We have the brand new 2021Â Kia Sorento PHEV (plug-in-hybrid)Â to test with our family! This seven-seat Sorento SUV we know is popular with families so let's see how the top-of-the-range PHEV stacks up as a BabyDrive…
BabyDrive Verdict
In the back of the Sorento PHEV there are ISOFix points in the two outer second-row seats and in both third-row seats and top tether anchorages in all five rear seats! Which is great news for large families needing all five rear seats or for smaller families who want the flexibility of where they position their child seats.
If you'd like to learn any more about the child seats used in this video you can click on the link here.
Legroom is great across the three rows of seats and with these forward-facing child seats in the third-row and a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More in the second-row we could fit a 184cm driver in front.
The second-row seats of the Sorento PHEV are split 60:40 and the 40% is unfortunately on the driver's side (the road side), which makes it slightly trickier when getting kids in and out of the back. We found accessing the third-row in the Sorento is actually pretty good.
It works really well if you're just using two child seats in the second row. However, if you've got three it will still work, you can bring either the 60% or 40% seat forward and climb through to the third row. To do this, you need to use the ISOFIX to attach your child seat, not the cars seat belt.
There are air-con vents in all three rows in the Kia Sorento PHEV which is fantastic, they are in the back of the central console box in the second row and in the sidewalls of the third row. You can control the rear air coming from the front, which is perfect for families so parents can set the climate.
The second-row doors have built-in window blinds, which is great for shielding rear passengers from the sun while you're driving along.
Also in the rear doors of this model Sorento, there are heated seat buttons, which I'm not a fan of because if a little one presses it while you're driving along and you've got no idea that they're cooking themselves in the back.
Now there are still no third-row airbags in the Sorento PHEV, which is a shame and doesn't offer those passengers in the back row any protection in the event of a crash.
Storage in the back of the Kia Sorento is excellent! Third-row passengers get cupholders and iPad or phone holders on both sides and there's a USB port there too.
In the second row, there are some stand-out storage features like the double layer map pockets that will hold and conceal an iPad and there's a separate little net on front which is good for holding a phone or more.
The doors are really good in the back, where they will hold a refillable water bottle and there are cupholders in the doors which are fantastic for kids to be able to put their drink in and easily reach them from their seats.
In the front, the storage is more standard but practical in size. With two cupholders in the central console, a good size central console box, a wireless phone charging tray and a glove box big enough for an iPad and wallet with the manual.
The front door bins hold a refillable water bottle but there is no cup holder at the top like the rear ones.
The boot of the Sorento PHEV is apparently about 12 litres smaller than the non-PHEV models, however when I did my pram and shopping testing it didn't make much of a difference. When using all seven seats it will hold five shopping bags, which is the same as the other Sorento models and comparable to the Hyundai Santa Fe that will also hold five. If you need more room, the Nissan Pathfinder, Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Kluger will hold eight bags and the Mazda CX-9 will hold seven shopping bags.
When using only five seats, the 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV will hold seventeen shopping bags, which again is the same as the non-PHEV models and comparable to the Hyundai Santa Fe that will also hold seventeen. The Hyundai Palisade will hold twenty-one, the Nissan Pathfinder will hold twenty, the Toyota Kluger will hold nineteen and the Mazda CX-9 will hold eighteen shopping bags.
A large family dog will fit nicely in the boot of the new 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV when you're only using five seats. For more detailed boot storage information see the expandable section ‘storage' below.
When it comes to charging the Sorento PHEV, we found it really nice and simple and easy.
Kia says the Sorento PHEV does around 68km to the charge on the battery; we found we got between 50-60kms with our daily driving, commute and school runs.
You can see easily on the media screen how much of your battery range is left and watch the energy flow whilst driving…
…as well as in the drivers display screen.
The media system in the Sorento PHEV is lovely and clear and simple and easy to use.
It is full of features that are great for families. Like a ‘Quiet mode' which reduces the sound from the speakers in the back and brings it to the front, this is great for when kids fall asleep in the back or they're on their devices.
‘Passenger talk' amplifies your voice from the front of the car through to the third row so you don't have to shout to be heard.
There's also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in here, which is fantastic for connecting and accessing your phone apps while you're driving.
Within the media section, there is also ‘Sounds of nature' which is white noise at your fingertips, we find it really good for getting our little ones calm and sleepy in the car. Calm ocean waves is our daughter's favourite and she falls asleep every time 😉
‘Voice memo' is handy and something I've been using with my family to record those funny conversations that you have in the car with your kids.
When you put it into reverse, the camera quality is fantastic, you have different camera views and you can turn off the parking sensors with a button down in the central console.
There is also a button down in the central console that brings up the rearview camera image when you're driving along, which is really good for increasing visibility out of the back.
There are indicator cameras that come up in the driver's display screen so you have great visibility while turning and changing lanes.
These are helpful if you are planning on having three or more child seats or passengers in the back because visibility out of the sides and back is minimal when you are fully loaded.
The Kia Sorento PHEV is a joy to drive and the transition from the nice quiet start of the battery to the engine is really nice and smooth and well executed.
The turning circle is really good in here too, not quite as good as the Kia Carnival but it is still good. Which makes it good for parking in supermarkets or school car parks and busy places like that. In summary, the plug-in hybrid model of the Kia Sorento is a fantastic seven-seater family car. You can get five child seats in the back and the third-row access is pretty good. The media system and cameras are fantastic, the drive is great and we did find the plug-in-hybrid system made it very economical.
The 2021 Kia Sorento scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating despite its lack of third-row airbags because for some reason ANCAP still does not test the third-row seats in their crash testing. EVERYONE questions the lack of third-row airbags, which is preventing it from being the ultimate family seven-seat SUV! Next time maybe Kia?!
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV?
The boot space of the Kia Sorento PHEV is supposed to be 12 litres less than in the non-PHEV models so I wanted to see the effect that has on storage in real life terms and our testing.
Well it didn't really have much effect at all!  The boot of the Kia Sorento PHEV will hold seventeen shopping bags when you are only using the first two rows of seats, which is the same as the non-PHEV models and comparable to the Hyundai Santa Fe that will also hold seventeen shopping bags. The Hyundai Palisade will hold twenty-one, the Nissan Pathfinder will hold twenty, the Toyota Kluger will hold nineteen and the Mazda CX-9 will hold eighteen shopping bags.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin side-by-side stroller fits in the boot with eight shopping bags beside it.
The tandem stroller fits in the boot, with eleven shopping bags beside it.
The single stroller fits in the boot with eleven shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot with fourteen shopping bags around it.
Or a large dog fits in the boot of the new 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV easily and the boot floor is nice and flat for them (or an emergency nappy change).
A twin side-by-side stroller and tandem stroller would not fit in the boot with the third-row seats in use, but the single stroller fits with a single shopping bag beside it.
A compact stroller fits in the boot with three shopping bags beside it.
The boot floor is nice and flat, which is good for emergency nappy changes and a very small dog will fit!
How good is storage in the 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV?
Storage in the cabin of the Kia Sorento is very good throughout.
There are two cup holders in the central console that are the right size for a reusable or disposable coffee cup and a large refillable water bottle fits too and there is a small square storage dip behind the cup holders too.
There is a wireless phone charging tray in front of them and three USB sockets.
The central console box is a great size, it is lined at the bottom so things don't rattle around while you are driving and there is a tray in the top of it which is good for glasses as there is no glasses holder in the ceiling.
There are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors.
The glove box is large and will hold my wallet and iPad, with the manual.
The door bins in the front aren't very big, they're not really enough for a large refillable water bottle so I had to jam this one in and we found we stored our water bottles in the handle wells during the time that we had the Sorento PHEV.
In the back, there is some good storage. In the second row, there are two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seat backrest. They are the right size to hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup and a large refillable water bottle fits in them.
In the rear doors, there are some great cup/bottle holders that are within easy reach for forward-facing kids while you are driving along. The door bins in the back are small and I could just jam in this water bottle.
There are double layer map pockets on the back of both front seats, they will hold an iPad and phone or books. On the back of the central console box, there are 12V and USB sockets.
In the third row, there are good-sized cup holders and storage trays on both sides, to hold an iPad or phone easily.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the new 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV? How good is the media system in the 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV?
The media system in the Sorento PHEV is lovely and clear and simple and easy to use.
It is full of family-friendly features that we love! Like ‘Quiet mode' which reduces the sound from the speakers in the back, bringing it to the front, this is great for when kids fall asleep in the back or they're on their devices.
‘Passenger talk' amplifies your voice from the front of the car through to the third row so you don't have to shout to be heard.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard in the Kia Sorento, which is fantastic for connecting and accessing your phone apps while you're driving.
Within the media there is also ‘Sounds of nature' which is white noise at your fingertips, we find it really good for getting our little one asleep in the car. Our daughter loves Calm ocean waves 😉
‘Voice memo' is handy and something I've been using with my family to record those funny conversations that you have in the car with your kids.
When you put the Sorento PHEV into reverse the camera quality is fantastic, you have different camera views and you can turn off the parking sensors with a button down in the central console.
There is also a button down in the central console for the rearview camera, so you can see out of the back while you're driving along, which is really good for increased visibility.
There are indicator cameras that come up in the driver's display screen so you have great visibility down the side of the car while turning and changing lanes too.
These are helpful if you are planning on having three or more child seats or passengers in the back because visibility out of the sides and back is minimal when you are fully loaded.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
When it comes to charging the Kia Sorento PHEV we found it really nice and simple and easy.
Kia says the Sorento PHEV does around 68km to the charge on the battery, we found we got between 50-60km with our daily commute and school runs.
You can see easily on the media screen your battery range remaining and watch the energy flow whilst driving…
…as well as in the driver's display screen.
The Sorento PHEV model has a rotary gear selector dial, which is compact and easy to use.
The indicators are not too loud in the Kia Sorento PHEV and the doors and windows can be locked from the driver's door control panel. I found the doors are not too loud to open and close either.
You can also turn off lane keep assist on the right side of the steering wheel.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV?
There are ISOFix points the two outer second-row seats. They're not within plastic guides, but they're nice and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three second-row seatbacks, they are really nice and easy to access through the boot or by sliding the seat forward.
I can fit three Infasecure child seats across the second row which is fantastic, I've got the two Attain More child seats and an Achieve More that will fit either forward-facing or rear-facing
In the third-row seats, there are two sets of ISOFix as well, which is fabulous.
There are top tether anchorages on the back of both of those rear third-row seats and I can install two child seats back there too, which is really good. I've got the Infasecure Roamer II booster seat and the Infasecure Aspire More booster seat, both forward-facing.
Now when it comes to legroom in here, it's really good. With the forward-facing child seat in the third row and rear-facing in the second row, we can fit a 184cm driver in front.
Now if you'd like to learn any more about the child seats using this video you can click on the link here.
The second-row seats of the Sorento are split 60:40. The 40% is unfortunately on the driver's side which is the road side so this makes it a bit harder when getting kids in and out of the back.
However, we found accessing the third row to be pretty good in the Kia Sorento PHEV. It works really well if you're just using two child seats in the second row. If you've got three child seats installed it will still work, you can bring that 40% forward and climb through to the third row. This works best if you use the ISOFIX to attach your child seat, not the car seat belt.
Posting bub into their child seat in the second-row from inside and outside the car is nice and easy. Being a big SUV, the door openings are nice and large and the ceiling is quite high and there is plenty of interior space.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
I found there is room to feed Bub in the second row if you only have one child seat installed or the front seats are spacious and comfortable for it too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV? And How good is the 2021 Kia Sorento to drive PHEV?
The front seats of the 2021Â Kia Sorento PHEV are nice and comfortable. They are quilted and perforated leather in the PHEV model.
The headrests in the new 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV were not adjustable which meant I couldn't wear a ponytail while driving.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the second-row with kids, the seats are quite comfortable and the footwell is nice and flat so it is nicer to not have to straddle a central hump and easier for passengers to move around to their seats.
In the third row, there is enough leg and headroom for me and I'm 162cm.
For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down. The cruise controls are on the right of the steering wheel and are easy to use. I found the cruise control to be incredibly accurate on both motorways and at lower speeds on undulating roads around town which is great.
There are eight air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; four below the media screen and two at either end of the dash.
We also loved the three-stage AUTO aircon, which meant when we got into the hot car we could press AUTO but we didn't have to be hit full pelt with aircon; we could have a gentler setting at the press of a button.
There are air vents in the back of the central console box for the second-row passengers, which I could easily reach from the front.
In the third row, there are aircon vents on both sides and a control dial too.
You can control all the air-con from the front media screen, which is fantastic to over-ride any fiddly little finger in the back playing with it.
There are handles above both rear doors which are well-positioned to hold a baby toy.
The Sorento PHEV has built-in rear window blinds to keep little passengers shaded from the sun while you are driving along.
I have found our kids do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
Visibility in the Kia Sorento PHEV is really helped by the reversing camera and rearview camera in this model.
When the back is loaded up with five child seats, visibility is limited so the rearview camera is great in the PHEV model.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Sorento PHEV was simple to park as the visibility and cameras was so good!
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2021 Kia Sorento PHEV?
The 2021 Kia Sorento has a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2020 onwards, despite it having no third-row airbags, as for some reason the third-row seats are STILL not tested during ANCAPÂ crash testing despite all the latest changes to make them more challenging.
In Adult Occupant Protection testing it scored 31.23 out of 38 overall which breaks down into; 3.5 out of 8 in the frontal offset test. Gaining maximum points for the side impact test, 5.73 out of 6 for the oblique pole test and 2 out of 2. 7.31 out of 8 for the full-width frontal crash test.
In Child Occupancy Protection testing it scared 85%, which equates to 42,09 out of 49. Broken down into 14.89 out of 16 for Dynamic front crash testing. 8/8 for Dynamic side crash testing. 11.20 out of 12 for child seat installation and 8 out of 13 for n-board features.
ANCAP said of the Child Occupancy testing:
In the frontal offset test, protection of the neck of the 10 year dummy was ADEQUATE, while the protection offered to all other critical body regions of both the 6 and 10 year dummies was GOOD.
In the side impact test, protection of all critical body areas was GOOD for both dummies, and maximum points were scored.
The Kia Sorento is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats in the second and third row of seats, and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, however care is needed to correctly install the ISOFix restraints in the third row seating positions.
The Kia Sorento is fitted with seven airbags as standard. Front and side airbags for both front passengers and central head airbag between the front passenger and the driver, as well as side head airbags offering protection for the first and second rows only.
The Kia Sorento has a seatbelt removal warning for both rear rows of seats.
Reversing collision avoidance (camera), child presence alert and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – Backover are not available on base model but are standard or optional on higher models.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when my daughters are asleep!
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