Kia Sorento VS Volvo XC40

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. 

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.  

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. 

Front passengers enjoy the most space and I have plenty of head- and legroom up front. It’s a really easy car to get in and out of and the individual storage is very good for the class. 

Front passengers enjoy a glove box, middle console with a removeable bin, two cupholders, utility tray and skinny drink bottle holders in the storage bins in the doors.

In the rear, passengers get map pockets on the backs of the front seats, two cupholders in the fold-down armrest and small storage bins in each door.

The synthetic leather-trimmed seats look neat and tidy but are very hard in the cushion, which makes them a tad uncomfortable on longer trips. The rear seats are much the same.

Charging options throughout the car are good with the front enjoying a 12-volt port, two USB-C sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from. The rear also gets two USB-C ports and there's another 12-volt outlet in the boot.

The rest of the technology is easy to use once you spend some time with it. The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system features built-in Google Maps, Assistant and Play Store apps, as well as, YouTube.

The 12.0-inch digital instrument panel isn’t customisable but I like the way it pulls through the satellite navigation screen and directions.  

Because of the dual-motor powertrain, your boot capacity drops to 419L from 452L for the single-motor variant. It is large enough for my grocery shop and random errands and you can fold the floor up to create a deep storage well for additional space. Fold the 60/40 split-folding rear seat and available space expands to 1295 litres.

I don’t like the hardened cargo liner, it feels and looks a little cheap, but I do like the powered tailgate. There’s also handy frunk storage of 31L, which is perfectly sized for any charging cables you will have.