Infiniti QX30 vs Kia Sorento

What's the difference?

Even though it’s almost identical to the Q30, the QX30 manages to feel sufficiently different in suspension tune and cabin ambiance to be considered different.

It’s a disappointing oversight, though, by Infiniti to deny the base GT such basic safety fundamentals as a rear view camera (which Infiniti assures us is being worked on).

The Kia Sorento GT-Line diesel has the space, the features and the looks. My son loves all of the amenities in the middle row and has enjoyed touching every single button he can in this SUV!

If you're after a seven-seater and want the luxury factor too, this is one to consider.

If you're desperate for both people and luggage stowage, the Carnival might be a better fit but my family of three really like what the GT-Line has on offer and it gets an 8.5 from us.

The QX30 is one of the first projects to result from a technology partnership formed between the parent company of Mercedes-Benz and the Nissan-Renault Alliance.

In a sign of how worldly the car industry is becoming, the QX30 is built in Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK, using the German Mercedes-Benz A-Class platform and powertrains, all under Sino-French ownership via the Nissan-Renault Alliance.

On the outside, the design that first aired on the Q30 is pretty unique. It’s not a subtle car, with deep crease lines along its sides that, according to Infiniti, is an industry first in terms of manufacturing complexity.

When it comes to differences between the two vehicles, it’s minimal at best. There is a 35mm increase in height (30mm from taller springs and 5mm from roof rails), an extra 10mm in width, and extra trims affixed to the front and rear bumpers. Aside from the all-wheel-drive underpinnings, that is pretty much it for the exterior.

The same black plastic overfenders that are fitted to the Q30 are present on the QX30, with 18-inch rims on both the base model GT and the other variant, the Premium.

The dimensions of the QX30 are also an exact match for those on the Mercedes-Benz GLA, with the long front overhang acting as the main visual connection between the two cars.

The Sorento has been beefed up to compete against its heavier-set rivals, like the Kluger and Everest. The chunky design works in this format because it's body is well proportioned and features lovely highlights like a full suite of LED lights and satin-metallic accents.

The black grille is wide-set and complements the tall nose, while the two-tone 20-inch alloy wheels gives it some cool cred.

Hop into the cabin and you can't mistake this as anything other than the top grade with an interior that looks well-made, featuring a nice mix of materials with the Nappa leather upholstery, black suede headliner and soft touchpoints throughout.

The dashboard sits a bit lower than expected and thus you don't feel like you're in a big monster when you drive. The dashboard is headlined by the beautiful curved panel that houses those dual 12.3-inch digital screens.

Everything about this SUV shouts 'look at me, aren't I gorgeous?'

The QX30 is obviously very similar to the Q30 in many respects, but the interior is slightly different, with larger, less cosseting seats up front and slightly higher seats in the rear.

The cabin is also lighter in overall appearance, thanks to a paler colour palette.

There are plenty of neat inclusions, including a pair of USB ports, plenty of door storage, a space for six bottles and a sizable glove box.

A pair of cupholders resides up front, along with a pair in the fold-down armrest in the rear.

There is no particularly logical location for the storage of smartphones, though, and the lack of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is down to Infiniti opting for its own phone connectivity suite.

A decent 430 litres of luggage space behind the rear seats is contrasted by a cramped rear area for all but the smallest of passengers, while sharply shaped rear door apertures making getting in and out a bit of an ask.

There are two ISOFIX baby seat points and a 12-volt socket in the rear, as well.

The Sorento offers a cabin that is not short on space and up front you never feel like you're on top of your passengers, no matter who or what you're carrying.

However, the leg- and headroom is the best in the front and middle rows. The panoramic sunroof and stadium positioning of the seats of the middle row cuts into the headspace a little bit but a taller adult will still find comfort.

The legroom in the third row is more suited for kid-sized occupants but an adult could squeeze back there for a (very) short trip.

Individual storage and amenities throughout the car are excellent for the class. Front passengers get a drink bottle holder in each door, two cupholders and a large middle console and glove box. There are also some handy storage nooks and a utility tray on the topside of the centre console for items like keys, wallet and your phone.

The electric front seats are super comfortable and have those lux heat and ventilation functions.

The middle row gets a skinny drink bottle holder in each door, two cupholders in a fold-down armrest and another cupholder in each door. These are the favourites for my son because they are easier to access for him.

On the back of the front seats you get map pockets and two netted device holders. There are also reading lights, directional air vents, retractable sun blinds and heated outboard seats.

Third rowers aren't forgotten either with two cupholders, two snack trays and directional air vents, as well as an electric fan controller and reading lights.

In terms of other storage, the back seat has a 60/40 split and the third row has 50/50 split. With the third row stowed, you get a decent 608L of storage capacity in the boot.

There is a small under-floor compartment where you can hide the cargo cover and the full-size spare wheel is located underneath the car. This grade also comes with a handsfree-powered tailgate.

The technology on a whole is up to date and easy to use, however, the 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system has a different layout ushered in as part of the update and it took a while to get used to. Kia has thankfully fixed the strange quirk of some higher model grades not having wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so that's now standard. This grade also gets built-in satellite navigation with map updates for 10 years.

The instrument cluster is semi-customisable and you get a head-up display too. I like that there are handy controls within easy reach of the driver, like the remote boot opening button. It's good on a school or sport run!

Charging options are really good throughout the car with each row getting two USB-C ports but the front also gets a wireless charging pad too. Both the middle and third rows get a 12-volt port, so basically charging will not be an issue in this car.

There are four grades available for the Sorento with a choice of a petrol or the diesel engine for each grade level.

On test this week is the top-spec GT-Line with the turbo-diesel engine.  This particular combination is priced at $68,590 before on road costs and sits more towards the middle of its rivals. The Hyundai Sante Fe Highlander slides in as most affordable at $66,500 and the petrol-powered Toyota Kluger Grande eclipses the Sorento at $75,650.

You would be right in expecting the flagship model to come jammed-packed with features and the GT-Line doesn't disappoint.

The luxury appointments include quilted Nappa leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof and heated rear outboard seats in the middle row.

The driver's seat features 14-way powered adjustments with lumbar support and extendable under-thigh bolster. The front passenger seat has 10-way powered adjustment with lumbar support and both seats feature heating and ventilation functions.

The top dog also gets a heated steering wheel, digital rearview mirror and a whole bunch of updated technology. The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be connected via wire or wireless and the 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system has had its layout updated and exclusive to this grade is the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel.

The family-friendly and practical features include keyless entry/ start, powered tailgate, remote start and remote parking function (key fob activated), retractable sun-blinds  (middle row), extendable sun visors and a full-size spare wheel.

There is a niggling thought though that if the people and storage stowage were the deciding factors, you might be better suited for the Kia Carnival which is more fit-for-purpose, more affordable (by a hair) and features a similar specs list.

Just the one engine is used across both cars; the 155kW/350Nm single-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from the Q30 and A-Class.

It’s backed by a seven-speed transmission and wired into an all-wheel-drive system that is biased towards a front-drive configuration.

Sourced from Mercedes-Benz, up to 50 per cent of drive can be sent to the rear wheels, according to Infiniti.

Our GT-Line on test has a the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that produces a maximum power output of 148kW and 440Nm of torque. This combination ensures that you have plenty of grunt, even with a full boot load, but can feel sluggish off the mark. It's a beautiful cruiser once you're up to speed though.

The GT-Line is an AWD with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

You can select an additional three terrain modes, Snow, Mud or Sand and it has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg (750kg unbraked) for any adventure pursuits.

Infiniti claims a combined fuel economy figure of 8.9L/100km for the 1576kg QX30 across both the variants; this is 0.5L thirstier than the Q30 version.

Our brief test yielded a dash figure of 11.2L/100km over 150km.

You'd expect the  diesel engine to be relatively frugal for efficiency and the Sorento claims an official combined fuel cycle figure of 6.0L/100km and after mostly urban driving, my real-world usage came out at 7.9L which is very good.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and the 67L fuel tank, you should see a driving range of 1116km, which makes the GT-Line diesel an excellent road-tripper.

Again, it would be easy to think that the QX30 would feel almost identical to its lower-riding sibling – but that would be incorrect. We criticised the Q30 for being a bit too buttoned down and unresponsive, but the QX30 feels more lively and involving, thanks to its unique spring and damper set-up.

Even though it’s 30mm higher than the Q, the QX doesn’t feel it at all, with a benign, pleasant ride with good body roll control and competent steering.

Our front-seat passenger complained of feeling a little ‘hemmed in’, which is a valid point. The sides of the car are very high, and the roofline is quite low, exacerbated by the steeply raked windscreen.

The 2.0-litre four-potter is smooth and punchy, and the gearbox well suited to it, but it’s lacking in aural character. Luckily the QX30 does a terrific job of suppressing noise before it gets into the cabin, then…

The diesel GT-Line can initially feel sluggish when you're accelerating from a stand-still but once you get going, it is a lovely open roader. The Sorento feels well balanced in corners and has enough grunt to tackle hills without fighting to keep up your speed.

The steering feels nimble but not light and the on-road feeling is on the right side of heavy, meaning the car doesn't shift around, even in heavy winds on the highway.

Strangely, when you pull your foot off the accelerator there's a slump as the car slows down, similar to an EV when the regenerative braking kicks in, which takes a while to get used to.

Comfort is ensured by how quiet the cabin is and the driving experience on a long journey feels very refined because of it. Suspension feels cushioned and a smidge spongier than I like, but all my passengers rave about the ride comfort, so there's that.

Despite its 4815mm length and 1900mm width, the Sorento is surprisingly agile to park because of its superb 11.6m turning circle.  The super clear 360-degree view camera system, as well as the front, rear and side parking sensors means you shouldn't struggle parking it.

The Kia Sorento is well equipped with safety features.

Standard items include the biggies like forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, blind-spot view monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aids, lane departure alert, driver attention monitoring, 360-degree view camera system, as well as, front, rear and side parking sensors.

It's also great to see items like blind-spot collision avoidance, reverse parking collision avoidance, safe exit assist, rear occupant alert, intelligent seat belt reminders (six seats), tyre-pressure monitoring, trailer stability assist and an SOS e-call button.

The traffic sign recognition tech is still an annoying feature as it continues to beep/ chime/ alert whenever there is a traffic sign and/or speed sign change. Good luck ignoring it when you hit a school zone too.

The Sorento has AEB with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assist, which is operational from 5.0 - 85km/h but the car detection is only up to 75km/h, which is surprisingly low. It's usual to see that top figure sitting closer to 180km/h for car-to-car detection.

The Sorento achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2020 and features seven airbags but the curtain airbags do not cover the third row, which is disappointing for a seven-seater family car.

Families will be happy that there are a total of four ISOFIX child seat mounts (two in the middle row and two in the third row), as well as, five top-tether anchor points.

The middle row is wide enough to accommodate three child seats and there is plenty of room for front passengers when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

The Q30 is offered with a four-year, 100,000km warranty, and servicing is suggested every 12 months or 25,000km.

Infiniti offers a fixed three-year service schedule, with the GT and the Premium both costing an average of $541 over the three services provided.

The Sorento comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is excellent for the class.

It also comes with a seven-year, or up to 105,000km capped-price servicing program and services average $541 per service, which is competitive.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.