The Kia Sportage and Sorento are two of the Korean brand's most popular SUV models, offering family-friendly practicality and a wide range of powertrains. Here we take the opportunity to explore the key differences that may sway buyers towards one or the other.
This in-depth comparison looks at how the Sportage and latest Sorento models stack up across crucial areas like interior space, driving dynamics, equipment levels, and running costs. We scrutinise the pros and cons of each to help you decide which better suits your needs.
Kia Sportage vs Kia Sorento
Practicality
As a significantly larger SUV, the Kia Sorento has a big advantage when it comes to outright practicality and versatility. As a seven-seater, it offers space to carry more passengers (the Sportage is five-seat only), and the third row even has adequate room to take taller adjusts (for shorter journeys at least).
Boot space is impressive in both cars with the rearmost seats folded, but the Sorento's 604-616 litre capacity (depending on powertrain) gives it an advantage over the Sportage's 526-591 litres. The Sorento's middle row also slides to prioritise passenger or load space.
However, considering it's in the class below, the Sportage still offers loads of room for up to five passengers. All models get a flat floor when the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats are down, plus an adjustable boot floor with minimal wheelarch intrusion. It's a very user-friendly loadbay.
Both offer generous small-item storage for families, though the Sorento's extra row of seats means more cabin cubbies and USB ports dotted around. Cabin quality from the Korean pair is now more than a match for mainstream European rivals.
Driving Impressions
The Sportage and Sorento are quite different in how they drive, much of which is dicated by their relative size and weight. To that end, the Sportage does a better job of blending dynamism with comfort - OK, it's still not fun to drive as such, but it feels keener through the corners, has tidy body control and handles neatly, combining SUV solidity with useful agility. The steering is well-weighted too, if lacking in genuine feel.
The Sorento leans towards comfort, soaking up bumps with a typically SUV-like plush ride, particularly on smaller wheel sizes. It's not discernibly more refined than the Sportage though, which also impresses on the motorway.
The heavier Sorento still has much better tidy body control than previous generations offered, but it ultimately still lacks the same agility as its smaller sibling.
Technology and Equipment
When it comes to in-car technology, both the Sportage and Sorento impress with their slick infotainment systems and generous kit levels - putting some premium brands to shame.
The Sportage gets 12.3-inch digital dials and a curved infotainment touchscreen as standard on higher trims, with sharp graphics and logical menus. Lower grades make do with analogue dials and a smaller 8.0-inch screen.
Similarly, the latest Sorento facelift standardises a 12.3-inch infotainment display across the range, with lower trims getting more basic dial displays. The pre-facelift car's 10.25-inch screen remains decent though.
Both get wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, along with premium sound system upgrades on top models. The Sorento's UVO Connect services are another neat touch, allowing remote vehicle monitoring and destination setting.
Safety tech is strong too, with blind spot monitoring, parking cameras and semi-autonomous driving aids fitted to the higher-end versions of each. It's a close call between the two, but the Sorento's slightly more upmarket materials just give it the edge.
Running Costs
With such a wide range of electrified and conventional powertrains on offer, it's difficult to make definitive statements about running costs for the Sportage and Sorento ranges. Much will depend on your specific model and driving patterns.
As a rough guide, the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Sorento will likely be the most cost-effective if you can regularly charge and maximise its 30+ mile electric range. Its official 173mpg looks fanciful, but 50+mpg is realistic.
Of the non-plug-in options, the Sorento diesel will just shade the hybrid for economy on longer journeys, and can tow more. But around town the hybrid will be cheaper to run.
As the smaller and lighter of the two vehicles, the Sportage will cost less to fuel day-to-day, and the same logic around frequency of charging applies as to whether the PHEV version is going to make sense for your type of driving. The standard hybrid model, which is cheaper to buy, is likely to be a better bet for most, although don't rule out the basic petrol version either.
Both offer the outstanding Kia seven-year/100,000 mile warranty which gives peace of mind and help keep running costs affordable.
If you need seven seats, the Sorento PHEV is compelling; but for five seats the Sportage range is going to be more affordable and efficient overall thanks to its lighter kerbweight.
Verdict
The Kia Sportage and Sorento models have distinct characters that will appeal to different types of buyer.
The Sportage majors on being a stylish, tech-laden five-seat family SUV with a slight dynamic edge over its bigger brother. If you don't need the third row of seats, it's the more engaging and affordable choice.
However, the Sorento counters with superior passenger and load-lugging flexibility as a seven-seater. It can't quite match the Sportage's driver appeal, but remains composed and refined with a more comfort-oriented focus.
If you need maximum versatility the Sorento delivers, while the Sportage is the more well-rounded and efficient package if you only require five seats. Both are among the strongest mainstream SUV offerings on the market.