The base 2025 Sorento LX starts at $31,990, while the range-topping X-Pro SX Prestige AWD trim starts at $47,390.

With fees, my top-of-the-line, Georgia-made test car came out to $48,285.

The current fourth-generation Sorento debuted in 2021 and received a mid-cycle refresh in 2024 with some updated styling and tech.

The revised front end, with its squared edges, vertical LED headlights, and rectangular grille, looks bold and rugged. It draws heavily from the brand's flagship Telluride SUV.

My test car boasted a limited 6.9 inches of ground clearance, less than the Subaru Outback and Honda Passport, both of which offer more than eight inches of clearance.

My high-end test car was powered by a 281 horsepower turbocharged engine with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Sorento can also be had as a hybrid with 227 horsepower and as a plug-in hybrid with 261 horsepower and 31 miles of electric range.

My all-wheel-drive, turbocharged test car boasts EPA fuel economy figures of 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined, pretty par for the course in this part of the market.

Kia's 2.5-liter turbocharged engine and eight-speed DCT combine to make the Sorento a surprisingly peppy SUV. Power delivery felt immediate, consistent, and pretty smooth for a turbocharged four-cylinder.

The SUV's responsive steering makes it one of the better-handling midsize SUVs I've driven.

According to Kia, my 4,250-pound test car could accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds with a top speed of 131 miles per hour.

The updates to Sorento's interior really helped keep it competitive with newer entrants to the segments. The centerpiece of the new cabin is the curved panoramic display sitting atop the front dash, made up of a 12.3-inch instrument panel and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.

The Sorento's overall interior material and build quality are solid. It's also thoughtfully designed with intuitively located controls. My only real gripe is with the small center stack display that houses both audio and climate controls. The screen switches between the two sets of controls and can be ungainly to use.

The panoramic roof is available on all Sorentos except the base trim.

The Sorento's 12.3-inch digital instrument display looks crisp but offers limited configurability. It's also home to one of my favorite features, the blind spot view monitor, which uses a camera mounted to the side mirrors to give you a live video feed of your blind spots anytime the turn signal is activated.

The seats, with decorative stitching, not only looked fancy but were also very comfortable.

The latest version of Hyundai/Kia's corporate infotainment system provides an excellent overall user experience.

The screen is also home to Sorento's 360-degree surround-view camera system.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all trims.

Regardless of seating configuration, the Sorento's 41.7-inch second-row legroom is impressive, eclipsing the larger Toyota Highlander and getting close to its big brother, Telluride.

With 29.6 inches of legroom, the two-person bench is comparable in space to an economy seat on a low-cost airline. Amazing, it actually beats the Toyota Highlander by 1.6 inches.

Fold down the third-row bench, and cargo capacity expands to an impressive 45 cubic feet. In total, the Sorento offers up to 75.5 cubic feet of cargo space with both rear rows of seats folded.

Adaptive cruise control is also standard across the board, but high-end models get fancier navigation-based systems with machine-learning capability.

The Kia Sorento offers shoppers an intriguing proposition: a handsomely styled, tech-laden family SUV with the people-carrying ability of a larger, midsize SUV like the critically acclaimed Telluride, but for about $5,000 less.

While you will have to make certain concessions, such as reduced interior and cargo space, a less refined ride, and a four-cylinder engine isn't as smooth as the Telluride's V6.

Even still, the Sorento will make a lot of sense for many families, especially those who like the flexibility of a third row and the choice of hybrid and ICE engines.