2021 Kia Sorento GT-Line Diesel Video Review

There comes a time when a product hits its maturity, where it is at its most refined and most polished. The all-new fourth generation Kia Sorento is at this point in time. Two decades of constant improvement, tweaking and fine tuning have produced a family SUV that is now head and shoulders with the best in class.

Joining Kia’s reinvigorated global SUV line-up, alongside the Seltos and Sportage, the new Sorento is priced from $45,850 before on-road costs and spans six variants.

Available in entry level S, mid-spec Sport and Sport+, and range-topping GT-Line variants (tested), the new Sorento offers the choice of a 200kW / 332Nm 3.5-litre V6 powered front-wheel drive model and a 148kW / 440 Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel all-wheel drive variant. The former drives through an eight-speed torque converter automatic, while the latter utilises a new eight-speed wet double-clutch transmission (8DCT).

The 2021 Kia Sorento is arguably one of the smartest looking seven-seater SUVs around, with an equally well-presented and suitably luxurious interior to match. Measuring 1900 mm wide and 4810 mm long, the new Sorento is both 10 mm wider and longer than the model it replaces. The extra length is found in the wheelbase (a result of the Sorento’s new N3 platform), which has grown by 35 mm to 2,815 mm. The result is added legroom for the second and third row seats.

New tech debut in the 2021 Sorento includes the 12.3-inch fully digital driver instrument cluster (in GT-Line trim), which is twinned with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system at the centre of the dashboard (8-inch for entry-level S trim). Apple CarPlay and Android connectivity are also now standard across the range.

In terms of safety, the entire Sorento range is equipped with Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping Assist with Lane Following Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Adaptive Cruise Control. The range-topping GT-Line takes it a step further with the Blind Spot View Monitor, where the live camera feed from the blind spot cameras are displayed in the digital instrumentation when the turn indicators are activated. The GT-Line also gets a 360-degree birds’ eye view camera.

As with all Kia models the Sorento is covered by the 7-Year unlimited kilometer Warranty, 7-Year Capped Price Service and 7-Year Roadside Assist.

For the full review, watch our detailed full-length video review above.

2021 Kia Sorento Pricing and Specification