Mazda’s all-new CX-80 is arriving in Australia, launching as part of the brand’s wider range of large SUVs that includes the CX-60, CX-70, and CX-90.
Mazda CX-80 
Kia Sorento
It’s coming to rival other established seven-seaters, with the Kia Sorento taking the stand as a key competitor as a result of the shared seven-seat capacity and general model variety.
Both are offered with petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and both are sold in four distinct variants.
The differences begin to appear when you get further under the surface of each, which lends itself to a comparison of many of each car’s key specifications.
For comparison, Kia has sold 8379 Sorento units to the end of October this year. For the month of October, 631 Sorentos were sold, while VFACTS has reported 113 CX-80 sales in the same time.
CX-80 
Sorento
Note: Mazda CX-80 Azami SP Package pictured throughout.
That isn’t entirely representative given the CX-80’s short time on sale so far, so it will be worth checking back on the sales figures as it establishes a foothold in the local market.
Looking for a new large seven-seater? Here’s how each model stacks up on the spec sheet.
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links.
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Pricing
The cheapest cars in each model range offer petrol engines, and the Kia has a cheaper list price before on-road costs are applied.
CX-80 
Sorento
Mazda offers four variants of the CX-80: Pure, Touring, GT, and Azami. All four are offered with both petrol and diesel powertrains, though only the Touring and up are available as plug-in hybrids.
Similarly, the petrol Sorento is also sold in four variants: S, Sport, Sport+, and GT-Line. There are also hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions available, both of which are based on the higher-end GT-Line.
For comparison, the diesel models of the CX-80 and Sorento range start at $63,950 and $53,680 before on-road costs respectively.
| Model | Price range before on-roads |
|---|---|
| Mazda CX-80 | $54,950-$87,200 |
| Kia Sorento | $50,680-$68,590 |
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Drivetrains and Efficiency
Both cars offer multiple powertrains, though in the petrol battle it’s the CX-80 that takes the cake on power output and fuel efficiency.
CX-80 
Sorento
Each offer six-cylinder engines, though the CX-80 adds a turbocharger to its smaller-capacity straight-six over the Sorento’s naturally aspirated V6.
The CX-80 is also all-wheel drive as standard, whereas the same setup is only available with a diesel engine in the Sorento. Petrol Sorentos have to make do with front-wheel drive only.
All CX-80 petrol and diesel variants are mild-hybrid only, while both cars are also available as plug-in hybrids. Unlike Mazda, Kia also offers a standard hybrid Sorento separately.
It’s worth noting the different weights, which may not be representative. Mazda only quotes kerb weight, while Kia only quotes tare mass.
| Specifications | Mazda CX-80 G40e | Kia Sorento 3.5 FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3.3L turbo-petrol i6 | 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 |
| Electrification | 48V mild-hybrid | – |
| Maximum power | 209kW | 200kW |
| Maximum torque | 450Nm | 332Nm |
| Transmission | 8-speed auto | 8-speed auto |
| Driven wheels | All-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 2084-2114kg | – |
| Tare mass | – | 1898kg |
| Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) | 2663-2693kg | 2600kg |
| Fuel economy (claim) | 8.4L/100km | 9.7L/100km |
| CO2 emissions | 197g/km | 222g/km |
| Fuel tank size | 74L | 67L |
| Fuel requirement | 91 RON | 91 RON |
| Braked towing capacity | 2500kg | 2000kg |
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Dimensions
The Mazda CX-80 is larger than the Kia Sorento, headlined by a difference in length of nearly 200mm.
CX-80 
Sorento
The wheelbase of the CX-80 is also noticeably longer, though the two cars are similar on width and height.
Both also offer three-row seating capacity, though the CX-80 can either be seven-seat or six-seat (with second-row captain’s chairs) depending on the variant.
Boot space is similar for both cars, though you’ll get more capacity with all three rows in place in the CX-80.
| Dimensions | Mazda CX-80 | Kia Sorento |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4990mm | 4815mm |
| Width | 1949mm | 1900mm |
| Height | 1710mm | 1700mm |
| Wheelbase | 3120mm | 2815mm |
| Boot capacity | 258L (all rows up, incl. underfloor storage) 566L (third row folded) 1971L (second and third row folded) | 179L (all rows up) 608L (third row folded) 1995L (second and third row folded) |
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Servicing and Warranty
The Mazda CX-80 is covered by a standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. It has yet to announce service pricing for the CX-80.
CX-80 
Sorento (GT-Line)
The Kia Sorento, meanwhile, is covered by the Korean brand’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km.
Kia offers capped-price servicing for the first seven visits, which are priced at $370, $582, $446, $765, $417, $732, and $442 respectively. Over five years, that’s an annual average of $516 and a total of $2580.
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Safety
The Mazda CX-80 has yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, though the related CX-60 has a five-star rating from both safety authorities. The CX-60 was tested in 2022, and we’ll reference it for the sake of comparing safety.
CX-60 crash test
Meanwhile, the Kia Sorento wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on tests conducted in 2020.
The CX-60 and Sorento both scored above 80 per cent on both adult and child occupant protection but differ on vulnerable road user protection and safety assist.
Where the CX-60 scored 89 per cent on vulnerable road user protection, the Sorento scored 63 per cent. Conversely, the Sorento’s 89 per cent safety assist score wasn’t matched by the CX-60’s 77 per cent.
Both cars feature adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, driver attention monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and tyre pressure monitoring as standard.
Sorento
While a surround-view camera is standard on all CX-80s, it’s only available on the Sorento as part of the top-spec GT-Line.
The Sorento also offers Highway Driving Assist on its mid-range Sport variant over the CX-80, which builds on adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, combined with Lane Following Assist to keep the car centred in its lane.
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Standard Equipment
There are some differences in standard features between the two cars, though it’s largely dependent on variant.
Mazda CX80 
At the bottom of the range the CX-80 rides on 18-inch wheels compared to the Kia’s 17-inch rims, and the Mazda has a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system against the Sorento’s 12.3-inch display. Both benefit from wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Both have cloth seats, which is swapped for leather from the CX-80 Touring and Sorento Sport+ trim levels. Powered seat adjustment is available from the CX-80 Touring, while the Sorento adds it from the Sport.
Each of the four Sorento variants increase their wheel sizes by one inch over the previous model, while the two top-spec CX-80s offer 20-inch alloys. One of the top two is the GT, which also adds a larger 12.3-inch infotainment system to match the Sorento.
Both have DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation, and dual-zone climate control as standard, with features like a wireless phone charger and heated seats offered in specific variants only.
The SP Package featured on the CX-80 throughout this article is available on the top-spec Azami only, which is available as an optional extra.
View a full breakdown of standard features for the Mazda CX-80 here and the Kia Sorento here
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
CarExpert’s Pick: To be determined
Max Davies: Both are solid choices on paper. The Sorento is cheaper and well-established, while the CX-80 is the latest and greatest from Mazda and has more space inside.
CX-80 
Sorento
The key question to ask yourself is which of that balance you prefer. It’s also important to remember there are plenty of options to suit your needs across each individual model range, each equipped with varying levels of tech and different powertrains.
As a general note, this comparison centres around the cheapest versions of each car as they’re the most accessible to people wanting to get behind the wheel of a large seven-seater. Of course, there are diesels and various hybrids available too depending on how much you want to spend.
Full thoughts on the CX-80 are still a few days away, so this comparison is based entirely on specifications we’ve already published.
Our detailed review of the CX-80 will be going live on November 12, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can read Jack Quick’s review of the base petrol Sorento here.
Interested in buying a Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Get in touch with a dealer by clicking the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
