In mid-2024, Kia Philippines made a lot of noise with the launch of the Raize-fighting Sonet. That was followed by a couple other new offerings, but in niche categories: the flagship EV9 full-size SUV, then the updated Carnival minivan and its hybrid variant.
This time, local distributor ACMobility is focusing on the midsize-crossover segment with a vehicle that’s well-established in the local market: the Sorento. It’s not an all-new model yet, but there are quite a few changes in this midlife ‘product enhancement,’ foremost of which is that all variants now get turbo-hybrid powertrains.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Kia Sorento Turbo Hybrid.
Variants and prices
At launch, the new Sorento is available in three variants. The starting price is roughly in the price range of automatic 4x2 midsize SUVs, and undercuts the top-spec hybrid variants of some compact crossovers.
Kia Sorento Turbo Hybrid 2025 Philippine prices
- Sorento 1.6 EX Turbo Hybrid 4x2 – P2,188,000
- Sorento 1.6 EX+ Turbo Hybrid 4x2 – P2,588,000
- Sorento 1.6 SX Turbo Hybrid AWD – P2,888,000
The images here are of the range-topping SX AWD in Volcanic Sand Brown.
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Exterior
At 4,815mm long, 1,900mm wide, and 1,695mm tall (excluding roof rails), the 2025 model is 15mm longer than the pre-facelift version, thanks to a slightly longer rear overhang. This seven-seater masks its size well: It’s 5mm longer than the Toyota Fortuner and 10mm shorter than the Mitsubishi Montero Sport from end to end, and also wider than both, but it looks more compact in the metal—a very different approach to the Hyundai Santa Fe’s boxy and imposing form. That said, it sits lower to the ground than the two truck-based Japanese midsizers, with ground clearance listed at 174mm.
Unlike its overtly muscular and sporty peers, the Sorento opts for a clean, streamlined design with premium-looking elements, like those four-cube LED headlights with the star-map lighting signature seen on Kia’s newer models. The taillights also get the star-map treatment. Lending some sportiness to the exterior are the wide tiger-nose grille, the front and rear skid plates, and the functional roof rails. Of note, the 19-inch wheels create the impression of a spinning turbine on the move.
For the base EX variant, the available colors are Aurora Black Pearl and Snow White Pearl, while the midrange EX+ gets an additional Silky Silver option. The top-of-the-line SX has Volcanic Sand Brown as its hero color, but also comes in the aforementioned black and white pearl finishes.
Interior
‘Aspirational’ is the vibe that Kia wants to convey with the new Sorento, and this is something the interior fully embodies. This is a vehicle that offers a plush riding experience courtesy of good NVH suppression, premium cabin materials, and up-to-date tech and multimedia features.
Up front, the 12.3-inch main touchscreen flows into the 12.3-inch instrument cluster, creating the impression of a single panoramic unit. Unsurprisingly, physical switchgear is kept to a minimum, but below the center A/C vents is another strip of touchscreen that provides quick access to climate, multimedia, and navigation functions, with a pair of physical knobs allowing for volume or temperature adjustments depending on the menu item selected. The console below holds USB-C charging ports and a wireless charger.
All local Sorentos are seven-seaters; there’s no option for middle-row captain chairs. The SX unit featured here gets perforated white leather upholstery and ventilation for the front seats. Those in the middle row can also move the front passenger seat forward via buttons on the left side of the perch; additionally, USB-C ports are located on the sides of the front seats. A panoramic sunroof and ambient sound options give occupants a feel of the outdoors without direct exposure to the elements, and there’s also switchable mood lighting to enhance the riding experience.
Maximum cargo capacity is 2,139 liters, and remote buttons allow for the middle seats to be folded down from the cargo area. The power tailgate also has a proximity function for added convenience.
Powertrain and specs
Under the hood, the new Sorento packs a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine mated to a single electric motor that draws power from a 1.49kWh battery. The entire system puts out 232hp and 367Nm of torque, which is delivered to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Initial fuel-consumption readings observed by Kia Philippines showed 12.8km/L in rush-hour city traffic, and up to 21.4km/L on the highway.
There are several interesting things about the turbo-hybrid powertrain. First, the engine is calibrated to run on 91-octane fuel. Second, the Smart Regeneration feature, when set to auto, automatically adjusts the strength of regenerative braking based on factors like distance to the car ahead, road slope, and running speed, enabling the efficient charging of the battery.
Third, the turbo-hybrid also helps improve ride and handling through E-VMC or Electrification–Vehicle Motion Control. Basically, the electric motor simulates a countermotion effect to mitigate pitching and lateral body movements during cornering, evasive emergency maneuvers, and bumpy moments on the road. To do this, it utilizes the Sorento’s camera and radar as well as electronic torque vectoring.
For 2025, the Sorento also gets an all-wheel drive option through the range-topping SX. The available terrain modes are Sand, Mud, and Snow, which should be sufficient for the occasional soft-roading this crossover may be expected to do.
Extra features
Aside from the standard six airbags, the new Sorento gets Kia DriveWise, the carmaker’s proprietary term for advanced-driver assist systems, in the EX+ and SX variants. Features under DriveWise are smart cruise control with stop and go, a blind-spot monitor, a 360-degree surround-view monitor, lane-keeping and lane-following assistance, and forward-collision, parking-collision, and rear blind-spot collision avoidance.
For multimedia, there’s Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system. The vehicle also comes with a space-saver spare tire and tools.
In addition to the standard vehicle warranty, there’s an eight-year warranty for the hybrid system’s battery. After-sales support is provided by Kia’s nationwide network of 40 dealerships.
What do you think of the new Sorento—if you’re looking at truck-based midsize SUVs, would you consider a turbo-hybrid midsize crossover? Or, if you have hybrid compact crossovers on your shortlist, do you find the Sorento’s price and specs enticing enough to go upmarket for your vehicle purchase?
More photos of the Kia Sorento 2025:
