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The new Kia Sorento is one of the best value-for-money offerings in the Plug-In Hybrid SUV segment.

The 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is a three-row mid-size SUV that is going to tick most of the boxes for family buyers. Available for a base MSRP of $49,890, this PHEV offering from the Kia stable makes quite a lot of sense for those who wish to have a frugal daily driver without compromising one bit on the versatility front. Coming in a single trim configuration, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid also gets an enticing list of features and an opulent design inside out.

This mid-size SUV rivals the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and is one of the best value-for-money offerings in the segment. The decent performance from the PHEV powertrain coupled with the top-notch fuel efficiency and decent towing capacity is going to make it a great choice for many buyers. The infotainment and safety sections are perfect too, with most of the techs coming in as standard. Before going forward with the purchase decision, here are 10 things you need to know about the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

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The stylish design of the regular Kia Sorento remains with no changes to the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid as well. The straight lines on the side profile with flat black cladding and the 19" machine finish alloy wheels make it quite a looker. The front and rear end get their fair share of highlights as well.

The LED headlights and taillights, gloss black honeycomb grille, and excellent overall exterior proportions add to the character of this SUV. The rear end gets LED taillights, massive Sorento badging, and an integrated rear spoiler. There are seven exterior color palettes on offer too.

Even though the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is a three-row offering of the mid-size SUV segment, do not expect it to be a comfortable 7-seater SUV. The third row is best suited for kids as the headroom of 36.8" and legroom of 29.6" makes it very uncomfortable for adults.

The second row comes with a bench seat for some of the lower trims. However, the higher trim gets the captain's chair seats. The space is decent with more than enough headroom and legroom. The front row also offers enough space. When it comes to the storage space, the 12.6 cu ft of space behind the third row is slightly lower than the Toyota Highlander L.

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Performance isn't the forte of the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid as the performance numbers are quite average for the segment. Coming with a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine along with a 44-kW electric motor, it gives out a combined output of 261 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

The 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission is standard, and the power goes through the AWD drivetrain. The 0-60 mph comes in 7.6 seconds and the quarter-mile takes 15.8 seconds. Even though this is slower than the regular Sorento, the performance isn't mediocre.

One of the biggest selling points of the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is the impressive fuel efficiency it returns. With an 11.8-kWh battery pack on offer as standard, this PHEV mid-size SUV can do 32 miles with the electric motor alone.

The 34 MPG of combined gas mileage and 79 MPGe of the equivalent combined economy is superior to the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe. With the 17.7-gallon fuel tank capacity on offer, the range is excellent too. The range figures are superior to all the rivals with the plug-in hybrid powertrain, as they come with an inferior tank capacity.

The center-stacked infotainment system in the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid comes with the Kia Connect interface and is one of the largest displays in the segment. The 10.25" screen also offers many standard features such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM radio, navigation, voice recognition, and Bluetooth.

There are a couple of knobs and buttons as well, and that adds to the ease of use. The Bose premium 12-speaker audio system is onboard the higher trims of the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid. However, the lower trims can get this audio system as an optional extra.

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Even though many would expect the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid to outperform all the competitors in terms of safety, it only comes with an overall crash safety rating of 4-stars in the NHTSA crash test. Nevertheless, IIHS gave it the 2022 top safety pick title in its crash test.

In terms of driver-assistance techs, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid retains all the techs that are onboard the regular moniker. This includes forward collision monitoring, automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist. But the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are part of the higher trims only.

The impressive warranty coverage has always been one of the major reasons to get the monikers from Hyundai or Kia stable. The same is also the case with the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid as the warranty coverage is much superior to any of the segment rivals.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has limited warranty coverage of 5 years or 60,000 miles and a powertrain warranty coverage of 10 years or 100,000 miles. There is a hybrid component warranty as well. It did not receive any recalls and complaints according to the NHTSA and JD Power hasn't revealed the overall consumer rating yet.

The interior of the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid comes with all the comfort and convenience features, making it a perfect choice for family buyers. Even the lower SX trim comes with dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and powered driver seat, tilt and telescoping steering, and SynTex artificial leather upholstery.

However, get the SX Prestige trim that is available for a base selling price of $49,890, and you are looking at even more features. This includes a 10.25" infotainment system, 12.3" digital gauge cluster, Bose premium audio system, heated second-row seats, a 14-way powered driver's seat, and a heated steering wheel.

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The mid-size three-row SUV segment lacks competition as there aren't many offerings that come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Grand Cherokee 4xe, which is one of its biggest rivals, misses out on the third-row seat. It is much more expensive than the Kia as well, retailing for an MSRP of $58,095.

If you get the 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, you are getting quite a lot of value due to its cheap price tag. The optional packages and features are much cheaper than that of the Grand Cherokee 4xe, and it also comes with most of the interior, exterior, and safety features as standard.

The braking performance of the Kia Sorento has never been disappointing and the same holds true for this all-new Sorento Plug-In Hybrid as well. The 4-wheel disc brake setup with 12.8" front and rear rotors help to shed the speed of this 4,537 lbs SUV with ease.

Other braking features such as ABS with EBD, brake assist, hill hold control, hill descent control, electric parking brakes, and automated emergency braking features are onboard too. Being a PHEV moniker, there is a regenerative braking system as well.

Mohith is our in-house motorcycle mechanic and automotive geek. He loves riding and driving at the limits, and you would frequently notice him on racetracks at the weekends. Mohith is someone who would redline anything that comes with a motor - even our office lawnmower. He often does cross-country road trips in his trusted 300ZX and you could find him riding his CB750 quite often through the streets of Pasadena as well as on the Moore Motorsports racetrack.