2024 Genesis GV70 vs 2024 Kia Sorento

The 2024 Genesis GV70 stood out within both its lineup and competitive set, embodying a perfect blend of luxury and sleek design without going overboard. Brand-recognition elements like split headlights and a large grille persisted, ensuring it remained unmistakably Genesis. Unlike the bulkier GV80 or the excessively quirky GV60, the GV70 maintained a sleeker silhouette. Notable features included a hatchback-like rear window profile, large round exhaust outlets, and stylish 21-inch wheels.

The GV70 effortlessly balanced luxury-car style and SUV presence, making its competitors like the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Porsche Macan, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class seem less refined. The GV70 positioned itself uniquely as both an SUV and a luxury brand product. As for the Electrified GV70, it blended in seamlessly with its gasoline sibling while featuring a glitzy grille housing the charge port for added convenience.

The interior of the GV70 was distinctive and luxurious, with quilted Nappa leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof. The elliptical pod housing the climate controls and the aviation-inspired dashboard were memorable touches. The rotary infotainment controller was particularly unique, reminiscent of designs from science fiction.

The 2024 Kia Sorento, meanwhile, received its first major visual update since the 2021 model year. Previously overshadowed by the popular Telluride, the Sorento took styling cues from the Telluride and the EV9 to create a more cohesive look within the Kia family. The result was a butch new front end, prettier taillights, and a more upscale cockpit.

Externally, the Sorento featured a bluff new grille flanked by vertically-stacked headlights and wing-like LED daytime running lights. These modifications made the Sorento appear larger and more intimidating. The rear updates were subtler but included new bumpers and taillights on higher trims. Wheel designs were updated across most versions.

The Sorento's interior received significant updates as well, such as a cleaner dashboard design, better materials, and new digital displays under a single pane of glass in higher trims. Faux open-pore wood grain and luxury stitching enhanced the upscale feel, making the 2024 Sorento a well-rounded and handsome midsize SUV.

In the performance department, the 2024 Genesis GV70 retained its powertrain options. The base gasoline model came equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. An alternative 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 was available, offering 375 hp and 391 lb-ft. Both engines paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive (AWD).

The Electrified GV70 brought a fresh dynamic with dual electric motors providing a combined 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, powered by a 77.4-kWh battery. A temporary "Boost Mode" could push horsepower up to 483 for short bursts. Despite its impressive specs, the GV70's chassis felt bigger and heavier through corners than its sportier rivals, and its suspension had a tendency to crash down on bumps rather than glide over them.

The 2024 Kia Sorento continued with its existing mechanical setup and added a new X-Pro variant for improved off-road capability. The base engine remained a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Though adequate for daily tasks, this engine struggled with the vehicle’s hefty 3,814 pounds, and zero-to-60 times approached 10 seconds.

Higher trims gained a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine, delivering a robust 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, mated to a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic. This engine felt lively, achieving zero-to-60 times in the mid-seven-second range. All-wheel drive was a $2,000 option on the S trim and $3,700 on EX and SX trims, which also included the X-Line setup.

The Sorento felt agile on the road, cornering with confidence and providing ample feedback through its well-weighted steering. The X-Line models handled light off-road duties well, while the new X-Pro with its 17-inch rims and all-terrain tires excelled in rough conditions and snow. However, the Sorento's fuel efficiency was only average, with non-turbo models achieving 25-26 mpg combined and turbo versions managing 23 mpg.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 offered a competitive amount of interior space. It had slightly less headroom than rivals like the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, yet boasted more streamlined styling. Front-seat legroom slightly exceeded that of BMW and Mercedes competitors, while second-row legroom figures were marginally better than the X3 but slightly less than the Q5 and GLC.

Cargo space in the GV70 was also impressive. It offered 28.9 cubic feet with the rear seats up, which was better than the Mercedes' 21.9 cubic feet and slightly more than the BMW’s 28.7 but less than the Audi’s 29.5. With the seats folded, the GV70 offered 56.9 cubic feet, trailing behind its competitors.

The Electrified GV70 managed to maintain almost the same interior space as its gasoline counterpart, losing less than a cubic foot of cargo space and a slight reduction in legroom and headroom for both rows. However, the elaborate interior design of the GV70 came at the expense of small-item storage, though it did include a dedicated phone storage nook and rear-seat climate controls.

On the other hand, the 2024 Kia Sorento's cabin maintained its comfort in the first two rows but remained tight in the third. With 41.4 inches of front legroom and 41.7 inches in the second row, the Sorento provided more room than most two-row SUVs like the Chevy Blazer and Honda Passport. The third row offered 29.6 inches of legroom, which, although tight, was on par with or better than rivals like the Toyota Highlander and significantly better than the Volkswagen Tiguan and Mitsubishi Outlander.

Cargo space in the Sorento was limited with the third row in use, offering just 12.6 cubic feet. With the third row folded, the capacity increased to 38.5 to 45 cubic feet depending on the trim. With all seats down, it provided up to 72.1 cubic feet, more than the Blazer and nearly as much as the Passport. Higher trims included features like a power liftgate for added convenience.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 borrowed heavily from Hyundai’s familiar and user-friendly infotainment system. It featured a standard 14.5-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Lower trims had an 8-inch digital instrument cluster, while higher trims showcased a 12.3-inch cluster with a 3D effect. A 12-inch head-up display and a 16-speaker Lexicon audio system were available on higher trims as well.

The infotainment interface was straightforward, with large tiles and a driver-friendly touchscreen position. Alternatively, the rotary controller on the center console provided a high-quality tactile experience. Additional features included a fingerprint scanner for driver profiles and digital key functionality.

Kia introduced significant tech upgrades in the 2024 Sorento with its new “Connected Car Navigation Cockpit” (CCnC) infotainment system, replacing older setups with a new 12.3-inch touchscreen as standard across all trims. Lower trims had a gauge cluster with two dials and a 4.3-inch TFT display, while SX and SX-Prestige got a 12.3-inch digital display.

The CCnC system prioritized the most popular features on the home screen, making navigation and audio displays easily accessible. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across all trims, unlike previous years when they were limited to lower trims. Over-the-air updates ensured the system stayed current, and multiple USB-C ports catered to all three rows.

Higher trims included a Bose 12-speaker surround sound system and Digital Key 2.0, allowing compatible phones and smart cards to lock, unlock, and drive the vehicle. The Sorento’s UX was praised for its user-friendliness and advanced connectivity options.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 gasoline models earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) coveted Top Safety Pick+ award. The Electrified GV70 earned the same award for 2023. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published four-star frontal and rollover crash-test ratings for gasoline 2024 GV70 models and gave the 2023 GV70 a five-star overall safety rating. Comprehensive 2024 NHTSA ratings were not available at the time of publication.

Standard safety features on the GV70 included lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, driver-attention monitoring, parking assist sensors, and Highway Driving Assist. Highway Driving Assist 2, with automated lane change capability, was available on higher trims. Genesis also included a safe exit assist to prevent accidentally opening doors into oncoming traffic and a radar-based rear occupant alert system sensitive enough to detect the breathing of children or pets.

Kia’s 2024 Sorento boasted an extensive suite of active safety features in its Drivewise package. This 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, Highway Driving Assist 2 with automated lane changes, surround-view cameras, and a rear-view camera mirror on SX-Prestige trims.

The IIHS had not fully evaluated the 2024 Sorento at the time but rated it "Good" in key categories and "Acceptable" for its LATCH system. The NHTSA had not yet evaluated the 2024 Sorento but previously rated the 2021-2023 models four stars overall.