2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige AWD
Written by Marco Carvajal
The 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid is one of the mid-size three-row hybrid SUVs that gives you more features and comfort for 6 passengers.
It gives you plenty of standard features, good fuel economy, technology, and versatile cargo space with the third-row split-folding.
The Sorento hybrid is a good-value-buy starting at $36K. You get plenty of standard features which is typical of the value that Kia offers in most of its cars. However, as Kia cars are becoming more popular and more premium, we have seen a decrease in the amount of standard features compared to previous years.
I enjoy driving the Sorento hybrid on long trips around Florida. The 227 horsepower and its excellent fuel economy that lets you drive around 600 miles with a fuel tank of gas, makes it a very attractive car to own and drive.
3-Rows for Family Fun Trips
The Sorento is a nice-looking SUV with good low pricing and excellent range. Families enjoy the 3 rows of the Sorento, everyone can come for a fun weekend trip to an amusement park or to visit family or friends. The Sorento hybrid has room for the whole family with 6 seats.
The Sorento non-hybrid gives you one more seat with a capacity for 7 passengers, but if you don’t need the extra seat, then the 6 capacity is much more comfortable and feels more luxurious with the two captain chairs on the 2nd row.
The Sorento Hybrid comes with 3 Rows, 6 Passenger Seating, and with standard Captain Chairs. It is very comfortable to sit in the front, middle, or back seat, and I like that passengers have space in the middle of the two captain seats in the second row to walk through, just like you can do in a minivan.
There are many other 3-row SUVs and minivans with increased seating capacity for 8 passengers, like the bigger brothers Kia Telluride and Kia Carnival with capacity for 8 people.
The Sorento hybrid SUV includes the standard 50/50 split-folding of the third-row seats. Folding the 3rd row can help you increase cargo space, making your automobile more versatile depending on your needs.
The standard Smart Power Tailgate is a free feature included at no extra charge, just like many other features that Kia gives you included in the base price of your car. It automatically opens the dual-level cargo floor trunk when the Sorento’s Smart Key is detected to be very near.
10.25-Inch Touchscreen Navigation with Kia Connect
Technology is expensive and nowadays drivers want more technology and more features, but we don’t want to pay more.
The updated 10.25-inch touchscreen offers an intuitive high-quality display for navigation, diagnostic, convenience, entertainment, and connection with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
USB & Wireless Charging
As many passengers come on board the Sorento, more chargers become important. The hybrid Sorento includes 8 standard USB outlets throughout all three rows, plus an available front wireless charger.
Kia Connect Subscription is free for one year and it lets you connect with your vehicle remotely for added comfort and convenience with features like Remote Start, Climate Control, Find My Car, and more features with this remote advanced technology. After the first free year, you have the option to pay and subscribe to Kia Connect.
Apple CarPlay & Android Auto are included with your Sorento. This advanced connectivity lets you send texts via voice command, navigate adventures, play your favorite music, or navigate through other apps.
Premium Bose Audio
We love driving with good quality music and audio. The new Sorento hybrid SX Prestige includes a high quality Bose Premium Audio System with 12 Speakers throughout the whole 3-row cabin.
I enjoyed listening to my favorite music while driving on the highway. Compared to other cars with no premium audio you can tell the difference when you drive a car like the Sorento with the Bose premium audio.
Hybrid Engine and Performance of the Sorento
For those who are not too familiar with hybrid and electric engines and powertrains, most of the hybrid and electric cars in the market are not only more fuel efficient, and have a more eco-friendly engine, but also are more powerful.
Electric and hybrid technology produces higher speed, higher performance, better horsepower, and torque, making hybrid and electric cars more attractive.
The hybrid I am test driving, the Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige that I am test-driving is only available as an all-wheel-drive, and it has a very good power for its size and price.
The Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige trim that I am test driving comes standard with Kia’s AWD system with center locking differential and Drive Mode Select with Snow Mode.
Power
Power for the Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige AWD is 227 horsepower which is very good for a mid-size SUV.
The Sorento hybrid has a good combined hybrid drivetrain torque of 258 lb.-ft.
The towing capacity for the Sorento hybrid engine is 2,000 lb.
Engine
The hybrid engine of the 2023 Sorento is a 1.6 liter Turbocharged 4-cylinder and Full Parallel Hybrid System with a displacement
of 1,598 cc, which works as one hybrid engine producing electricity and using gasoline too.
The Sorento Engine has a Valve Train Double Overhead Camshafts (DOHC), 4 valves per cylinder, and Valve Gear Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT).
Transmission
The 6-speed Automatic Transmission is very smooth and does the job that you need in a mid-size SUV like the 2023 Sorento.
120 MPH Maximum Speed
The 2023 hybrid Sorento has a maximum speed of 120 miles per hour. When using the EV mode only, then the maximum speed goes down to 74.6 miles per hour.
Safety Features
Driving the Sorento you can feel safe, is a great car to give to your teen children as you can feel confident that the vehicle’s smart safety features will help them stay safe on the road and avoid accidents.
The list of standard safety features, included in the Sorento Hybrid free of charge, is very generous. These are some of the features you will get with your 2023 Sorento hybrid:
- Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist
- Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse
- Lane Departure Warning
- Driver Attention Warning w/ Leading Vehicle Departure Alert
- Rear-View Monitor w/ Dynamic Parking Guidance
- Rear-View Monitor w/ Dynamic Parking Guidance
- Electronic Stability Control
- Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Amazing 600 Mile Range
Which three-row hybrid SUV drives 600 Miles Range with one tank of gas?
The 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige I am test driving gives you so much driving mileage for your money. You can drive and drive with just one tank of gas. The 600-mile range per tank is just huge.
Even if this number can vary depending on your driving style and other factors, any range from 500 to 600 miles is great!
The Sorento hybrid has excellent fuel economy by combining a hybrid-electric engine and a gas engine that gives you the best of both worlds and an impressive range of 600 miles with one tank of gas with a capacity of 17.7 gallons.
Fuel Economy 34 MPG Combined
The Kia Sorento Hybrid AWD has a very good range with 36 miles per gallon in the city, 33 miles per gallon in the highway, and 34 miles per gallon combined driving city and highway.
Usually, hybrid cars have better fuel economy in the city because of driving at low speeds. As the vehicle uses the start-and-stop feature, it uses the electric motor more than the gas engine. Opposite to driving in the city, as hybrid cars reach higher speeds like when driving on the highway, they use the gasoline engine more.
At the present time when gas prices are very high, the good fuel economy of the Sorento is a relief for those who like to drive for long distances without having to worry too much about fuel consumption.
Driving a hybrid like the Sorento is convenient as you don’t need to worry about Plugs or having fast charging at home. This Hybrid SUV recharges its battery while you drive, including through regenerative braking, so you can enjoy driving long distances without planning for charging.
In a State like Florida where I live, we still don’t have as many charging stations as necessary, especially as you go North closer to the border with Georgia and South Carolina, so driving a plug-in electric car is not very convenient yet, but driving a hybrid like the Sorento is very good and makes your driving experience more economical and also practical worry-free.
2023 Kia Sorento Pricing and Trims
Pricing and Trim Levels is a department where Kia always seems to have the best know-how about its customers. The variety and diversity of pricing and trim models allow customers with different needs to select the best car according to their budget and their needs. Kia knows how to provide low pricing and a lot of added value.
The Sorento is one of the most popular mid-size SUVs in the U.S. with its amazing price range from $30K to $50K including hybrid, hybrid-plug-in, and non-hybrid Sorento models.
The new 2023 Sorento Hybrid has been repackaged with 2 trim models, the previous Sorento Hybrid S trim has been discontinued.
The 2023 Sorento hybrid I am test driving is only available in two trim models, EX or SX Prestige.
Standard features on the new 2023 SX Premium Sorento include 17-inch alloy wheels, LED foglamps, Smart Power Tailgate, 12.3-inch digital cluster, perforated leather seats, Bose premium audio system, Navigation Smart Cruise Control- Curve, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Surround View Monitor, Blind View Monitor, Parking Distance Warning, Front, and Rear, and Second Row Captain’s Chairs.
The 2023 Sorento hybrid EX model is the base trim of the Sorento hybrid lineup, with new features like an 8-way power front passenger seat and a frameless rearview mirror.
Pricing for the base model EX Hybrid Sorento starts at $36,690. Then top of the line, the Sorento hybrid SX Prestige, pricing starts at $42,490.
Hybrid technology is not cheap, hybrid cars cost more than regular gasoline cars, but for me, hybrid cars are the best cars you can buy at the present time, while electrification expands a little more.
The EX model is available as FWD or AWD, while the SX Prestige model is only available with a powerful AWD engine.
If you decide to purchase the non-hybrid model, the regular gas trim, then the Sorento has a lower price starting at $30,090.
2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige Highlights
- 1.6L Turbo Hybrid Powertrain with 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. torque
- Torque-vectoring All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with Center-Locking Differential
- 19-inch Alloy Wheels
- Smart Power Tailgate, Roof Rails
- Genuine Leather Seat Trim with Ventilated Front Seats
- Power Driver’s Seat
- Heated Steering Wheel & Heated 2nd Row Seats
- Power-Folding Side View Mirrors
- 12.3-inch Digital Instrument Display
- 10.25-inch Touchscreen Display w/ Navigation, Kia Connect and SiriusXM Satellite Radio
- Blind-Spot View Monitor
- Surround View Monitor
- Apple CarPlay & Android Auto with Wireless Phone Charger
- Smart Key with Push Button Start and Remote Start
- Bose Premium Audio System with 12 Speakers
- 8 USB Chargers, 115 Power Inverter
- Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go
- Auto Emergency Braking Technology with Pedestrian, Cyclist & Junction Turning Detection
- Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist
- Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist
- Lane Keeping & Following Assist Technology
- Front and Rear Parking Sensors
- Rear Parking Collision Avoidance Assist
Kia Sorento Warranty
Kia offers a very generous warranty that gives you the confidence to buy a new Kia Car.
In my opinion, the limited basic warranty is the most important warranty as it will cover most of your Kia components for 5 years or 60,000 miles.
• 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty
• 5-year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty
• 5-year/100,000 mile limited anti-perforation warranty
• 5-year/60,000 mile roadside assistance plan
Repairing a car can be expensive and there is nothing more wonderful than having peace of mind when driving a new car with full coverage. If anything goes wrong with your new Sorento is very easy to find the nearest Kia dealer and have them repair your Kia car free of charge, covered by its warranty.
Buying a used car can save you a lot of money, but repairs and maintenance can be very expensive, in my opinion is a better investment to either buy a new car or to lease it, as opposed to buy a used car.
When you make the math and think about all the benefits, is probably best to buy or lease a new car, keep it for a few years, then sell or trade and buy another new car. You will pay more for the purchase price but you will save a lot in potential expensive repairs, and have the convenience and pleasure of always driving a new car model.
The three-row Kia Sorento hybrid SUV drives a 600-mile range with one tank of gas.
