This 2025 Kia Sorento Could've Been A Genesis, And That's Its Biggest Problem

Drive anywhere for more than a few minutes and you'll probably see a Kia Sorento. It's the South Korean automaker's third-best-selling SUV, and Kia has no issue selling almost 100,000 of them in the U.S. each year. It's a popular car, then, and given Kia's recent efforts to revamp its lineup over the past few years, the Sorento still has a lot of runway ahead of it. Going up to bat against giants like the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4, while it isn't stealing their lunch, the Sorento's achievements are nothing to sneeze at.

Given the enjoyable time I had with the larger Telluride, then, I was curious to see how its little brother performed. Before I knew it, a 2025 Kia Sorento X-Line SX Prestige appeared before me, finished in "Dawning Red." The Sorento fits firmly into the "normcore" category of cars and Kia is hardly an unknown quantity in the automotive scene at this point. How, then, does the Kia perform as the daily transportation of a "normal" person, of which I am able to make a convincing facsimile?

Under the hood of this higher trim Sorento is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-banger that makes a fairly stout 281 horsepower, and sends that power to all four wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The base model engine, also a turbo 2.5-liter, generates 191 horsepower. The Kia's drivetrain is decidedly modern, but it takes a different approach to balancing everyday performance and economy than, say, that of a Nissan Rogue. 

While the Rogue propels itself through the means of a small displacement engine and a CVT, the Sorento accomplishes the same task through a bigger engine and a dual-clutch transmission. 

While I was doing my impression of the target demographic of a Kia Sorento, I found it to be totally competent at the task of ferrying people and things around in a reasonably comfortable manner. "Competent" in this context is high praise. You don't need (or likely want) a trip to the grocery store or the post office to be full of much excitement: as painless as possible is the goal, here, and the Sorento excels at it. It's not too quick to give your passengers a fright, but it isn't pokey either, so merging on the highway doesn't feel like you're doing the Death Star trench run from Star Wars.

Practically speaking, the Kia does well, and its third row of seats — though snuggly kid-scale — gives it an edge over the two-row competition. Drop the second and third rows and it offers 72.1 cubic feet of total cargo space, allowing it to carry a reasonable enough payload compared to its peers (it inches out a victory over the Toyota RAV4's 69.8 cubic feet of total storage).

Fuel economy for the Sorento is rated at a combined 23 miles per gallon, although on the highway, I could see that number climb to 28 when I was keeping the revs down. It's a practical vehicle, there are no two ways about it. Does that make the Kia Sorento eminently special over the rest of the automotive spectrum? Not really, a lot of cars are practical. But following the competence theme from earlier, it puts the Sorento into the lauded category of "It does what it says on the box." 

The interior is where the Kia Sorento makes you, the driver and your passengers, feel special. The Prestige trim lives up to its name and gives you leather seats, a Bose sound system, and a suede headliner for good measure. I've often made the joke that some cars "do an impression" of a luxury car. The impression here was convincing enough that I couldn't tell the difference between this Kia and a bona fide luxury brand.

It's just flat out well executed in a way that isn't distracting at all, and honestly that itself is a rarity in the luxury car world. Kia, through Hyundai, has experience with the Genesis brand, itself well known for making fairly no-nonsense luxury cars. The track record shows in the Sorento. While a BMW is luxurious and flashy in what can feel like an obvious way, the Kia is a lot more subtle. BMW is Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and Kia is Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska."

Perhaps that venture into pseudo-luxury has helped inflated the MSRP as well. The 2025 Sorento as I tested it wasn't inexpensive, which was surprising coming from Kia (a brand known for the K4, which is a bonafide bargain). A base model, front-wheel drive Sorento LX, with a third row, will set you back $31,990 before destination. 

Once you start checking boxes and moving up the trim ladder, however, it gets pricey. This X-Line SX Prestige starts at $46,390. The Dawning Red paint adds $495, while the "Olive Brown" leather inside will set you back $295.

With the carpeted floor mats ($225), the cargo cover ($200), and the cargo area mat ($120), plus the $1,415 destination, the final total of this particular red SUV was $49,140. Nearly $50k for a Kia Sorento is a tough pill to swallow, even if it is very nice. That price puts it above the base price of much bigger Kias like the Telluride and Carnival.

The Kia Sorento in the Prestige trim has an odd problem in that it's betrayed by its name and its own lineup. If it was a Genesis, Lexus, or Acura, no one would bat an eye at the sticker price, but because it's a Kia, it's a little egregious. Is that fair? Maybe not, but paying almost $20,000 over the base model is a tough ask for anyone, even if you do get a lot in return. The pricing structure makes sense, it's just going to take some explaining to your neighbor.

In the greater context of the automotive world, how does the Luxo-Kia stand out? Compared to any hybrid, the Kia falls apart when it comes to fuel economy. However, if you want a reasonably well appointed three-row SUV, then it might actually edge out a win compared to something like a Toyota Highlander Platinum, which spills over the $50k mark at $52,925. 

Honestly, I ran into the same price problem with the Telluride: though pleasant, the more pampering trims are a bizarre juxtaposition to the brand's typically budget-friendly image. Do I like the Sorento? Yes, quite a bit. Would I buy one? $50k for an SUV that can be outfitted a lot less expensively and yet still do the same thing is not a choice I, personally, would make. Even if I could understand someone else feeling like they'd scored a luxury bargain.