Jeep Wrangler vs Kia Sorento

What's the difference?

The Overland is (surprisingly) not atrocious on-road and (not surprisingly) very capable off-road. It costs a lot but, geez, it's a barrel of laughs.

If your heart is set on a four-door mid-size 4WD that's a whole lot of fun to drive, but rather impractical for daily life, then it’s difficult to over-look the Overland.

If you’re really gung-ho about hard-core off-roading – rock-crawling etc – then perhaps you should focus on the Rubicon, but for everything else the Overland, even on standard tyres, is more than capable.

The Kia Sorento S diesel AWD is a solid buy option in the lower-spec realm of the market. This AWD SUV is not spectacular but it manages to be competitive and, as a seven-seater with updated technology and some good features, it does have ample potential as a daily-driving family mover.

However, if you want more safety tech and more premium accoutrements, you’re likely better off forking out the extra $10,000 or so and getting a top-spec Sorento GT-Line instead.

The Wrangler's appearance has been tweaked throughout the years without ever sacrificing any of the ol’ Wrangler spirit.

It has stuck to its traditional roots and, as such, retains its old-school chunkiness, which is good, but the Overland is less of a hardcore-looking 4WD and more of a lifestyle-suited off-roader than its Rubicon stablemate. 

Though the Overland version has a certain blocky appeal, I reckon the Rubicon is better for having fully embraced the all-out off-road look and feel, tyres and all. 

The Sorento’s exterior is stunningly inoffensive. So, for anyone looking for an SUV that won’t make passers-by dry retch that’s all boxes ticked, I reckon.

The cabin feels family-friendly and functional. It's a basic but well designed space, although there’s no getting past the fact this is at the cheaper end of the Sorento line-up as its cloth seats and expanses of hard plastic remind you.

That said, chrome-like touches and faux hand-stitching go some way towards balancing out that impression.

The low-slung dashboard with integrated 12.3-inch touchscreen dominates the front of the cabin in a good way.

What can you say about a vehicle that has a “wash-out interior with drain plugs” listed in its specs?

This is a purpose-built off-roader and the Overland’s five-seat cabin is a basic but functional space, in which it’s easy to immediately feel comfortable. 

All dials, knobs and switches are easy to locate and chunky enough to operate while skipping over corrugations or climbing up steep rock steps.

There's leather everywhere – seats, steering wheel, shifter knob – but durable outdoors-tough surfaces also abound.

What always strikes me about the Wrangler interior is the fact that it’s abundantly clear Jeep designers regularly experience – or at least are familiar with – the type of life that Wranglers are aimed at: fun, dirty, rough-and-tumble adventures in the great outdoors.

There isn’t a lot of storage space inside but there are a few small, deep, and textured receptacles – ideal for keeping your bits and pieces in the same spot while you bounce around off-road – as well as grab handles, including a big sturdy one in front of the front-seat passenger. 

There are also tensioned net pockets on the doors so you can throw stuff in there, but beyond those there aren't a lot of storage options.

There are air vents, two USB-C ports, and a 230V inverter in the centre console.

Rear cargo space is listed at 898 litres; with the rear seat stowed away, there is a claimed 2050 litres of room.

This Sorento is 4815mm long (with a 2815mm wheelbase), 1700mm high and 1900mm wide.

As mentioned earlier, the interior is quite basic and simply designed, but with a low-key classiness about it. 

The driver’s seat is six-way manually-adjustable with a pump-action for height, so pin-pointing your preferred position is a welcome minor workout unto itself.

The front seats are adequately comfortable without being too plush – that’s fine with me – and from there driver and passenger have ready access to plenty of storage and cupholders (including two in the front, four in the second row and two in the rear seat) and charging options (including two USB charge points in the front console and one 12V power outlet behind the centre console and one in the cargo area).

My teenagers weren’t impressed at all with the fact they had to plug their smartphones into charge points at the front. Oh, the torture!

The 12.3-inch digital multimedia system has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both wired or wireless, and it’s an easy-to-use set-up with a crisp screen.

Air-con is a manual-controls affair, second-row passengers get air vents only (on the rear of the centre console), and third-row passengers don’t get vents or fan controls.

The second row is reasonably comfortable with room enough for head, shoulders and legs to be on the right side of comfy.

It sports a bottle holder in each of the doors, and there’s a centre armrest in the second row with cupholders for the El Grande cups of whatever almond-infused crappuccino your obnoxious screenagers are currently addicted to. 

The second row is in a 60/40 configuration, which slides, reclines and folds down flat.

The third row is in a 50/50 configuration, a split-fold flat set-up, and it's the realm of mini humans – or you could put adults back there for any trip lasting longer than 10 minutes and you’ll be hated for life.

For those interested in packing potential space, the rear cargo area offers a listed 179 litres of storage capacity; a listed 608 litres in the rear cargo area when the third row is folded away; and 1996 litres when the second and third rows are packed away.

My test vehicle this time is the Kia Sorento S diesel AWD, which sits at the bottom of the four-variant Sorento line-up (S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line). There is a petrol version, but the Kia Sorento S diesel AWD has a price of $53,680 plus on-road costs.

Standard features include a 12.3-inch digital multimedia touchscreen (with wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a basic digital driver cluster with 4.0-inch multi-function LCD display, AEB, blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, 17-inch alloys (plus a full-sized spare), LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lights.

It has cloth seats, six-way manually-adjustable driver’s seat, manual air-conditioning, second-row passengers get air vents only (on the rear of the centre console), and third-row passengers don’t get vents or fan controls.

Exterior paint choices include 'Clear White', as well as premium paint choices (all at an additional cost) such as 'Silky Silver' (on our test vehicle), 'Steel Grey', 'Mineral Blue', 'Gravity Blue', 'Aurora Black', 'Snow White Pearl', 'Volcanic Sand Brown' and 'Cityscape Green'.

This Jeep has a 3.6-litre 'Pentastar' V6 engine – producing 209kW at 6400rpm and 347Nm at 4100rpm – and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It's an effective engine-and-auto pairing for driving on sealed surfaces and well suited to high- and low-range 4WDing.

This Sorento has a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder common-rail diesel engine, producing 148kW at 3800rpm and 440Nm at 1750-2750rpm and that’s matched to an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

This is a generally clever and effective combination, but there is noticeable lag to acceleration from a standing start, no matter how hard you stomp the right foot.

It has all-wheel drive (part-time with lock mode) and driving modes that include on- and off-road options.

Official fuel consumption is listed as 9.7L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Actual fuel consumption on this test, from pump to pump, was 13.6L/100km, largely attributable to the fact I did a lot of low-range four-wheel driving on this test, as always. 

The Wrangler Overland Unlimited has an 81-litre tank so, going by that fuel figure above, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 595km from a full tank.

Note: Drop 30km to 50km from your total calculated fuel-range figure for a better idea of your vehicle’s safe touring range – so that figure above would be 565km.

Also, remember that numerous other factors affect your fuel consumption and so impact your touring range, including how much extra weight you have onboard (passengers, camping gear etc), whether your vehicle is fitted with any aftermarket equipment (bullbar, spare-wheel carrier, etc), whether you are towing (a camper-trailer, caravan, or boat etc), your vehicle's tyre pressures and the conditions.

Official fuel consumption for the 2.8-litre four-cylinder Sorento S diesel is 6.0L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Actual fuel consumption on this test, from pump to pump, was 6.6L/100km. 

This Sorento has a 67-litre fuel tank so – going by that fuel consumption figure – you should be able to get a driving range of about 1015km from a full tank.

The Wrangler Overland is a fun, go-kart style drive and yields a real driver-direct experience you get from few other contemporary vehicles on the blacktop and the dirt.

But while it’s nowhere near as atrocious as you might expect on sealed surfaces its planted, squared-off stance gives it a definite composure on bitumen. It’s certainly no sports car in terms of ride and handling.

It’s quite soft on-road, soaking up most imperfections with ease, but it also takes quite a lot of effort and concentration to keep this Jeep in line on the open road because it tends to float around on the blacktop if not constantly reined in. 

Also, its steering has a lightness about it that can sometimes be a bit disconcerting. 

The V6 is a gutsy unit, capable of punching the Overland along at a fair clip, all while the eight-speed auto handles clever and nicely controlled shifts.

Because it’s so blocky, straight up and down, with big wing mirrors and the like, the Overland is rather noisy on sealed surfaces.

But it remains one of the few modern vehicles that deserves to be driven with the windows down, because it offers that kind of visceral driving experience – as the LC70 Series, or Suzuki Jimny do.

So, how does the Overland perform off-road? Bloody glad you asked.

Spoiler alert: The Overland is not as good an off-roader as the Rubicon because it does not have that variant’s BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tyres, 'Rock-Trac' active on-demand 4x4 system (with 4:1 transfer case*, and 77.2:1 crawl ratio), front and rear locking differentials, or the Rubicon’s very handy electronic front sway bar disconnect. (* The Overland has 2.72:1.)

But, having said that, the Overland is still an extremely capable off-roader.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting any strife because it retains all the traditional goodness of the Wrangler with very few compromises. It’s a genuine 4WD with a dual-range transfer case, a ladder chassis, solid axles and well-proven 4WD heritage.

In terms of size, the Overland is 4882mm long (with a 3008mm wheelbase), 1894mm wide, 1838mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 1900kg.

Steering has a nice weight to it at lower speeds, giving the driver a great sense of sustained control through even the most severe obstacles, but the Overland’s turning circle is a listed 12.44m, so this off-roader can sometimes feel like a mini-bus to steer through tight turns.

However, this is a purpose-built off-roader with a wide wheel track and low centre of gravity, so it feels planted no matter how rough and bumpy the terrain gets.

On the gravel track to our off-road testing site, there are numerous steering-wheel-jolting corrugations but overall the Overland – with a coil spring at each corner – soaked them up.

Our 4WD loop included the aforementioned gravel tracks, light to medium corrugations, undulating mud tracks and mud holes, and some very challenging low-range 4WD sections (in particular, a steep rocky hill), and a few other set-pieces to see if the Overland was able to do everything safely and comfortably. 

As a true 4WD worth its weight in gold, the Wrangler is immediately more at home taking on low-speed 4WDing than it is negotiating suburban traffic.

Again, the V6 engine comes into its own, delivering smooth, even torque when needed, but not ever over-working to achieve that.

Considered driving is necessary as is slow and steady throttle, but that's easily achieved in the Wrangler as its go pedal is none too sensitive to a bouncing boot.

It’s refreshing to note that switching to 4WD High or 4WD Low range is still done via a stubby stick to the left of the auto shifter, rather than the push of a button, or the turn of a dial. 

Low-range gearing is very good and the Overland has a well-calibrated off-road traction control that seamlessly launches into action when required, and wasted wheelspin is kept to an absolute minimum.

This Wrangler has 242mm ground clearance and a standard wading depth of 760mm, and was never troubled on climbing steep rock steps, traversing deep ruts or punching through mudholes.

It’s supremely sure-footed during low-range work but visibility can be an issue: over-bonnet visibility has improved slightly over previous generations but the driver’s view to the front and side is still a bit squeezed, making it at times difficult to visually pick correct wheel-placement, especially when driving steep terrain at sharp angles.

It can go hardcore, no worries, but it simply requires a bit more thought and you know what? That’s fine with me because it makes the off-roading experience an even more engaging one. 

The Overland has approach, departure and breakover angles of 35.8, 31.2 and 20.4 degrees, respectively.

With live axles front and rear, the Overland has plenty of wheel travel to keep moving and under control through truly off-grid country.

The only real compromises in the Overland’s 4x4 set-up are its standard Bridgestone Dueler (255/70R18) highway tyres and, even on those, the Overland walked up and over our toughest off-road challenges.

Though the Overland is not historically regarded as a towing platform, it’s handy for you to know that it has listed towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 2495kg (braked).

As I mentioned earlier, this SUV can feel a tad lardy at times, especially from take-off, but it exhibits slightly livelier characteristics soon enough. Just don’t climb into the driver’s seat expecting a dynamic experience.

Steering has a nice balance to it and the Sorento never feels gargantuan so navigating through busy city and suburban streets is on the correct side of easy.

Ride is a bit firm, but the all-pervasive mindful peace you experience from being in such a hushed cabin tends to mostly negate any minor discomfort you may otherwise feel from clipping every lump and bump on the road.

On-road driving modes are 'Comfort', 'Sport', 'Eco' and 'Smart' and off-road modes are 'Sand', 'Mud' and 'Snow'. All of these adjust engine outputs, throttle control and transmission behaviour to best suit the terrain and driving conditions.

Niggle: The driver-assist tech is a bit abrupt and intrusive. I’ve found this to be the case in Hyundai SUVs, too.

The traffic sign recognition, in particular, is clunky, reacting to signs that don't apply at that time of day, for example school signs, or it reacts to signs that don't actually apply to that section of road. So it's regularly chopping and changing between what speeds you should be at and what speeds you shouldn't. 

This Sorento is an AWD with 176mm of ground clearance so I tested it on muddy grass, firm sand and gravel tracks. Nothing outrageous, but mildly challenging enough to make sure the all-wheel drive system can do what’s expected. And it does, seamlessly.

These off-road drive modes are, of course, no substitute for 4WD, but they are fine for when conditions become a little bit slippery. For example, if there’s been a drizzle of rain on the bitumen or the dirt track becomes a bit muddy.

This Sorento has a maximum towing capacity of 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 2000kg (braked).

The Kia Sorento has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2020.

Standard safety gear include seven airbags*, AEB (with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assist, from 5.0km/h to 85km/h; car detection up to 75km/h), as well as forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, front/reverse parking sensors and more.

*Note: the curtain airbags only cover the first and second rows.

Because this is the entry-level Sorento it misses out on such handy tech as the side parking sensors, 360-degree around-view monitor and blind spot view monitor that are found in higher spec variants.

The Sorento has five top-tether child restraint anchorage points and four ISOFIX child seat mounts (two in the second row and two in the third row).

The Overland Unlimited is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Servicing is set at 12 month or 12,000km intervals at a total cost of $1995 over five years, with servicing capped at a maximum $399 per appointment.

Lifetime roadside assist is available to Overland owners when they service through Jeep.

A seven-year/unlimited km warranty applies to the Sorento line-up.

Servicing intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest.

Capped-price servicing covers seven-years/105,000km and at the time of writing ranges between a low of $370 and a high of $817 per service over that period. Total cost is $3787 for an annual average of $541, which isn't particularly cheap.