2024 Kia Sorento vs 2023 Genesis GV70

The 2023 Genesis GV70 was a testament to the brand's commitment to luxury and style. Its design drew inspiration from the G70 compact luxury sedan, with split-bar headlights and a strong chrome line that elegantly curved from behind the rear window. This chrome bar cleverly suggested a coupe-like SUV without sacrificing versatility. Inside, the GV70's cabin was a showcase of luxury, featuring top-notch materials and an impressive fit and finish. The interior design was both contemporary and classic, with climate controls integrated into a curving bezel and a touchscreen that seamlessly rose from the dash. The GV70's dash featured a full touchscreen backed by a rotary dial and button controls, offering a user-friendly experience. The gas-powered GV70 was available in two trims, the 2.5T and 3.5T, while the Electrified GV70 offered Advance and Prestige trims. The base GV70 2.5T came well-equipped with features like power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, and adaptive cruise control. The 3.5T trim added genuine leather upholstery, massaging front seats, and performance-inspired touches. The Electrified Prestige trim impressed with its luxury credentials, featuring cream-colored seats with a quilt stitch pattern and a high-contrast design.

The 2024 Kia Sorento underwent a significant visual update, aligning it more closely with its siblings, the Telluride and EV9. The Sorento's new front end featured a bold grille, vertically-stacked LED projector-beam headlights, and wing-like amber LED daytime running lights, giving it a more imposing presence. The rear received subtle updates, with higher trims boasting LED taillights and new bumpers. The Sorento's trims remained the same, but the rugged X-Line package was now available only on EX and higher models, while the SX-Prestige came as an X-Line or the new X-Pro. Inside, the Sorento featured a new dashboard with a vast horizontal expanse, combining the gauge cluster and infotainment displays under a single pane of glass. The cabin materials were upgraded, with faux open-pore wood grain and quality stitching on the optional leather-wrapped steering wheel and seats. The Sorento offered green and brown interior colors for added character, and the overall feel was more upscale than some competitors. The 2024 Sorento provided a solidly assembled and comfortable cabin, making it a compelling choice in the midsize SUV segment.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 offered a choice between two powerful engines. The 2.5T model featured a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, while the 3.5T model boasted a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine with 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The turbo-four engine provided ample power for most driving situations, while the V6 appealed to performance enthusiasts with its extra grunt and throaty engine note. The GV70 delivered a refined and well-rounded driving experience, blending comfort and sharp handling. The Electrified GV70 featured a 77.4-kWh battery pack powering two electric motors, producing a combined 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. It offered a smooth and confident acceleration, with a Boost Mode that increased output to 483 horsepower for short bursts. The electric GV70 had a range of 236 miles and supported DC fast charging, replenishing the battery from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. The GV70 Electrified showcased well-rounded handling, leaning slightly more towards comfort than sportiness.

The 2024 Kia Sorento retained most of its mechanical components, with the base engine being a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. This engine struggled with the Sorento's weight, resulting in sluggish acceleration. The EX and higher models featured a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. Turbocharged Sorentos offered lively performance, with zero-to-60 times in the mid-seven-second range. The Sorento was front-wheel drive by default, with all-wheel drive available as an option. The X-Line setup added more aggressive styling and increased ground clearance, enhancing usability without compromising on-road behavior. The Sorento handled confidently, with well-weighted steering and effective brakes. The X-Pro trim featured 17-inch rims with all-terrain tires, providing a smoother ride and better grip on loose terrain. The Sorento's various drive and terrain modes, along with hill descent control, made it capable of light off-road duty. The X-Pro's improved engine cooling increased its towing capacity to 4,500 pounds. While the Sorento's fuel economy was average for its class, it offered a well-rounded performance package.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 provided 56.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, which was about average for the compact luxury SUV segment. With the rear seats in use, it offered 28.9 cubic feet, which was above average in the class. The GV70 came standard with a hands-free power liftgate. Up front, the GV70 featured decently large cupholders in the center console, though the in-door cupholders couldn't accommodate larger water bottles. The center console included a helpful tray with a retractable lid and a typical center console bin. The front seats were comfortable and easy to adjust, but rear legroom was tighter, requiring front-row occupants to slide their seats forward. The rear bench reclined, allowing for a more comfortable seating position.

The 2024 Kia Sorento's cabin was upscale and modern, offering comfort in the first two rows but remaining tight in the third. With 41.4 inches of legroom in the front seats and 41.7 inches in the second row, the Sorento provided more room than most two-row SUVs in its size class. The seats were comfortable, and higher trims featured noise-insulating acoustic glass. The third row offered 29.6 inches of legroom, which was tight for adults but suitable for children. The Sorento's third row was more spacious than some competitors, making it a practical choice for families. With the optional captain's chairs in the second row, it was easy to access the third row without opening the doors. The Sorento's new dash featured logically ergonomic controls and ample small-item storage space. With the third row in use, cargo space was limited to 12.6 cubic feet, but folding it down increased capacity to 38.5 to 45 cubic feet, depending on trim. With all seats down, the Sorento offered up to 72.1 cubic feet of cargo space, making it competitive in its class.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 featured a standard 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The touchscreen was user-friendly, with large icons and logical menu navigation. Genesis provided helpful buttons in the center console and a rotary dial for scrolling and selecting, though the proximity of the rotary dial to the vehicle's rotary shifter could lead to confusion. The GV70 came equipped with four USB ports, wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a nine-speaker stereo system. Available features included ambient lighting, a digital instrument panel, and the Genesis digital key.

The 2024 Kia Sorento adopted a single-pane, twin-screen setup for its gauge and infotainment displays. All models featured a 12.3-inch screen integrated into the flat panel, with lower trims having a 4.3-inch TFT information display and higher trims getting a second 12.3-inch digital display. The central infotainment touchscreen ran Kia's new "Connected Car Navigation Cockpit" (CCnC) software, prioritizing popular features on the home screen. Navigation was standard on all but the base-model LX. The system supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with over-the-air updates to keep it fresh. The Sorento offered USB-C outlets in all three rows and an auxiliary jack for older audio devices. Most trims featured a six-speaker audio system, while SX-Prestige models boasted a Bose 12-speaker surround sound setup. SX and SX-Prestige models also offered Digital Key 2.0, allowing certain phones or NFC smart cards to lock, unlock, and drive the vehicle without a key.

The 2023 Genesis GV70 came equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance technology, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The 2.5T model's Advance Package added a blind-spot camera system, reverse automatic emergency braking, and a 360-degree parking camera system. On the 3.5T, these features were included in the Sport Advance package. The Electrified GV70 offered more standard driver-assistance features, with the head-up display being the only non-standard feature, available in the Prestige trim.

The 2024 Kia Sorento featured Kia's Drivewise suite of active safety features, offering more standard and optional systems than ever before. Standard features included adaptive cruise control with stop and go, forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, intersection assistance, lane-following and lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert with emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and safe exit warnings. Optional features included navigation-based adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist, and Highway Driving Assist 2 with automated lane changes. The Sorento's adaptive cruise control systems were designed to learn from driver behavior and maintain precise distances between cars. Available options included surround-view cameras and a rear-view camera mirror. The IIHS had not fully evaluated the 2024 Sorento, but it received "Good" ratings in several tests. The NHTSA had not yet evaluated the 2024 Sorento, but previous models received four-star overall ratings.