Three rows, 37mpg, and under $34,000? The 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid

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  This is definitely one of the Kia Sorento Hybrid’s better angles. [credit: Kia ]

You may have noticed that Kia is on a roll recently. It won over enthusiasts with the Stinger GT. The Niro EV is one of the few electric vehicles to rival Tesla in terms of range efficiency. And its big Telluride SUV has been a runaway success, garnering awards and plaudits as it flies out of the showroom.

Now it’s the turn of Kia’s popular Sorento SUV to get the revamp. It’s a bit smaller and a bit cheaper than the Telluride, but it’s still a three-row SUV. And, unlike the bigger vehicle, it’s available with a 37mpg (6.4L/100km) hybrid powertrain from $33,590.

In fact, that’s probably all anyone needs to read to know that the Sorento is going to be a hit. Over the two days we spent with a 2021 Sorento Hybrid EX—$36,590 plus $445 on some fetching red paint—we had no problem matching that EPA combined fuel number, as well as the 39mpg (6L/100km) city rating. If you want an efficient three-row hybrid SUV for less than $40,000, you can pick this Kia or the slightly more expensive Toyota Highlander, and that’s about it. So even if the Sorento were mediocre in all other respects, its sales success seems inevitable. Happily, it’s not mediocre.