Kia Sorento VS Land Rover Discovery Sport
Kia Sorento
Likes
Dislikes
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Likes
- Cabin is both large and practical
- Economical to run
- Mostly smooth to drive
Dislikes
- Paying extra for features may irk
- More expensive than flagship model
- Some tech needs work
Summary
Kia Sorento
We’re comparing the Kia Sorento Hybrid in the highest spec GT-Line grade and the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid in the range-topping Calligraphy spec. Two SUVs so similar they’re pretty much the same, just wearing different clothes.
But there are a couple of crucial differences that might be deal breakers for you when it comes to choosing one over the other. But first, let me give you a bit of background.
The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento are direct rivals, but in a sibling rivalry sense as well because both brands are related through a parent company which allows them to share engines and technology, even standard features like stereos and touchscreens.
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So, what you’re really looking at is the best SUVs Hyundai and Kia could independently develop using pretty much the same parts.
The Sorento was updated this year with new tech, improved suspension and some cosmetic changes to keep it looking new.
Thing is, the Santa Fe hybrid in this comparison is the all-new, latest generation version that brings with it a more modern design inside and out and even some safety equipment the Sorento doesn’t have.
And at this point, I'm duty-bound to tell you the Santa Fe has airbags completely covering the third row while the Sorento doesn’t. Didn’t want to bury such vital information further down in the review in case you don't get that far.
Well, with that… let’s get into it.Â
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.6L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.6L/100km |
| Seating | 6 seats |
Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the sort of Land Rover you consider if you're not that serious about going off-road but still want something capable, but you don't want a car as large as it's Range Rover cousins.
Bonus points, the P300e mid-spec model I'm testing this week is a plug-in hybrid. So, you get the best of all worlds - capability, decent size and economy.
The new powertrain pits it against the Lexus NX450+, Volvo XC60, Audi Q5 and even the BMW X3 but while the P300e is great on paper, how does it stack-up in real life?
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| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 2.1L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Kia Sorento/10
The Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid and Kia Sorento GT-Line Hybrid are both good value for money, plush, practical and super fuel efficient.
The Santa Fe, however, presents a more compelling case based on its third-row airbag coverage, clever storage and how easy it is to drive.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Price and features | 9 | 9 |
| Design | 8 | 8 |
| Practicality | 9 | 7 |
| Under the bonnet | 8 | 8 |
| Efficiency | 9 | 9 |
| Driving | 9 | 8 |
| Safety | 9 | 8 |
| Ownership | 8 | 8 |
| Total Score | 8.6 | 8.1 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport7.6/10
The Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e has a beautiful and practical cabin space. The powertrain didn't always convince me on the road but it does offer decent economy, if you charge it often.
The media system left a lot to be desired and having to pay around $15K extra for all of the customisations means it's not as affordable as what it initially seems. Still, if you’re looking for a plug-in hybrid with a great cabin and on-road looks, this is a good option.
Design
Kia Sorento
The Santa Fe and Sorento’s standard features are almost identical but these two SUVs couldn’t be more different in their designs.
The Santa Fe is the newer of the two and this fifth-generation model only arrived in Australia this year, so its boxy styling is more on-trend than the Sorento's design which is a little more rounded.
The Santa Fe’s more blocky build looks good to my eyes but more than a few in the CarsGuide office think the 2015 Land Rover Discovery must have been an inspiration, or perhaps it's just a coincidence.
In Hyundai’s defence the rear of the Santa Fe looks nothing like a Land Rover. Its design with the low placed tail-lights and bloated tailgate looks more awkward than me attempting to high-five someone. Apparently if you look at their elbow it helps. High-fiving that is, not the design of the Santa Fe.
This current-generation Sorento arrived in Australia in 2020 and while an update earlier this year added a few cosmetic styling tweaks to try to keep it looking fresh, I think it's a tough looking, handsome SUV even if the smoother, more rounded design is starting to date.
The LED daytime running lights on both cars are distinctive. The Sorento’s, which skirt the bonnet edge before dropping down the side of the headlights, is a Kia design signature seen across its line-up from the tiny Picanto to the EV9 electric SUV.
The Santa Fe’s 'H' design is unique to Hyundai, a theme that’s mirrored in its tail-lights. The Sorento’s Ford Mustang-style tail-lights look good, but could do with an update.Â
The interiors are just as different as the exteriors with the Santa Fe’s cabin looking more modern and luxurious in its design with some quirky styling touches (Morse Code dots on the steering wheel anybody?) while the Sorento has a sporty and plush but more conservative look and feel.
These are large SUVs with almost matching dimensions. As you can see in the table below the Santa Fe is only slightly taller and longer than the Sorento.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 8 | 8 |
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Land Rover Discovery Sport
The updated Disco Sport gets new underpinnings which are shared with the Range Rover Evoque.
The body has seen a minor facelift but honestly, it’s so slight only die-hard fans will notice anything different. Overall, it still has the styling that people know and love.
It’s once you head inside that the facelift becomes far more apparent. Gone is the more traditional looking e-shifter and in its place is a rather nubby-looking one.
The dashboard looks more streamlined and features wider padded accents and in our test model, we have the Oyster and Black upholstery which does make it look quite luxurious. There are a few too many blank spaces for me personally but it looks slick.
Accentuating the dashboard is a floating-effect multimedia system and a large digital instrument cluster – both of which look great but there are no other control buttons or dials. I’m not a fan of the fact that you’re 100 per cent reliant on the tech screens and I'll explain why in the Practicality section.
The optioned panoramic roof makes the cabin feel airy and it's cool that it has a memory function – it will close when you turn off the car but reopen upon starting again.
Practicality
Kia Sorento
Not all SUVs are created with equal practicality and even though the Santa Fe and Sorento are much the same in many ways one of these vehicles is more spacious, has better storage and a bigger boot. Oh, and it has two wireless phone chargers, not one.
Yes, it’s the Santa Fe. Not just the more practical one because it’s shaped like a box, although that does have something to do with it. What makes the Santa Fe so much more practical is the interior design with storage more of a priority.
Look at the area under the centre console - there’s a tray big enough for a backpack or handbag. And above it are the two wireless phone chargers, USB ports and cupholders.
There’s the glove box, of course, but above that is a shelf with a grippy surface for keys or wallets and purses. And above that is one of the weirdest contraptions I’ve seen not just in a car, but anywhere - a sterilisation compartment.
It looks like another glove box but it’s actually a space to put anything you want decontaminated - freed from bacteria and germs using UV-C radiation. Stop looking at me like that, I’m serious.
You put your phone in, shut the door, press the UV-C button on the dashboard and 10 minutes later - bing! - your phone is sanitised. Have a look at the video we've made if you still don’t believe me.
The second row of the Santa Fe has excellent legroom, even for me at 189cm tall, and good headroom, too.
For storage, I love the way the centre console box between the driver and front passenger can also be opened from the back by the second row passengers. And below that is a long, deep drawer.
The second row also has door pockets, cupholders and directional air vents, plus USB ports in the sides of the front seats.
Third row seats in SUVs are never the most accommodating for someone my height, but the Santa Fe’s offer good leg and headroom for children. There’s also a USB port on either side along with air vents with fan control and cupholders.
Worth noting the Santa Fe’s large and tall rear doors made putting our toddler into her car seat easier than in the Sorento with its more angular aperture.
The Santa Fe and Sorento have dark-tinted privacy glass for the rear windows and pull-up sunshades.
The six-seat option for the Santa Fe reduces this SUV’s practicality in a couple of ways. Obviously, you lose the capability of carrying seven people, but not being able to have a middle section to slide across to the other side or even just place items on is a problem.
A hire car company might prefer the six-seat option, but if you have a family the seven-seater is the way to go. Not only does it cost less, it's more practical.Â
The Sorento is by no means impractical, but compared to the Santa Fe there are fewer storage areas in what feels a more compact cabin.
Up front in the Sorento there’s a wireless phone charger forward of the shifter but it’s in a small hidey hole which makes retrieving the phone tricky.
There are USB ports there, too, as well as cupholders and big door pockets. You won’t find a floating centre console with storage underneath as in the Santa Fe, or shelves and there's no sign of a sterilisation compartment. Â
In the second row the Sorento has little buckets in the doors, bottle holders and more cupholders in the centre folding armrest. USB ports are in the sides of the front seats along with power adjustment controls.
There’s good legroom and headroom in the second row, and directional air vents in the rear of the centre console.
The third row is on the cramped side for me, but most third rows are and they’re really for kids. My eight-year old son wanted me to let you know the windows for back seats in the Sorento are tiny, while the Santa Fe has much larger windows. There are still storage wells, USB ports and fan controls with air vents, though.
The Santa Fe and Sorento both have small cargo capacities when the third row is in place but there's enough space for one carry-on luggage-sized suitcase. With the third-row seats folded flat the Sorento has a volume of 608 litres while the Santa Fe is slightly larger at 628 litres.Â
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 7 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport
With it's 4597mm length, 2173mm width and 1727mm height, the Discovery Sport is technically classed as a medium SUV but the cabin space is much larger than it has any right to be.
Both rows have ample head- and legroom for both my 168cm (5ft6') height and those much taller. When you have a co-pilot, you’re also not jostling for elbow room and it’s easy to slide in and out of because of the 212mm ground clearance.
The amenities up front are good with the update seeing more decent sized individual storage options.
There are two cubbies in the centre console as well as two cupholders and a medium-sized middle console. The glove box can hold more than a manual and the storage bins with their single drink bottle holders are also larger than before.
The powered front seats are comfortable and the optioned heat functions are most welcome on the cooler days we've been having lately.
The back seats also have superior padding comfort but you sit on top of, rather than in, them which is typical of an SUV.
The amenities and storage are what you would expect for the grade level with a fold-down armrest with two cup holders and small storage cubby, directional air vents, reading lights, map pockets and small storage bin in each door.
There is also an accessory hole to attach device holders on the backs of the front seats - perfect for hooking up a screen for little ones on a long journey.
The P300e loses points on its practicality with the multimedia system. You eventually get used to using it while on the go, even though the lack of buttons/dials means more time is spent with your eyes on the screen.
That's when the screen turns on. The display has cut out a few times this week and the wireless connectivity for Bluetooth and the connection for Apple CarPlay (wireless or wired) drops out a lot.
The P300e I'm driving is brand-spanking-new, so it may just be a case of something that needs calibrating but for a lot of the Land Rovers I've sampled in the past, the media system seems to be the area with the biggest teething issues.
That being said, the built-in satellite navigation is top-notch and easy to use. The directions also get displayed on the instrument cluster and optioned HUD.
The charging options are excellent with the front row getting three USB-C ports and a large wireless charging pad. The rear gets two USB-A ports and two USB-C ports plus a 12-volt socket and the boot also has a 12-volt socket. Totally spoiled for choice.
The boot is a great size at 897L with all seats in use and that jumps up to 1749L when the rear seats are folded flat. The rear row also has a 40/20/40 split, which opens up storage opens.
There is a temporary spare tyre housed underneath the flat floor and a powered tailgate comes standard in this model, which I always like.
Price and features
Kia Sorento
We tested the top-of-the-range Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid here. It’s the Calligraphy grade with all-wheel drive and although it comes standard with seven seats you can also option it with six (as per our test car) and this means the bench seat in the second row is replaced by two 'captains chairs' for a more luxurious feel.
The list price for the Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy all-wheel drive is $75,000 and $500 for the six-seat option, so the MSRP comes out as $75,500. Â
The Kia Sorento Hybrid we tested was also the fancy one in the range. It’s the GT-Line and also all-wheel drive with a list price of $73,330.
As well as sharing a lot of the same engineering these SUVs have nearly identical standard features lists.
Standard on the Sorento GT-Line Hybrid and Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid are LED headlights and LED running lights, roof rails, proximity unlocking, privacy glass, rear side window sun blinds and split-style sunroofs.
Both cabins feature Nappa leather upholstery, the front seats are heated and ventilated, while the second-row outboard seats are heated. There’s dual-zone climate control, too.
You’ll find the same curved, double 12.3-inch displays for media and instruments in each, as well as head-up displays. There’s sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio and both have 12-speaker Bose sound systems.Â
Both feature wireless phone charging but only the Santa Fe can charge two phones wirelessly at the same time. The Santa Fe also has a sterilisation compartment. Sounds weird and is weird… I’ll show you how it works in the practicality section.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 9 |
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Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Discovery Sport is offered in four grades and the model on test in this review is the plug-in hybrid mid-level P300e.
The P300e is priced from $102,125 before on road costs but the addition of the plug-in hybrid powertrain means that it is actually $8855 more expensive than the flagship HSE.
In terms of its rivals, the P300e sits towards the middle of the line-up with the Volvo XC60 Recharge Plus PHEV coming in as the most affordable at $92,990 before on-road costs, then the Lexus NX450+ PHEV at $93,498. Sitting at the more expensive is the Audi Q5 55 TFSIe at $106,600 and then the BMW X3 xDrive30e M Sport PHEV at $111,800.
However, our test model does have a few optioned extras which ups the price tag and its position in the pack.
Those options include:
- A Technology Pack for $4700 which adds a digital rearview mirror, head-up display, and a 360-degree camera system with wade sensors.
- A fixed panoramic roof for $3040.
- Upgraded Meridian Surround Sound System for $2220.
- Upgraded 20-inch alloy wheels for $2080.
- Heated front seats for $860.
- Home charging cable for $520.
- Titanium mesh trim for $420.
All of that brings the grand total to $117,290, before on roads. Which is no small lump of change for what is essentially just a baby Land Rover.
Standard luxury and practical features include powered front seats with a three-position memory function for the driver, synthetic leather upholstery, keyless entry, push-button start, powered tailgate, temporary spare-tyre, and dual-zone climate control.
Technology includes an 11.4-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Android Auto, wireless charging pad, Bluetooth connectivity, and DAB+ Digital Radio.
The update also sees wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay, an Amazon Alexa app, as well as new USB-C ports, as opposed to USB-A ports from the previous model.
Under the bonnet
Kia Sorento
The Santa Fe hybrid and Sorento hybrid share very similar drivetrains - they both have a four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive.
While the drivetrains are virtually identical (because both companies share engines, transmissions, motors and other engineering technology) Hyundai says the hybrid system in the Santa Fe is a generation ahead of the Sorento's.
Hyundai claims its set-up produces more power and torque, but we felt no noticeable difference in the outputs when we drove them back-to-back. You can see all the output figures in the table below.
These hybrids are also not plug-in hybrids - they will recharge through regenerative braking, which means you don’t have to worry about charging - it’ll do it for you automatically. It’s the easiest kind of hybrid to live with.
So, how much fuel will you use? Let’s talk about that.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 8 | 8 |
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Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Discovery Sport P300e has a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder plug-in hybrid turbo-petrol engine with an eight-speed auto transmission and is an all-wheel drive.
The engine produces a combined power output of 227kW and 540Nm of torque. On paper, it’s punchy and can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 6.6 seconds but in practice, it’s not always great at using that power.
Efficiency
Kia Sorento
We take testing the manufacturer’s fuel efficiency claims seriously and don't take their word for it.
We filled the fuel tanks of the Sorento and Santa Fe with the recommended 91 RON petrol, then set out on a 100km test covering city and urban traffic, motorways and country roads to approximate the combination of conditions an owner would encounter. We then measured the amount of fuel used over the distance to calculate the fuel consumption.
As you can see from the tables below we achieved better results than the manufacturer claims and both of these hybrid SUVs use almost exactly the same amount of fuel. These are large SUVs consuming about 5.0L/100km. That’s outstanding fuel economy.Â
Not having to plug these kinds of hybrids into an external power source to charge makes them very easy to use. There’s nothing to do, they charge automatically and after a while you’ll just forget it's a hybrid.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 9 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport
The official combined fuel cycle consumption figure is 2.1L/100km and my real-world usage sits a 4.8L/100km after doing some open-roading and lots of urban trips this week. For an SUV of this size and with it's power, that's pretty darn good.
The trick is to regularly charge it for maximum fuel economy gains and that's not always practical.
Officially, you get up to 66km of pure electric range in this but expect closer to 47km in the real world.Â
The P300e has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can hook this up to a fast charger. On a 50kW system, you can go from 0-80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes but on a 7kW system, going from 0-100 per cent jumps up to to two hours and 12 minutes.
Expect to leave it on charge overnight on a standard domestic socket.
The driving range based on the official combined fuel cycle is obscene, and I can't see it happening in real life - so, based on my fuel economy figure and the 58L fuel tank, expect a theoretical driving range of up to 1208km.
Driving
Kia Sorento
You’d imagine these two closely-related SUVs with the same engines, same vehicle platform and same standard features would drive the same.
They don’t. We drove them back-to-back for two days on motorways at 110km/h, course-chip country roads and even at walking pace around car parks.Â
Both are extremely comfortable and composed across every type of road condition. The Sorento, however, has better handling for a sportier drive while the Santa Fe has a ‘floatier’ feel for a more luxurious experience.Â
An interesting fact for you is that Kia has a local engineering team which tests and develops the Sorento’s suspension for Australian conditions, constantly improving the ride and handling.
The latest retuning was done for this version of the Sorento which was updated this year.Â
Hyundai also had a local engineering team but doesn’t anymore. Instead, the local subsidiary is most often given a choice of suspension tunes used in other markets in the hope it will work well on Australian roads. The Santa Fe has a 'global' tune.
The hybrid powertrains feel equally matched despite the Hyundai’s slightly higher combined output. Neither feels underpowered and for regular duties they perform well with a smooth transition from motor to engine that only becomes noticeable on hills where electric power isn't enough and petrol has to come to the rescue with a relatively abrupt shove.
If you’re after a sporty experience the Sorento is for you, but I found the Santa Fe’s higher driving position, light steering, more luxurious ride and better visibility through larger windows makes for an easier SUV to drive day in and day out.Â
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 8 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Discovery Sport P300e has the goods on paper when it comes to power and it does... once you're up to speed. That's when you can punch it and feel confident at overtaking or keeping your speed consistent on hills.
It's when you're accelerating from a full-stop that it becomes a bit lacklustre as there's serious lag between accelerating and actually moving forward. Accept that you will have to accommodate for this inaction whenever you are joining or crossing traffic from a standstill.
Besides this little hiccup in the power delivery, handling on the whole is good.
The Disco Sport is easy to manoeuvre and you don’t feel like you’re driving something big, despite the ample cabin space. It also handles itself well in corners without too much roll.
The switch between the electric and petrol components isn’t always the smoothest but when it’s in its electric mode it’s blissfully quiet. The cabin feels refined too because you don’t get a lot of external noise in the cabin at all.
The wide windows and higher ride means visibility is great and the optioned digital rearview mirror adds another viewpoint if the back window isn’t clear.
The Disco Sport proves to be nimble and easy to park with the optioned and clear 360-degree camera system, and the sensors at the front and rear are sensitive.
Safety
Kia Sorento
At the start of this review I pointed out some crucial safety information about these SUVs. This new-gen Santa Fe has side curtain airbags which fully cover the occupants in the third row, while the Sorento does not.
For many parents, including me, that could be a deal breaker especially if that's all that separates these two similar SUVs.
Still, the Sorento is a very safe vehicle and scored the maximum five-star ANCAP assessment in 2020. The Santa Fe is still so new that its ANCAP rating isn’t in yet, but there’s nothing to suggest it wouldn’t score five stars, too.Â
Both SUVs have a large amount of advanced safety technology including AEB which can detect pedestrians, cyclists and other cars, lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert with braking.
For child seats both cars have two ISOFIX points in the second row and two in the third. There are also top tether anchor points for each of the seats in the second and third rows.
Both provide full-sized alloy wheels located under the vehicle.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 9 | 8 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Discovery Sport plug-in hybrid variant is not covered by its siblings' five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2022, so the P300e is unrated but features some good safety gear.
Standard items include AEB, blind spot monitoring, driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring, rear collision warning, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, and adaptive cruise control.
The traffic sign recognition tech is dreadfully intrusive, which impacts the driving enjoyment. I turn the warning sound alerts off each time I hop in as it's like a small child is hitting the same piano key over and over again - just to give you a sense of the sound itself and resulting annoyance.
It has seven airbags but interestingly, and unusually, the seventh one is a pedestrian airbag.
This model misses out on lane departure warning but for any families, there are ISOFIX mounts on the rear outboard seats plus three top tethers and you should be able to get three seats back if they’re not too big.
Ownership
Kia Sorento
The Sorento is covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited km warranty. Servicing is annual or every 15,000km and over five years the cost averages out to be about $500 per year.
The Santa Fe has Hyundai’s five year, unlimited km warranty and services are recommended annually or every 10,000km, Service cost also averages around $500 each year over five years.
| Â | Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy | Sorento Hybrid GT-Line |
| Score | 8 | 8 |
Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Discovery Sport comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year/ 160,000km warranty which is a usual term to see for this class now.
There is a five-year capped-price servicing program which costs a flat $2100, or $420 which is both reasonable for the class and is more affordable than a pay-as-you-go option. There is also a five-year roadside assistance program as a part of your servicing plan through Assist Australia.
Servicing intervals are great at every 12 months or 20,400km, whichever occurs first.