Kia Sorento Hybrid running costs, insurance, warranty & tax
The big Kia Sorento offers reasonable running costs for its size, while being neither the best nor worst in its class
| Insurance group | Warranty | Service interval | Annual company-car tax cost (20%/40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-32 | 7yrs/100,000 miles | 1yr/10,000 miles | From £2,678/£5,356 |
Kia has priced the Sorento below large SUVs from premium brands such as the Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90 – both of which start north of £50,000. At the same time, the South Korean car is considerably more expensive than seven-seater rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq or SEAT Tarraco – both of which start from around £30,000.
In addition to this, the hybrid Sorento costs around £2,500 less than the equivalent diesel. For company-car drivers, the lower CO2 emissions of the hybrid versus the diesel will also be enticing, while the plug-in model makes the difference even more clear-cut.
Kia Sorento Hybrid insurance group
The Kia Sorento sits in groups 30, 31 and 32 for insurance – 2 trim is the lowest-rated, then 3 and then 4. Again, the car splits potential competitors. Upmarket rivals such as the Discovery and XC90 start (at best) in the low-to-mid 30s but often surpass group 40 and a few are even in the maximum group 50. More affordable alternatives, such as the Kodiaq and Tarraco, don’t tend to be rated at much more than the early 30s and can drop as low as group 15 for entry-level variants.
Warranty
Kia has been leading the car industry for warranty cover for quite some time, as all its models come with a seven-year/100,000-mile guarantee, and the latest Sorento is no different. All of the hybrid system's batteries and electronics are covered for the same period.
Servicing
The service interval for the Kia Sorento Hybrid is every 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. To help with maintenance, Kia offers a number of servicing plans, lasting for two, three or five years. The shortest plan costs £435, but adding another year ups this to £699 – the longest plan is priced at £1,229. MOTs can also be added, at a cost of £35 each.
Road tax
From the second time the Sorento Hybrid is taxed onwards, owners face a £155 annual bill, which is standard for all hybrids. But any car that costs more than £40,000 (including optionals) is liable for an additional £355 payment the first five times the tax is renewed. Company-car Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rates for the Sorento Hybrid aren’t all that impressive – unless you pay extra for the even more frugal and low-emissions plug-in hybrid version. For a 20% taxpayer, BiK will be roughly £2,700 a year or £223 a month. Those in the 40% bracket will pay £5,356 each year or £446 per month to run a Sorento.
