Kia was one of the first major carmakers in the Philippine market to introduce a bona fide electric vehicle in the EV6. But it wasn’t only until recently that the Korean brand finally brought in its hybrids: the electrified versions of the Carnival and Sorento.
These are two of the longest-standing nameplates in the market today, and suffice to say that they’ll continue to live on with the hybrid treatment Kia has given them. The question now is this: Will they simply “live on” or will they be legitimate competitors in their respective segments?
We’ve already reviewed both the Carnival Hybrid and the Sorento Hybrid here at Top Gear Philippines. Those, however, were the top-spec variants. This time around, I was able to try out the more affordable version of the Sorento Turbo Hybrid—the EX—and I went out to see if the base trim is the better deal.
ALSO READ:
Review: 2025 MG ZS Hybrid+
Review: 2025 Isuzu MU-X LS-E 4x2 AT
Styling
I actually drove the pre-facelift Sorento a few years ago, and back then, I was already a big fan of the design. But this new look? I like it even better. The headlamps which now stretch downward to flank the Tiger-nose grille just looks so much more stylish in my opinion. It’s as if it completes the front fascia.
The changes at the rear may seem minimal, but they’re actually pretty significant. Kia has reworked the rear bumper and opted for a more solid two-tone finish. It’s also removed the large Sorento badging embossed at the bottom of the tailgate and went for a more traditional badge on the lower left corner which looks way cleaner.
Not sure if I like the new wheel design better than the old one, though. The latter looked classier. The new look has way too much black, and it looks a bit weird to me looking at it from afar.
Interior
The interior, however, gets all praises from me. Take note, this is the base variant I drove, but it never felt like I was in a “cheaper” version of the Sorento at all. In fact, to the undiscerning individuals whom I gave a ride during my test drive, it even felt premium. Sure, there’s not a lot of leather so the cabin isn’t that nice to touch, but at least the dominantly white finish inside is easy on the eyes. The darker-colored hard plastics don’t look too shabby, either. And since these are fabric seats, they’re easier for the regular car owner like me to detail and deep-clean. Leather isn’t the easiest to maintain, you know.
It’s also very spacious inside the Sorento. Passengers in the first and second row will be able to sit comfortably without any problems. As for the unfortunate ones who will find themselves in the third row, there’s still decent space for the average-sized Filipino.
I also particularly like the abundance of storage spaces inside this crossover. There are cubbies up front, with small pouch-like compartments for the little things like the phones, wallets, or keys. There’s a sizeable box under the center armrest, and second-row passengers get additional cup holders on the door panels. Storage out back is also easy to utilize, especially with the power-folding third-row seats.
Engine performance
Perhaps my favorite part of this Sorento is how it drives. A 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline with a single electric motor and a 1.49kWh battery comprise the hybrid system, and what an impressive system it is. It smoothly sends all of the 232hp and 367Nm of torque to the front wheels via the six-speed automatic transmission. The throttle feel is excellent, and there’s plenty of oomph especially from a standstill. It feels as if you were driving a smaller and lighter vehicle with just how peppy the powertrain feels.
I’d say the best part about this is that it’s the same setup in the higher variants, but really, the kicker here is the fuel economy. I had no intentions of saving up fuel when I drove the base Sorento, yet I got 14-15km/L out of it. That’s with a lot of idling and driving in the city. It was nice to know that the engine could run on 91-octane fuel, but I didn’t really need to refuel during the week that I had this crossover.
Ride and handling
But more than just the straight-line acceleration and the overall power output, it’s the driving dynamics that surprised me the most. As I said, I drove the pre-update, non-hybrid Sorento, and I didn’t recall it handled as well as this new EX Turbo Hybrid did.
The base variant doesn’t come with the new Electrification–Vehicle Motion Control feature or E-VMC, which, in a nutshell, utilizes the hybrid system to improve overall comfort. But that was also the thing—even without it, the ride was very, very comfortable. There’s still some body roll through the usual winding roads on the highway, but I really couldn’t complain about how the vehicle pitches, as I didn’t really drive it hard enough to notice any significant (and even borderline bothersome) pitching. But for the usual highway or city drives, the Sorento just rolls along nicely. You will have to step harder on the brakes for them to properly bite, and that might make them feel a bit mushy at first, but you’ll realize they’re good once you get used to them.
Sound insulation is also decent inside the cabin, with road noise being somewhat suppressed. NVH levels are low overall, making the ride inside the Sorento even more pleasant.
Extra features
Objectively speaking, this is where the Sorento EX Turbo Hybrid starts to fall behind in the lineup. Being the base variant, it doesn’t get advanced driver-assist systems like adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking, nor does it get the full Bose audio setup. The seats are also not power-adjustable, which is worth noting for a P2 million car. Subjectively speaking, though, I don’t really mind. Consider all these the cost of savings, if you would.
It still has two large digital displays up front, with the new instrument cluster and the massive head unit which comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The latter also still plays decent sound through the non-Bose speakers, and that’s something I can settle for.
There’s also still the touch panel on the center console. I know some of you might not like this—I actually found it confusing at first, even if I had already tried it on the Carnival before—but they add a more premium feel to the Sorento.
The sheer amount of USB-C charging ports also gets a huge plus for me. As well as the fact that the third row gets dedicated A/C controls. Some of the other basics are also covered, like the parking cameras and auto-hold function, and different drive modes are also available. Frankly, I’m not really a fan of shift knobs, but in the case of the Sorento, I’ll give it a pass—it does keep the center console looking more organized and clutter-free.
Verdict
There are two ways to look at this base-variant Sorento. One, you could say that you get so little compared to the higher variants. It’s really base—fabric seats, hard plastics on the dash, no power-adjustment controls, all that jazz. Or the lack thereof.
The other, you could say that you’re saving a lot of money while still getting a lot of value. At P2.188 million, this comes in at P400,000 less than the EX+, which is still just a 4x2, anyway. That price tag’s also P700,000 lower than the top-of-the-line trim, which gets an all-wheel-drive system but with the same powertrain underneath. Is it worth losing ADAS and settling for a less-premium-but-still-decent interior if it means you can save seven hundred grand? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
Now, before the “I’d rather buy…” comments start pouring in, think of it this way: The Sorento EX can also cater to the same people who might be in the market for a non-4x4 midsize SUV. Save, probably, for the water-wading capabilities, this Kia is better than most seven-seaters in the most important aspects: ride comfort, interior space, and fuel efficiency. In and of itself, the Sorento EX is already a darn good bargain—pitting it against other P2-M SUVs makes it look even better.
SPECS: 2025 Kia Sorento EX Turbo Hybrid 4x2
Price: P2,180,000
Engine: 1.6-liter I4 turbo-gasoline hybrid
Power: 232hp (total)
Torque: 367Nm (total)
Transmission: Six-speed automatic transmission
Layout: FWD
Seating: 7
Score: 9/10
More photos of the 2025 Kia Sorento EX Turbo Hybrid 4x2:
