The Sorento Hybrid arrived with the rest of the fourth-generation Sorento lineup for the 2021 model year. It’s related to the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid and is one of the few midsize three-row crossover SUVs to offer a hybrid powertrain (the Toyota Highlander being another). The availability of hybrid power has also created a new niche for the Sorento since the arrival of the Kia Telluride.

What's New for 2025

The 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid is due to get the same updates the non-hybrid Sorento received for the 2024 model year. The headlines are bold new exterior styling and updated tech features grafted onto the carryover fourth-generation Sorento platform.

The 2025 Sorento Hybrid is scheduled to go on sale in late 2024, with full details on trim levels available closer to that time. The hybrid model is part of a Sorento trifecta that also includes non-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. (The other two are treated as separate models.)

Design

While a delayed launch makes the Sorento Hybrid a 2025 model, it gets the same updated exterior styling as the non-hybrid 2024 Sorento. A more upright hood, stacked LED headlights, and a large rectangular grille create a more traditional SUV appearance while also bringing the Sorento stylistically closer to the all-electric Kia EV9.

This is a refresh, not a redesign, though. The 2024 Sorento Hybrid uses the same body shell as before, and that’s apparent from any angle other than the front. The rear end is essentially the same as before, as is the profile view with its distinctive side-glass shape. Old and new elements blend together fairly well, however.

The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t over-advertise its more-efficient powertrain. The only model-specific design features are exterior badging and an available Dust Blue interior color treatment.

Powertrain

Full details weren’t available at the time of publication, but given that the non-hybrid Sorento powertrains carried over with this update, that’s likely to also be the case for the Sorento Hybrid.

That means you can expect a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission, with an electric motor sandwiched between them. In the outgoing Sorento Hybrid, this powertrain is rated at 227 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and is available with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD).

EPA fuel-economy ratings are unlikely to change dramatically from the outgoing Sorento Hybrid, which is rated at 37 mpg combined (39 mpg city, 35 mpg highway) with FWD and 34 mpg combined (36 mpg city, 33 mpg highway) with AWD.

Interior

Like non-hybrid Sorento models, the 2025 Sorento Hybrid is available with Kia’s latest curved dashboard display. This incorporates a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen in one housing. This setup is optional on the non-hybrid Sorento, with base models getting a standalone instrument cluster and 4.3-inch TFT display, but Kia hasn’t clarified this for the hybrid model.

The rest of the 2025 Sorento Hybrid's interior is largely unchanged from the 2023 version. That’s not a bad thing, as it already had a distinctive design. The new display even fits perfectly into the existing dashboard, flanked by large vertical air vents at either end.

Technology

In addition to new screens, the 2025 Sorento Hybrid features Kia’s new Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (CCNC) operating system. It incorporates over-the-air (OTA) update compatibility and, according to Kia, faster processing speeds. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard as well.

Expect the Sorento Hybrid to also get the updated Digital Key 2.0 system from the 2024 Sorento. With this system, you can lock, unlock, and drive using a compatible (Apple or Samsung) phone or an NFC card. The latest version also allows owners to unlock without holding a phone up to the door, as well as grant access to the vehicle remotely via text message.

Safety

With the 2025 Sorento Hybrid’s on-sale date still many months away, crash-test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were not available at the time of publication.

Like the non-hybrid Sorento, the 2025 Sorento Hybrid will be available with adaptive cruise control that incorporates a machine-learning function designed to adapt to particular driving styles. Other notable features include Highway Driving Assist 2, which adds automated lane-centering and lane-change capability, a digital rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera system.

Pricing

Pricing information will be published closer to the 2025 Sorento Hybrid’s launch in late 2024. The outgoing 2024 model starts at $38,015 (including a mandatory $1,325 destination charge), but prices may go up for the refreshed 2025 model.