Kia Australia has launched the next step of its journey to electrification in the 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. Sitting atop the local Sorento range, the PHEV mates a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine to a 14kWh lithium-ion battery pack for an all-electric driving range of up to 68km and a claimed combined fuel consumption (if you’re charging it regularly) of just 1.6L/100km. Due in Australian Kia dealerships soon, the Sorento PHEV is priced from $81,990 drive away – $14,700 more than the diesel all-wheel drive Sorento that sits directly below it.

“The Sorento PHEV promises to push boundaries as one of the most versatile, practical and spacious plug-in hybrid SUVs on the market, and with the Sorento being an award-winning package, I couldn’t think of a better time to introduce the PHEV into the line-up,” said Kia’s Chief Operating Officer, Damien Meredith.

“Along with Niro range, the Sorento PHEV is another stride in the right direction towards a greener future. With the introduction of Sorento HEV and the highly anticipated EV6 next year, Kia will be lifting the electric vehicle benchmark to an all-time high.”

What’s under the bonnet? 

Under the bonnet of the 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV is a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine that’s mated to a 67kW/304Nm electric motor for a total output of 195kW of power and 350Nm of torque. The electric motor draws its power from a 14kWh lithium-ion battery that’s located under the middle row of seating. With a 3.3kW charger, the Sorento’s battery can be recharged fully in around 3.5 hours. 

For reference, the regular petrol 3.5-litre V6 Sorento produces 200kW/332Nm and the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel makes 148kW/440Nm. Both those are mated to an eight-speed automatic, while the PHEV uses a six-speed automatic. The petrol V6 Sorento is front-wheel drive and the diesel and PHEV are both all-wheel drive. 

Does the PHEV drivetrain impede the Sorento?

Weighing in at 2,056kg (tare mass), the 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV weighs 148kg more than the equivalent Sorento GT-Line diesel all-wheel drive and the battery doesn’t impede much on space either – its 175L/604L/1,988L bootspace (all seats erect/just the middle row/all seats folded) is only 13L/12L/23L smaller than the regular Sorento.

Impressively, the PHEV still features a 67-litre fuel tank and a full-size alloy spare wheel. 

What equipment is standard?

The 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV is only offered in top-spec GT-Line spec for now, and as such, its standard equipment list is long. Standard kit includes all-LED lighting, auto lights and wipers, Nappa leather upholstery, electric front seats (14-way driver, 10-way passenger) with driver’s memory functionality, heated and cooled front seats, heated middle row seating, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation with live traffic, digital radio, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, an electric tailgate with kick-to-open functionality, heated and auto-folding mirrors with auto-dropping for parking and third row fan speed adjustment. 

Safety kit is also extensive with seven airbags (including a centre front unit), auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assist, lane keep assist with lane follow assist lane centring, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a blind-spot camera feed, a heads-up display, auto high beam, an auto-dimming rear mirror, auto rear braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, driver attention alert, speed sign recognition, safe exit alert, a 360-degree parking camera, front and rear parking and an alarm. 

The PHEV’s 19-inch wheels are an inch smaller than the GT-Line petrol and diesel, while the remote parking feature on the GT-Line doesn’t feature on the PHEV.

As for colours, ’Clear White’ is the only no-cost option while ‘Silky Silver’, ‘Steel Grey’, ‘Mineral Blue’, ‘Aurora Black’, ‘Gravity Blue’ and ‘Snow White Pearl’ are $695 extra. Black is the only interior colour option in Australia. 

2022 Kia Sorento pricing (drive away):

  • S V6 2WD: $49,290
  • S diesel AWD: $52,290
  • Sport V6 2WD: $52,290
  • Sport diesel AWD: $55,290
  • Sport+ V6 2WD: $56,690
  • Sport+ diesel AWD: $59,690
  • GT-Line V6 2WD: $64,290
  • GT-Line diesel AWD: $67,290
  • GT-Line PHEV AWD: $81,990

Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews. 

About The Author

Jake is the veteran automotive journalist in the DiscoverAuto team having been in the industry since 2017. His first word was Volvo, he nitpicks every piece of practical design and has an unhealthy obsession for cars that feature rain-activated headlights.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.