Kia Sorento UM (2015-2020)

BEST ALLROUND SUV – The KIA SORENTO was my first 7 seat SUV. I purchased this vehicle after reviewing other vehicles in this class and test driving both the Hyundai Santa Fe and Mazda CX-9. I had come from a Holden Sportswagon SS 2010. The reasoning was I needed a 7 seater with good fuel economy and reliability. Both Hyundai and Mazda were excellent but the Diesel… Read more

turbo made good sense over the petrol Mazda and the design of the Sorento won me over the Sante Fe although they share the same mechanics. Reviews pointed to the solid after sales service and reliability of KIA, with both Mazda and Hyundai close to the mark. As an allround package for price, performance and inclusions I found the Sorento hard to surpass for my needs. The Platinum edition has every accessory including AWD and turbo diesel. I use the vehicle for touring and as my daily ride and in the four years I have had this vehicle, there have been no issues. The after sales service has met expectations and has yet to be faulted. The Platinum has been replaced by the GT Line which has the same upmarket inclusions. As a quality package it ticked all the boxes for performance, comfort, ride and inclusions and I would be hard pressed to find any criticism.

Love it – We've owned our 2016 Kia Sorento for 3 years and we love it. It's very comfortable, quiet, smooth, reliable, and luxurious. It has plenty of power for family motoring (147kw, 441Nm). We went with the SLi over the base model for the leather seats, electric tailgate, better sound system and nicer wheels. Every other feature we could have wanted… Read more

(GPS, reversing camera, 7 seats, front and rear parking sensors, climate control etc) is actually standard on the base model, which is amazing. Many people don't realise the difference between Kia standard equipment (nearly everything is included) and BMW / Land rover etc etc (absolutely nothing is included and costs thousands more). As a family with two small children we simply couldn't do without the space, dependability, and impressive comfort the Kia Sorento gives us. If I had to pick a fault, it's really not very sporty to drive, maybe a Tiguan or something would be better, but it does hold the road like brick, it's extremely safe and secure on the road. And there's ample power and torque. The brakes do the job but could be better. Economy is excellent - I'm not an economical driver and we average around 7.9 to 8.2 L/100km combined. If you're cross shopping this car with the smaller, cheaper crop of sub-$40k SUV's, you need to understand they are chalk and cheese. Holden Captiva? Jeep Patriot? Toyota Rav4? The quality of the Kia Sorento is double or triple what those budget rental-cars offer. Drive it for yourself to see.

A truly excellent vehicle – First, the good bits; It has a superb ride, as good as anything I have ever owned, including Jaguars. I was concerned that a 2.2 L diesel in an almost 2 tonne car would be bit of a slug on the road but the first test drive put that to rest. It has ample get up and go thanks to the 441NM engine torque. Highway trips have been a dream and it… Read more

does not lag behind at the lights either. I once owned a Triumph Herald which had about the tightest turning circle known but the Kia, considering that the front wheels are driven, is probably the next best thing. It has been an excellent experience to date.I need to mention handling, the car has a light and responsive feel to drive. Boy-th my wife and I used the term "nimble" Being in our 70s, we are never likely to get anywhere near its limits but it is comforting to know that it can safely deliver whatever we ask of it. I also like the active safety features, especially the cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking.

What I found disappointing. There is nothing really bad about this car, but the electronics take some learning and the pile of manuals aren't as helpful as they could be. The manuals are written to cover every model option, meaning that one has to wade through pages of irrelevant information laced with warnings, cautions, and alerts, many of which serve little or no useful purpose. I was disappointed to find that it doesn't have rain-sensing wipers but only because I'm a bit of a gadget snob. I have a feeling that the autonomous emergency braking isn't functioning, which I will take up with the dealer at the first servicing.

Over all, I can see why it took Car of The Year in its class. Kia really nailed it with the Sorento.

And no, my mother doesn't make them.

Great Car – 2nd hand 2016 purchased in January 2020. Fantastic car. Spacious for a family of 5. Use daily for work and family trips. Spacious boot, fits a large pram while one seat is down. 2 baby car seats fit with space for 3rd person in back seat. Show details

Second Sorento I have had and even better than the last one (previous model) – Bought the 2016 SLi as I felt it was the best value package in the range. This is the 2.2 Diesel version. This car has been brilliant and after 3 years still feels new. Standout features are comfort, spaciousness, handling , refinement and power. Fuel consumption excellent considering I only drive inner urban 9-9.2 litres per 100 kms. Taking it… Read more

out of town sees this drop to well less than 7 l per 100 kms. Never missed a beat in the 3 years!

The car has excellent climate control, good gps and premium sound system. Leather seats ultra comfy especially on long drives. The diesel is silky smooth.

After coming from Holdens S and SS, Honda CRV, Honda Accord Euro, Mazda CX7, I've stuck with Kia for my last 2 cars and on ownership credentials, I'll be sticking with Kia. They are simply great cars and now that they are designed and engineered by the Germans....even better!

Don't buy a KIA Sorento – Transmission faulty after 100k km ( 3 years ) only have FWD now not AWD. Kia are hopeless when it comes to warranty claims.It's under warranty but they keep dragging it on. Dealer is ready to go with replacement transmission but need Kia to give go ahead . Waiting ...waiting.... Doubt I would ever buy another one if this is how they treat the customer.  Show details

Maybe a lemon – Good driving experience, easy to handle considering it’s a 7 seater. However I regret the purchase as it is a Kia and is spot on with the bad reputation. Not very reliable. The navigation sometimes doesn’t work, radio doesn’t turn on each time, randomly says out of petrol even after we fill it up. The turbo has malfunctioned, no power when… Read more

excelerating. Very dangerous to drive. This car left us stranded interstate. Out of pocket 2 k while it was being repaired. Kia dealer and Kia Australia know about it and do not want a bar of it. Do not purchase a Kia.

Windscreen crack for nor reason 2016 Sorento – I loved my brand new car and was really happy with it until I walked out of work one day to find an unexplained crack 3/4 of the way across my windscreen. Kia's follow up has been really disappointing. Many phone calls from me with very little follow up or communication from them. They tell me they need more time to figure out how to calibrate the… Read more

sensors in the screens...this models been out over a year! They only have one machine to calibrate it in QLD. The glass alone (which has to be genuine I'm told) is $1680, then l have to pay installation and calibration. It seems to me these screens are cracking and breaking very very easily. They tell me it must have had a crack already. Three weeks of driving around with a car that wouldn't be roadworthy and could get me fined, with a huge huge crack, is just unacceptable support from Kia. very disappointing experience.

Good reliable comfortable family commuter – This car is great. Very reliable comfortable ride ect. the engine pulls very well for a diesel 4 cylinder gets amazing fuel economy i will say it did take about 1.5 months for the car to start to get really good fuel economy just while it gets used to your driving style. the 8 speed auto does everything effortlessly and i think the engine, gearbox… Read more

and drivetrain are a match made in heaven not overly expensive to maintain either. apple carplay android auto both work brilliantly sound system is good. yeah nothing to complain about really its a good car look past the kia badge and you will be impressed if you know what you are buying but it does everything in a comfortable unfussed manner.

Kia Sorento AWD Diesel – I have had this car since last 1 year. Mechanically it is great. Very comfortable and I loved it so far other than following: 1) AC makes a very annoying whistling noise. I took it to Kia outlet and put under warranty claim, however, technician, came up with some "Kia Bullet in" which stated that whistling noise from Kia Sorento is a vehicle… Read more

characteristic and it was approved by AU Kia Engineer. Now, this is annoying that I am paying 30000AUD for a good family car and I have to put up with this annoying whistling noise. THIS KIA's ENGINNER DEGREE AFFILIATION NEEDS TO BE CHECKED !!!

2) Dashboard fitting sometimes makes noise as well, like it is loose or something but its not considerably high but again not a good thing

3) Recently, I am having another issue that automatic boot opens & once fully opens it starts closing down automatically (does not drop that I could say it hydraulic issue). I hope it's not another KIA VEHICLE CHARACTERSTIC !!

Can't live without it! – We use this as our family car and uses it for daily commuting as well as road trips. The car is very diesel efficient, good handling, safe and good looking! Love the two extra seats at the rear but storage space is quite limited once the seats are in use.  Show details

Love love love this car – I never want to stop driving this car. Everytime i get in i don't want to get out. Great in size but still so zippy. Heaps of power. Really comfortable. Only downside is visibility to the left of the car past the front passsenger seat through to back window. Great on fuel.  Show details

Sorento crdi 2018 – Great car for the price, this is an update from our 2012 Sorento and the extra features and performance is great. car details is just getting better and changes in the suspension was the main purchase as the 2012 model did a diff and a pinion bearing at the end of warranty  Show details

Great family car – It’s hard to find a car that meets all of your needs. I had to travel a fair distance regularly and needed space for luggage and passengers, with occasional towing. I wanted safety, comfort and reliability. The Sorento has all of these. If people were not so hung up on badge snobbery, there would be a lot more on the road. For those of us that… Read more

have one, we can just smile to ourselves knowing the good value vehicle we have. My only complaint would be a shortage of Kia Service Centres, and the sound system is not brilliant. But everything else is great. i have the Diesel and average 7.6l/100 that’s on hilly roads.

Perfect – Great car. Very good performance and fuel economy. It has lots of legroom. The boot can hold a pram and a lot of additional there things. The heating and cooling is very good. It has broken down once yet. I feel very safe and protected in this car. Great for ppl with children  Show details

Very well equipped for the price point – Purchased UM platinum in 2016. Drove 5000kms on a roadtrip. Performed flawlessly. Extremely well equipped with heated/cooled seats which may seem a gimmick but once you've had a vehicle with them it's hard to look back. The radar cruise control is fantastic. Fuel economy is great for a largish suv. Servicing is also straight forward. Running nulon… Read more

5w30 synthetic low ash suitable for dpf.

Had a sunroof rattle however this was rectified at the dealer.

Stereo display has misbehaved on 2 occasions.

Criticism of this model include lack of apple carplay etc, stereo display issues.

For the price and amount of standard features this vehicle is really well appointed.

If you're worried about the kia badge you can easily purchase alternative logo/badges on ebay and your friends will be none the wiser .

Great family car – We've had our Sorento for about 18 months now and it has been a fantastic family car. It replaced a Ford Territory which we loved but the Sorento feels a cut above in almost every category Pros: * Drives well- very relaxed to drive and has heaps of power * Fuel economy is streets ahead of the Territory * Great quality interior - feels like a… Read more

luxury vehicle even in Si trim

* Even the third row of seats is comfortable for bigger kids - or even adults for short trips

* Plenty of boot space for family holidays

Cons:

* Petrol is 4x2 not AWD

* At high speed does not feel as well planted as the Territory did (it can feel a bit jittery over uneven ground)

* Tow ball is max 100kg down ball weight

Absolutely blown away, best decision in a long time – We bought a 2017 Sorrento CRDi in November. Got a great price from the dealer, as 2018 were about to show up at showrooms. Took it for a long 7,000 KMs drive up from VIC to QLD and back, with 100KGs of weight in the boot and 3 kids. Initially I was sceptic to buy a KIA, but I must say, I have been thoroughly impressed with the drive, durability,… Read more

reliability and fuel performance. We got a 6.2L/100Kms overall on our trip (Diesel). A/C was fantastic in QLD heat and drive was smooth as silk.

Love my car – Moved from a carols to the Sorrento upon the birth of my daughter. Love how it drives like a small car and is so good on fuel (diesel). Very quiet car, however the warning systems can be very loud and annoying (red light camera etc)... however I need to work out how to turn these off.  Show details

Great family car – Great family car I have four kids and the 7 seats are perfect. There is enough room for an extra person. Very fuel efficient. I like how it does a scan of the car before you drive it it is very accurate it told me my air pressure was low so for a single lady this is really great  Show details

Spacious AWD – Took family (5) to see this car, I was surprised how much space there is inside, my 10 yo fit perfectly in the 3rd row and even I tried and felt comfortable. The way to get to the third row is a bit narrow, wish they have put seat as the caravan to access back row. The only down part is that the nice safety features (line departure warning,… Read more

emergency braking, blind spot warning, cross traffic warning) are not standard and only available in the top range which requires like an extra 12k......which makes car not too affordable. The SLI interior is very luxury looking and does not look plastic or cheap.

Being an AWD is pretty good, the only thing to think about is the tow bar vertical capacity of 100kg, for me is very low as they claim a breaked 2000kg capacity. Make your own conclusion.

I test drove the car and feels plenty of power and handles well.

Perfect Family Car – We had looked at several SUVS for our family of 5. We wanted a 7 seater as we still have 2 children in car seats. The Sorrento stood out a mile from all of the competition. We are so happy with our purchase we have the 7 seater platinum diesel. Very economical on fuel, beautiful to drive and I love love the heated seats. It is a pleasure to drive and doesn't feel like a huge tractor.  Show details

My Stylish Baby – I have been driving this stylish baby for 2 years now. No problems so far and why worry when the services are great. Excellent performance, great pick up and speed(few speeding fines :( ). Running cost is very low, couldn't be happier. I am driving Sorento Diesel, with $70 fuel, it can go up to 650km mileage, with this sort of consumption I am… Read more

only fueling up twice a month.

The back seat legroom which is the 6th and 7th seaters are great, in fact, the best in the market. I haven't come across another 7 seaters with such spacious legroom. The back seats can be used by adults as well.

It is a reliable, spacious, comfortable and stylish family car. Love it !!

Wonderful Car at an extroadinary price – We bought a 2016 Sorento Platinum. We had owned previous high end cars like the Landrover Discovery SE and Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit just to name 2. We wanted to replace our last car with another high end 4wd/SUV and drove many different makes and models. For the price, features, comfort, drive ability, size, safety and economy, we couldn't go… Read more

past the Kia Sorento. Even though the Hyundai is almost a twin vehicle with same running gear and almost identical features, the Kia had more promises, was better laid out, nicer trim and offered a 7 year warranty which trumps the better known Hyundai. we definitely recommend the Kia Sorento. The only down side was our buying experience was by far the worst we have experienced but this yard had many issues which I wont go into but the car itself is amazing.

Awesome car. Highly recommended – Driving experience is great. Comfortable, low road noise, handling excellent. Dashboard configuration is getting better as kia grows in stature, but still a bit plasticy in certain areas. Going on how far they've come already it won;t be to long before it is a close to perfection as possible. Reliability is fantastic and Kia now has 7 year… Read more

warranty which is hard to beat. A little thirsty early on until its run in, but extremely economical on the highway.

Brand Snobs need not apply! – Fifty years driving experience and so many car species behind me has made me pretty particular! Prime requirements at this stage of life are best bang for my diminishing nest egg, versatility, comfort, running costs and utter reliability. In July 2016 I bought a Kia Sorrento Platinum model. Not the most macho profile of the AWD machines, dark… Read more ·  1

interior makes it a bit of a heat sink and a wider wheelbase would enhance the feeling of security when pushing it but on balance the vehicles positives far outweigh any negatives. The fit and finish of the car is excellent, layout and detailing of the interior far more European than Oriental, enough driver aids and info / safety gadgets to make a pilot blush.....in fact so many bells and whistles I fear that, if they eventually become more common, young drivers of today may never develop the range of skills required to survive in " the olden days! " The features of this car are too extensive to list...needless to say after 6 months of ownership I am still discovering stuff. So, in a nutshell, this car s a comfortable, seamless driving experience where everything works as it should. The engine is a gem...gutsy lazy torque for towing for just poking around, rapid fire speed and acceleration if you kick in the turbo ( a wee bit of lag there but..), thoroughly excellent fuel economy tha has fallen as low as 6.5 liters to the 100 on some occasions with the climate control engaged! Enough! All this with a seven year warranty ( extendable to 10 if I service with the seller ), once a year fixed price servicing, 7 year roadside assist, affordable insurance premiums! Nothing in the market comes close!

Brilliant Family Car - Just Misses – I completely love this car. The fuel Eno you, drive and general cabin comfort are brilliant. The amount of room Mackey it perfect for a family. The finish is 1st class. Bad - the first thing that is missing is a cruise control that manages your speed. My wife's 2006 model car has cruise control that drops back a gear to assist in maintaining… Read more

the correct speed when going down a hill, not my 2016 Sorrento. Surely this is just a software issue.

The second is the lack of phone control on the steering wheel for my phone. My previous vehicle allowed me to control my phone via Siri/google now with the push of a steering wheel button. Never have to take eyes off the road. Again just a software upgrade would fix. If Kia fixed these 2 things I would rate this as a perfect car.

Love my Sorento so much! – Coming from a 1.8l hatchback, I am very satisfied with the Sorento's handling, acceleration and power. The cabin is very comfortable and quite, in fact quieter than my petrol hatchback. On the safety, after getting one of ANCAP's highest score I am confident that my two toddlers are safe in this car. Having two toddlers, the cargo can swallow all… Read more

their things, plus it has the convenient of having 7 seats. The only let down is there is no apple CarPlay support, but still i will give it a 5*

Liked it so much I got another Sorento – This car is very good value. Comfortable, luxurious, good tech, great size inside. I had the 2013 SLi Sorento for 3 years and when it came time to replace it, I had no hesitation getting another one. I have Sunset Red colour (more of a brown than red really). The new model is definitely bigger in the 2nd and 3rd rows, while the boot is much… Read more

bigger with all seats deployed.

Only issue is the sat nav seems to be tempermental in recognizing touch input so far.

Amazing car with so much to love – Don't really write reviews on cars. But this car surprised me. Really makes purchasing it a no brainer when it comes to comparing all the other similar suvs in this 55k price range. The close cousin, Hyundai santa fe had an interior that was hard to like. The Sorento is gorgeous and feels premium. Will age really well too I'd reckon. Mazda CX-9… Read more

in similar spec is 10k more and lacks a full size panoramic sunroof. The Toyotas and Nissans don't offer enough style and value.

Being tested as the safest possible car in ANCAP ratings. The 7 year warranty and roadside assistance makes the decision easy. The two tone leather is luxurious. Never had this much fun with a new car yet. has many bells and whistles. Will only get even better when they update current cars with apple carplay and android auto. The sound system is real good too. Having the car tuned to australian roads on the suspension definitely paid off. the ride is comfy and has very minimal body roll. Not a lot of cons i could think of except for not having rain sensing wipers and some other safety features like autonomous braking and automated reverse parking like the Santa fe. Other than that, it's a very complete package and a lot of attention to detail paid in designing this car. Soft closing doors and a very nice "thunk" to the doors when closing, probably has good sound isolation treatment to it.

Way too many premium features to list, but lets say if you were to spend 55k on the germans, jeeps or range rovers. You'd probably get a lot more less for your money. Look past the badge, throw away your outdated opinions that a Kia is cheap and nasty and get this car, the Koreans have come a long way. And i think they've arrived. Go see one for yourself.

Great car I've ever owned. Just wish it had DAB – Greatest car I've ever owned. Had it now for 8 months and still a dream to drive. Love the heated and air conditioned seats. Love the comfy seats. Love the driving experience Love the sun roof Love 7 year warranty Hate the fact that gps struggles to find satellites for time. Hate the fact it doesn't have dab radio The only let down is the gps and radio  Show details

Love it Too – Hi Julien Agree with everything you say. We purchased our Sorento Platinum in June 2015 so have had it 12 months now. We had the earlier model Kia Sorento Platinum and whilst that only had 14,000lms on the clock we had to have the new model with all the additional bells and whistles. We are only a couple so it is probably a bit big for us but we love it anyway.  Show details

Great vehicle. Recommend – Firstly, I'm a bit of a car nerd and research the hell out of any car purchase before pulling the trigger. So grab a cuppa for my review. We are a family of four (two boys 11 & 8) coming out of a 2006 X-Trail we owned for 5 years and before that a 2008 Toyota Kluger for 1.5 years. Both good cars. We do mostly school and other shorter city… Read more

runs. Out of town trips every 3-4 months or so. I researched the Sorento 7-seater as the boys get bigger with sports etc. I looked at and drove the Sorento, Pathfinder, Kluger and Hyundai Highlander. The Kia is a no-brainer. Great build quality, handling and functionality and 7 YEAR WARRANTY!!

You know when you buy a new car and you compromise with little things that annoy you but you just put up with it? This vehicle has a couple that you have to really be picky about, like the...um...they escape me right now (oh, average footwell fan and driver side right leg support although I'm tall) . The design, layout and functionality of this car is brilliant. I'm 6ft 4in, my wife is 6ft and the growing boys have stacks of room in all 3 rows.

All the bells and whistles (heated and ventilated everything, blinds, auto tailgate, electric setas etc etc) are great.

I had my doubts about the grunt for a vehicle this size. The 2.2L diesel has heaps, off-the-line, over-taking and cruising. The stereo pumps.

I just proof read my review and I sound like a car add - classic. My wife loves this car and our friends have who have driven it, can't believe it's a Kia.

Other nice to haves (that I didn't think I'd need or like):

- rear side traffic warning

- side mirror warning lights

- changing lane warning alarm

- electric auto reverse drivers seat to assist in entry and exit

- electric tailgate

- safety everything

This is a largish SUV. Don't expect sports car or car like handling. It's a very cruisey, comfy (with puch when you need it) and enjoyable car to drive. Heaps of bang for your $.

Can't go wrong.