids that are currently on the market However, it’s a very good choice considering the size of the SUV.
The Sorento features a 67L tank of fuel, which can be filled with regular, unleaded gasoline (91 RON minimum) and offers an estimated distance of 940km based on our test figure.
Price
The prices are increasing all over the world as well, and Kia isn’t able to keep pace with the market. Sorento GT-Line 2.2D AWD has been priced at 1100 dollars more expensive than the prices on the list, and about $4,000 more on the basis of prices for drive-away.
The price is still competitive with the seven-seat competitors, but. It’s cheaper than its corresponding Hyundai Santa Fe also known as the Highlander in the range of $1500 the list price. Likewise, the top-of-the-line Nissan Pathfinder Ti-L is $12,000 higher.
Mazda’s high-end CX-9 seven-seater model is called the Azami which starts at $71,550, including on-roads. It comes with seven seats.
There are just two options that are available for the Sorento HEV model The only difference is that the one has front-wheel drive while the second (ours) is an all-wheel drive.
The AWD costs $69,750 before the on-road cost. This isn’t cheap however for those who are familiar with Kia to know “GT-Line” means “top of the line” and this means that it has a top feature list.
The luxury features are included including heated and ventilated front seats which feature the Nappa leather-trimmed trim heated seats on the outboard within the second row the heated steering wheel with 14 ways, an electronic driver’s seat, a 10-way passenger’s electric seat, a panoramic sunroof as well as an electric tailgate.
The kiddie features are excellent including the mentioned ISOFIX mounts, top Tethers, 7 seating options (2/3/2 configuration) Hard kickplates mounted on the back of seats in front, cup holders in abundance, directional air vents within each row, as well as retractable sun shades for the doors to the rear.
Although the features list is extensive however, the cost is a bit higher than the other models as well as a bit lower than the cost of the Toyota Kluger.
As I walked out of my week, I began to consider what families would like this more than soccer mother’ are moving, because if the seven seats that appeal to you then you could pick up the highest-spec Carnival with the same amount… that could be more suitable for kids tote.