2022 Kia Sorento PHEV priced from $81,990 drive-away

The Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid is here, available in one all-you-can-eat version for a little under $82,000 on the road.

Serving as the flagship of the local Kia line-up, the electrified Sorento commands a $15,000 premium over its diesel-engined equivalent, in return for reduced emissions and the ability to do most daily commutes on electric power.

Priced from $81,990 drive-away (or $79,330 plus on-road costs), the 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV GT-Line largely mirrors the specification of V6 FWD and Diesel AWD Sorento GT-Line variants, with some minor differences.

It’s the most expensive vehicle Kia Australia currently offers, and despite the higher RRP compared to the Toyota Kluger Grande AWD Hybrid ($75,400) the Sorento PHEV’s drive-away price is lower than that of its rival using a Melbourne postcode (from $82,105 D/A).

2022 Kia Sorento PHEV priced from $81,990 drive-away

Equipment highlights include:

19-inch machine-finish alloy wheels
12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
Blind Spot View Monitor
8.0-inch colour head-up display
Remote engine start
Parking Collision Avoidance Assist
360-degree camera view
Panoramic sunroof
Quilted nappa leather-appointed seats
14-way power driver’s seat adjustment
10-way power front passenger’s seat adjustment
12-speaker Bose premium sound system
Rear occupant alert
Heated/ventilated front seats
Heated rear seats
Sunshade blinds (2nd row)

Small differences between the PHEV and other GT-Line models include a hybrid power meter in place of the virtual tacho, the smaller 19-inch alloy wheels presumably for improved economy, a HEV/EV mode button, as well as a button for the climate control to only activate in the driver’s zone to save energy.

The PHEV also misses out on the Remote Smart Park Assist standard on combustion-engined GT-Line models. What’s really different though, is what’s under the skin.

Power in the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid comes from a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine teamed with an electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack, six-speed automatic transmission and on-demand all-wheel drive.

The petrol engine makes 132kW (5500rpm) and 265Nm (1500-4500pm) on its own, with the transmission-mounted e-motor contributing 67kW (2100-3300rpm) and 304Nm (0-2100rpm) for system outputs of 195kW and 350Nm.

For reference, the 3.5-litre V6 develops 200kW and 332Nm, while the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel makes 148kW and 440Nm. The upcoming Sorento Hybrid due early in 2022 will develop 169kW and 350Nm from a similar drivetrain with a smaller battery and less powerful e-motor.

Under the second row seats is a 14kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack which can be charged via AC single-phase charging (up to 3.3kW) and weighs 140kg on its own. It’ll take 3 hours 25 minutes to charge from 15 to 95 per cent at this rate through its Type 2 port.

Kia claims pure-electric range of up to 68 kilometres (NEDC), combined fuel consumption of just 1.6L/100km, and CO2 emissions of 36g/km. By comparison, the Sorento 2.2D AWD uses 6.1L/100km and emits 159g/km. All versions of the Sorento feature a 67-litre fuel tank, and the PHEV can run on 91 RON unleaded.

At 2056kg (tare), the Sorento PHEV 148kg more than the equivalent Sorento Diesel AWD, while towing is rated at a maximum 1350kg with a downball load of 100kg – down on the 2000kg capacity of V6 and Diesel versions.

Kia has done a good job at limiting the impacts of the electric running gear when it comes to luggage capacity.

It offers 175L with all three rows in play, 604L as a five seater and 1988L as a seven seater (VDA). By comparison, the V6 and diesel models quote 187L, 616L and 2011L respectively in those configurations.

The new Sorento Plug-in Hybrid joins the electrified Niro crossover range (HEV, PHEV and EV) in Australia, and will be bolstered further by the Sorento Hybrid and the all-electric Kia EV6 in 2022.