Kia Sorento PHEV and hybrid range expands dramatically in Australia: NVES drives electrification for popular Toyota Kluger rival
Kia has dramatically expanded its Australian line-up of seven-seat Sorento family SUVs with plugged and plugless petrol-electric hybrid powertrains.
Bringing more hybrids into the line-up will also sharpen its competitiveness against the popular all-hybrid Toyota Kluger line-up, as well as the Hyundai Santa Fe in-house rival and an expanding array of Chinese newcomers including the Chery Tiggo 8 CSH.
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Previously only available as an all-wheel drive version of the flagship GT-Line, PHEV is also now available in S, Sport and Sport+ trim
The hybrid was previously only available as a plugless hybrid front- and all-wheel drive GT-Line Sorento.
But now you’ll also find it on offer as an S, Sport and Sport+ as well as GT-Line in front- and all-wheel drive in all grades.
At this stage no existing 3.5-litre V6 petrol or 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel Sorento variants have been dropped from the official Kia website pricing guide.
However, that doesn’t mean they won’t be, as Kia has made clear there will be culling as NVES impacts.
That means the V6 petrol models appear the most likely candidate to be chopped.
The PHEV Sorento is priced from $70,880 plus on-road costs, the Sport is $73,500, the Sport+ $78,430 and the flagship GT-Line is $86,790.
That’s a rise for the latter of just over $2000 from the old price of $84,660.
Pricing for the hybrids starts at $56,380 plus on-road costs for the S hybrid. AWD adds $3000 for each model grade.
Hybrid pricing tops out at $74,290 for the GT-Line AWD. That’s a rise of just under $1000.
Petrol and diesel models appear unchanged in pricing.
The cheapest Sorento V6 is the $51,380 plus ORCs S. The cheapest diesel is the $54,380 S AWD, which would become the cheapest model in the entire lineup if the V6 disappears as expected.
The Kia Sorento PHEV comprises a 132kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine combined with 67kW/304Nm electric motor for a combined 195kW/350Nm output.
Add in a 14kWh lithium-ion battery pack and the Sorento PHEV is claimed to have a 68km EV range (NEDC). The fuel consumption claim is the usual outlandish PHEV theoretical calculation at 1.6L/100km.
The hybrid takes the same engine and combines it with a 44kW/264Nm e-motor for a combined 169kW/350Nm. The battery pack measures up at 1kWh.
The claimed fuel consumption is 5.4L/100km for the FWD and 5.7L/100km for the AWD.
It is understood equipment levels carry over basically unchanged from the current Sorento range to the new models.
2025 Kia Sorento HEV and PHEV pricing:*
Kia Sorento S Hybrid FWD: $56,380
Kia Sorento S Hybrid AWD: $59,380
Kia Sorento Sport Hybrid FWD: $59,000
Kia Sorento Sport Hybrid AWD: $62,000
Kia Sorento Sport+ Hybrid FWD: $63,930
Kia Sorento Sport+ Hybrid AWD: $66,930
Kia Sorento GT-Line Hybrid FWD: $71,290
Kia Sorento GT-Line Hybrid AWD: $74,290
Kia Sorento S PHEV: $70,880
Kia Sorento Sport PHEV: $73,500
Kia Sorento Sport+ PHEV: $78,430
Kia Sorento GT-Line is PHEV: $86,790.
*Plus on-road costs
