Weekend Drive: Break the class ceiling

Kia’s Sorrento SUV is the first of its kind. It’s bigger than other SUVs. The middle-row seats shine. And it’s priced well, too

Kia isn’t dipping a toe into the premium SUV market with the Sorento. It’s diving in. There are two engines, front- or all-wheel drive, six- and seven-seater options and 32 versions to choose from. And starting at ₹27.99 lakh, it’s also priced to make rivals nervous.

The Sorento is the biggest SUV in its class, yet it doesn’t feel that way from the outside. The vertically stacked headlights and neat, sharp detailing give it a crisp, expensive look, the kind German brands have long used to signal quality. A gently sloping roofline softens its bulk, so it seems more like a large, upmarket crossover than a traffic bully in the Fortuner mould. If you want a car that intimidates, look elsewhere. If you want one that will still look smart in five years, this is it.

With all seats up, boot space is tight, but if you fold the last row, it swallows plenty.

Step inside, and the Sorento really shines. Almost everything you touch is soft and well-finished, and the buttons click with a reassuring precision usually reserved for pricier cars. The touchscreen is refreshingly easy to use, with no hunting through menus to find what you need.

The equipment list is long: Twin 12.3-inch screens, a head-up display, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, 10 airbags, a 360-degree camera and dashcams front and rear. There’s even an AI voice assistant.

The best seats are in the middle row. In the six-seat version, these are plush, ventilated captain’s chairs with generous legroom and a lovely, airy view out. The third row is easy to reach but best left to children. Those low seats will leave adult knees pointing skywards. With all seats up, boot space is tight. Fold the last row, though, and it swallows plenty.

The Sorento simply glides over broken roads. The best seats are in the middle row.

The Sorento engine suits two very different buyers. The petrol hybrid is the city specialist. It glides through stop-go traffic and is officially rated at 19.6kpl. On the highway, however, it gets noisy and starts to feel stretched. The diesel is the long-distance champion. It pulls strongly, cruises effortlessly at highway speeds and is perfectly happy in town too. Its automatic gearbox is smooth. On long road trips, it may even be the more economical of the two.

What surprised us most was the ride. The Sorento simply glides over broken roads. Around Udaipur we drove across badly damaged stretches without once needing to slow down. European rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tayron are sharper to drive. But Sorento buyers will care far more about comfort, and on that front Kia has nailed it.

In the six-seat version, there are plush, ventilated captain’s chairs with generous legroom.

The lower and mid-range versions will put serious pressure on the Mahindra XUV 7XO, possibly luring some Toyota Innova Hycross buyers to the hybrid variant. Next to the Sorento, the Kodiaq and Tayron look overpriced and underequipped.

There is one misstep. The top HTX version comes only with all-wheel drive, which pushes it to ₹37.49 to ₹40.19 lakh. That aside, the Sorento feels genuinely premium, close to luxury. It is loaded with features, rides beautifully and offers the right engine for every kind of driver. Kia has built another winner.

From HT Brunch, October 24, 2026

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