Is the 2023 Kia Sorento PHEV a Good Family Road Trip Vehicle?

When not running short errands on pure electricity, our 2023 Kia Sorento PHEV is hard at work hauling the family on weekend excursions. On long trips with squirrely young children, the goal is not sizzling performance, flawless fuel economy, or glitzy tech, but sheer survival. Fortunately, our yearlong tester has an arsenal of features to make family road trips less stressful, although we have a few items for the wish list.

Easy to Drive

Not too sporty but not too relaxed, the Sorento PHEV has the right road manners for family trips. There’s plenty of power for passing or merging onto the freeway, even with a full cabin. The Sorento maintains its composure over bumps in the road, small and large, and our tester’s plush leather seats are comfortable. It’s not particularly quiet on the freeway, and neither are my kids, so I’m happy to turn up the Disney music on the crisp Bose sound system. I just wish the touchscreen was faster to respond to touch inputs. Kia’s Highway Driving Assist relieves much of the burden of long drives with its accurate steering assist and competent adaptive cruise control system.

Snack Time

Road trips mean snacking, and snacking means mess. Fortunately, the seats are easy to vacuum (even after a day at the beach). They clean up well with soap and water, although the scruffy carpet on the second-row seat backs and in the cargo area requires a little more persistence. After a year of hard use, the leather seats have held up impressively, showing no signs of wear or puckering.

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Fully Loaded, With People and Amenities

As a top-trim Sorento, our plug-in hybrid SUV has important gear to keep everyone comfortable and entertained. Heated seats in the first two rows keep us warm in the winter, while front-row occupants also enjoy ventilated seats. Second-row sunshades create a calm, dark environment for a napping toddler. Crucially, everyone can stay charged up since there are a total of eight USB ports spread across all three rows, plus a 115V plug and 12V plug for the second row (with another 12V plug in the cargo area).

Reconfiguring the space is easy thanks to one-touch sliding and folding second-row seats and third-row seats that can be positioned up or down without too much effort. With one of the third-row seats folded, we have an acceptable amount of cargo room for weekend family excursions.

Could Use More Storage Cubbies

Storage solutions are essential on a road trip. The Sorento PHEV has the standard accoutrement, yet it doesn’t stand out. Cupholders throughout the cabin are regular-sized, but the doors can’t fit large items. Our dream Sorento would have large cupholders, an open center console with space to fit a bag, and other clever cubbies to maximize the space. We would love if the Sorento took a page from the Hyundai Santa Fe, which features numerous road-trip-ready features such as hooks on the front-row seat backs and a center console bin that opens up to passengers in the second row. In the Sorento, both third-row passengers get a nice surprise: a large slot designed specifically for phones.

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Third Row Is Small but Not an Afterthought

Is the third row a penalty box? Not if you factor in its amenities including leather seats, cupholders, phone storage, and USB ports. Just keep in mind many adults won’t find it comfortable. At almost 5-foot-3, this author has just enough space. For younger kids, it does the job. There’s enough room for one car seat in the second row and another directly behind that seat in the third row. This smaller three-row SUV is a great size for me, my husband, my mother-in-law, and two young kids. As the little ones grow, however, I doubt the cabin will accommodate my family quite as well.

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Range Reality Check

Unfortunately, road-tripping doesn’t take full advantage of our tester’s plug-in hybrid system. Its 32 miles of electric range disappears quickly on long drives. When you’re accelerating with any enthusiasm, the gas engine kicks in, taking the joy out of pure electric driving. If you’re taking mostly long trips instead of short commutes, the regular Sorento hybrid is a better bet. 

Overall range with the gas engine is also a bit disappointing. Although the EPA rates it at 460 miles, the low 300-mile range mark is a more realistic goal in our experience with the SUV’s 12.4-gallon tank and electric range. 

Despite having to stop for gas a little more often than I would like, the Sorento PHEV passes our family road trip survival test. I’m grateful for its essential features that keep the family sane, and it offers just enough space for us without feeling like a huge SUV on the road. 

For More on Our Long-Term 2023 Kia Sorento PHEV:

• Here’s Why We’re Driving a Very Niche 2023 Kia Sorento PHEV for a Year 

• We Put Our Sorento PHEV to the Ultimate Test: Toddlers 

• Is the Sorento PHEV a Good Daily Driver? 11 Pros and Cons 

• Kia Sorento PHEV Interior: Tech Triumphs and Touchscreen Trials 

• How Does the Safety Tech Perform on our 2023 Kia Sorento PHEV? 

• Which Kia Sorento Is Best? The One With a Plug or the One Without? 

• Do We Have Buyer’s Remorse After Driving the Sorento PHEV’s Rivals?