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For the past four years the Kia Sorento has been a top pick among motoring journalists in Australia, and it’s found favour with people looking for a stylish, practical family SUV.
That’s if you can get your hands on one. The past few years of pandemic-related chaos meant buyers were waiting up to a year for a high-spec Sorento. Kia reckons that will change with the 2024 model.
That’s right, it’s now time for the obligatory mid-life facelift, and this time around the Sorento gets some big and not so big changes.
The biggest changes are exterior design and interior tech upgrades. The Sorento now looks a lot like the EV9 that just launched late in 2023 - and that’s not a bad thing.
Inside the dash has been significantly rejigged with the latest multimedia and a few other helpful changes.
Aside from some tweaks to help improve ride and handling, there are no other changes under the skin.
Holden wasn't the first manufacturer to find itself bereft of a big SUV when the fuse was lit by BMW and Mercedes as the last millennium came to a close. Ford responded with the Territory while Holden jacked-up a V8 Commodore and slapped the Adventra badge on it. Sadly, it didn't work, and so the Captiva was the next best option, procured from what was then called Daewoo.
As a result of that that little blip on the economic radar, the GFC, and an on-going re-organisation of General Motors, the Korean-built Captiva has lasted rather longer than anyone expected.
It first launched with two bodystyles, but is now down to one, the bigger and more practical seven seat body shell.
With the Mazda CX-8 and CX-9 gone, the Sorento should get a bit more attention from buyers looking for a refined, but affordable seven-seat family-friendly SUV.
It might be missing some features in lower grades, and it lacks curtain airbags in the third row, but this facelift has only improved what was already one of the best models in its class.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.
The Captiva is very, very long in the tooth and is heading towards retirement some time in the next twelve months. Before then, it's a lot of car for the money, particularly the seven seat LS. It's not fast, flash or futuristic but it will do the job and with all of the early problems sorted, will probably do it for quite some time.
The Captiva's low scores are mostly to do with the car just being old and feeling it, with dodgier plastics, slightly undercooked ride and handling and a lack of engine and safety tech. It doesn't mean it's a terrible car, because it isn't and Holden papers up the cracks with a low starting price and good after-sales.
The fourth-generation Sorento debuted in 2020 and I think that version is still handsome.
It’s definitely a style leader compared with its more staid rivals.
The facelift ushers in Kia’s latest design theme already seen on the striking EV9. It gets a new face with stacked LED headlights with slimline DRLs, redesigned bumpers front and rear, and tweaked tail-lights.
Inside, the redesigned dash brings the Sorento right up to date with the EV9 and gives it a much more modern vibe. It features twin integrated, curved screens and the instrument cowl has been dropped.
The Sorento also features the latest multimedia system, a redesigned centre console featuring a shift-by-wire dial instead of the old shifter, and new slimline central air vents with a digital climate display on most grades.
It’s not a wholesale interior change but the updates are significant and have helped modernise the Sorento.
Formerly known as the Captiva 7, the seven seat body has remained mostly the same for its 11 years on sale. The only real changes have been around the front end, with Holden several times fiddling with the grille, lights and bumpers. There's nothing flash about the Captiva, but you know exactly what it is coming at you, with the double grille and big Holden badge.
In profile there's a lot of the original BMW X5 if you squint, right down to the copyright lawyer-dodging shape of the rear quarter window. It also has that X5's big gaps between wheelarch and tyres and a good view of the wheelarch itself. If that's your thing.
Little has changed at the back apart from bumpers and the LED effect lights added in the last update in 2014. It's unlikely you're buying the Captiva as auto haute couture, though.
Inside is basic, and you can place the Captiva's genesis in the mid-2000s, there's a certain generic GM feel to it. The switchgear feels old and clacky, the plastics are hard but do fit well enough. An Audi interior it isn't. The update in 2014 to make the 7.0-inch screen fit in the dashboard is fairly obvious and it's a shame the whole dash couldn't have been replaced. The huge steering wheel surrounds a tightly packed instrument cluster with small dials and a very old-looking LCD panel for trip computer duties.
Aside from the dash, console and tech updates, the Sorento cabin is just as practical as it was before the facelift.
That means decent space across the front row, with comfortable seats on all grades. The lower grades get cloth, while the Sport+ gets leather-appointed upholstery and the GT-Line features the lovely quilted Nappa leather.
We only drove the Sport+ and GT-Line grades at the launch, but seats in both are well bolstered and comfortable.
Storage-wise, the glovebox is small but it makes up for it with a sizeable central bin. Note that large bottle may not fit in the door cavity, but smaller bottles will be fine. There are plenty of nooks in the console to store and hide smaller items, too.
The steering wheel looks and feels nice and those controls are easy to read.
The updated multimedia setup is very modern and while it may take some familiarisation, the menu is logically structured and you can swipe between screens. In the GT-Line, the fully digital instrument display is customisable.
Kia has added a couple of cool features to the facelift. While the base S gets manual air conditioning, all other grades have dual-zone digital controls in the redesigned centre stack. This display doubles as menu buttons for the multimedia, so you can just toggle between the air-con and multimedia controls with the tap of a button. Clever.
The other new feature I am a fan of is a quick link of sorts to the vehicle settings. So the pre-update model - and many other Kia and Hyundai models including Seltos and Palisade - there is an audible speed limit alert function that, annoyingly, activates if you’re just one or two kilometres over the limit. It does this using the speed limit detection, which is not always accurate.
I have written about this before because the system is more distracting to the driver and should just be a visual warning, not visual AND audio. Read about it here.
Anyway, to turn the system off you previously had to dig into the multimedia menu to find the vehicle settings and then dig further to turn it off. And if you’re like me, you’d turn it off every time you get in the car. It was about five or six steps to do this.
Now there is a handy little star button on the steering wheel that directs you to the driver assist section of the vehicle settings and you can switch it off much faster. Thank you for listening, Kia.
The Kia’s second row has sliding and reclining 60/40 split fold seats, and while the pew is on the firm side, it’s not uncomfortable. Amenities include an armrest with cupholders, USB-C ports housed on the front seat backs, a 12-volt outlet, map pockets, more cupholders in the door-mounted armrest and room for small bottles in the doors.
To access the third row, just tap the button on the side of the outboard seats and it will fold automatically. Thankfully you don’t need to fold yourself in half to get into the third row.
Once back there, space is tight for a lanky six-foot-one man like me, but it will be fine for kids on occasional trips. They have access to a phone holder, cup holder, USB-C ports, a 12-volt port, air vents on both sides and rear air-con controls on the driver's side.
I have previously sat in the third row of both the Sorento and the Toyota Kluger, and found the Kia had more amenities, and was a much nicer space than the Kluger.
Open the power tailgate and you’ll find a decent amount of space. With 179 litres (all seats in place), 608L (third row stowed) and 1996L (both rear rows stowed), the Sorento has less space than the Kluger with all seats up, but the Sorento beats it when you drop that rear row.
Also, the second and third row fold flat, which is very handy for loading in big items.
The Sorento has a full-size alloy spare wheel across all petrol and diesel grades.
The Captiva's interior dimensions are impressive. In seven seat versions, the boot space starts at 87 litres, expanding to a handy 465 litres with the 50/50 split fold rear row stowed. Flop the middle row forward and you're up at 930 litres, a good size cargo area that could swallow a flat-pack wardrobe. If you snaffle a five-seat version, you can remove the boot floor panels to reveal another couple of hundred litres of hidey holes.
There are cup holders up front (two), in the middle row (two) and in the boot (one, strangely) for a total of five. In the seven seater, two will go thirsty.
For the moment, only the 3.5-litre petrol V6 and 2.2-litre turbo diesel grades are on sale. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants are coming, but not until the second quarter of the year, according to Kia.
Kia has carried over the same model grades as before, meaning you can get the petrol and diesel in S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line guise.
Unsurprisingly, Kia has upped pricing across the range for the updated Sorento, and it’s increased by about $3000 and $3500, depending on the grade.
Pricing starts at $50,680 before on-road costs for the entry-level front-wheel-drive petrol S, and it tops out at $68,590 for the GT-Line all-wheel-drive diesel. A diesel is $3000 more expensive than its petrol equivalent. Pricing has not been confirmed for the hybrids yet.
The Sorento has fewer direct seven-seat monocoque SUV rivals since Mazda dropped the popular CX-9 and CX-8 from its line-up last year, so the main two competitors are the Toyota Kluger and the related Hyundai Santa Fe.
The updated Sorento is now pricier than the Hyundai - although a new-gen Santa Fe is coming before mid-year - and on par with some of the Kluger grades.
New Sorento features include over-the-air updates for sat nav maps and more, Kia Connect which uses an app that allows you to remotely start, lock or unlock the car, as well as perform a number of other tasks, new driver assistance features and a pair of new colours - Volcanic Sand Brown and Cityscape Green.
From the base grade up standard gear in the Sorento includes 17-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, digital radio, USB ports, a seven-speaker audio system and, finally, it gets wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto across the range. The fleet-friendly base grade also now gets a push-button start, so no more using a key to start it.
Naturally, each grade adds more and more features, and the GT-Line gets the most gear. It features a heated steering wheel, quilted Nappa leather-appointed seats, mood lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, head-up display, premium sound system, sun shades, wireless charger and a digital rearview mirror.
The base grade could do with more gear as the features list feels quite stripped out, but overall the Sorento offers solid value for money.
The Captiva's value is heavily dependent on the model you choose. Standard features across the range (starting with the LS) include a 7.0-inch touchscreen running MyLink, a six-speaker stereo with AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, cruise control, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, auto headlights, leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, three 12 volt power outlets, keyless entry and start and a tyre inflation kit in place of an (optional) spare tyre.
No Captiva comes standard with sat nav as they all feature Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which both use your phone's GPS apps.
There are four models, three 'standard' specifications - LS, LT, and the top of the range LTZ, with a fourth version in the form of the five seat only Active 'special' edition, that isn't.
Pricing starts at $26,490 for the 2.4-litre LS (with five seats and five-speed manual gearbox), $28,690 for the auto, and the diesel comes in at $31,690. Seven-seat LS pricing ranges from $30,490 for the petrol and $33,490 for the diesel, both six-speed automatics.
The Active enters the price list at $31,990 drive away. Based on the five-seat petrol LS (to be discontinued in May 2017), the auto-only Active adds 18-inch alloys, textile leather seats and a cargo cover. There's also a similarly specified seven seat version at $33,490.
On to the LT, and the price rises to $37,490 for the petrol and $38,490 for the diesel, both of them seven seaters. Part of the big jump for the LT is explained by the petrol engine switching to Holden's 190kW 3.0-litre V6 and the addition of all-wheel drive (AWD). The LT picks up a sunroof, bigger alloys, side steps, cloth trim with "Sportec" bolsters on the front seats and powered heated mirrors.
The LTZ's pricing is a mixed bag. Ordinarily, the V6-powered version would attract an rrp (carmakers insist we call it MLP, manufacturer's list price) of $40,490, with the diesel adding a thousand dollars to weigh in at $41,490. However, Holden is running a long promotion offering the LTZ V6 at $35,990 drive away with three years of free servicing.
The LTZ has 19-inch wheels, leather-look trim, electric driver's seat and front parking sensors.
You can choose one of seven colours - black, white, red, silver, blue, brown and grey and all but white will cost you $550. Orange is no longer on the menu, no matter how much you want it to be 2007 again.
Until the hybrid grades arrive, the Sorento carries over its petrol and diesel engines.
That means a 3.5-litre V6 pumping out 200 kilowatts of power and 332 Newton metres of torque. This powertrain drives the front wheels only via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The other option for now is Kia’s 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine delivering 148kW/440Nm, and this is the punchier powertrain. The diesel is all-wheel drive and uses an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Kia has made no changes to the engines for this facelift, but meaningful changes have been made by Kia’s local tuning program to improve ride and handling.
If you like a choice of engine size, you've come to the right place. The Captiva has three engine specs in the range - two petrols and a diesel.
The smaller petrol, a 2.4-litre four-cylinder, produces 123kW at 5600rpm and 230Nm at 4600rpm. Driving the front wheels, this motor is available with choice of gearbox, either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. This 2.4 is only available on the LS and Active.
The 24-valve 3.0 SIDI V6 is available on LT and LTZ and produces 190kW at 6900rpm and 288Nm at 5800rpm.
The single diesel is a 2.2-litre iron block with common rail direct-injection and makes 135kW at 3800rpm and a stout 400Nm within a very usable range of 1750-2750rpm. You can have the oil burner in all three trim levels, driving the front wheels in the LS and four-wheel drive in the LT and LTZ.
Both the V6 and diesel are available only with the six-speed automatic transmission.
Unlike earlier Captiva models, none of these engines feature a timing belt. Those early engines suffered from issues related to the fabric belt while problems with the later timing chain driven engines are less common. Reliability of the V6 is well-proven in the Commodore while later four cylinders also perform well.
Zero to 100km/h performance varies between the engines. The 2.4 will reach 100km/h in around 10.5 seconds while the V6 is rather quicker at 8.6. The diesel falls right in the middle at 9.6 seconds.
We've not yet carried out a towing review, but according to Holden, towing capacity is rated at 750kg for unbraked trailers and 2000kg braked.
The V6 petrol Sorento is thirsty, consuming an average of 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle - a fair bit more than the Kluger four-cylinder petrol’s 8.5L figure.
The diesel sips 6.0L/100km, making it the efficiency winner - at least until those hybrids arrive.
If you're after good fuel economy, the Captiva probably isn't the car for you.
The 2.4-litre petrol is quoted at 9.7L/100km on the combined cycle but, as we recently discovered, is more likely to return closer to 12.5L/100km.
Diesel fuel consumption on the official combined cycle is listed at 8.5L/100km but our most recent test yielded a slightly startling figure of 12.9L/100km. The diesel's performance, particularly in the gears, is better than either petrol but it appears you'll pay for it.
The big banger V6's official fuel consumption figure is listed at 10.7L/100km, but past CarsGuide reviews suggest 14.0L/100km is a more likely real world figure. As far as fuel economy goes, diesel vs petrol usually falls to the diesel, but not in this case.
Fuel tank capacity is identical across the range at 65 litres.
Another area that, arguably, the Sorento didn’t require much improvement is how it drives. And while Kia has made no changes to the powertrains, the company’s local tuning arm has waved its magic wand and made tweaks to the suspension and dampers in a bid to improve ride and handling.
And ride is something the Sorento excels at. Without doing a back-to-back test with the pre-update model, it’s hard to know how different the ride quality is. But on the drive route from Melbourne up through the Yarra Valley, the Sorento GT-Line - with 20-inch wheels - glided over some huge potholes, and maintained composure on rough, uneven roads.
The Sport+ petrol 2WD coped well on an unintentional detour up through an unsealed mountain pass, although it lost traction briefly once in very wet and slippery conditions.
Similarly, the GT-Line AWD diesel’s ride is hard to fault.
According to Kia, the changes under the skin have helped reduce body roll, and there was very little role, even when darting through the very twisty Chum Creek road.
While the V6 is responsive and powerful, it is noisier than the diesel which was so smooth and quiet I had to check that it was, indeed, the diesel that I was driving. The oil burner is also quick off the mark with little to no turbo lag.
Without having driven the update hybrid and plug-in hybrid, the diesel Sorento is definitely the pick over the V6 petrol.
On the road, the cabins of both engine grades are well insulated from outside noise. This helps give the Sorento a more premium vibe than its direct rivals.
You sit on the Captiva rather than in it, a feeling encouraged by the flat, shapeless seats. It doesn't matter which Captiva you choose, the front seats are not exactly huggy but they'll certainly take people of all shapes and sizes.
You twist a funny knob where the key barrel used to be to start the engine. The view out front and out the sides is commanding as there is a fair bit of glass all around, with just the view out the rear window restricted as it's quite small. If you've got passengers, forget it, but the reversing camera will save the day there.
The ride is, for the most part, reasonable, but will deteriorate along with the road surface. The suspension isn't very quiet and the overall firm feeling delivers passable handling, which you'd expect from a big heavy machine like this. It doesn't have anything like the finesse of much younger metal from Hyundai, Kia and Mazda.
The diesel specs suggest strong performance and that's exactly what you get. It's by far the torquiest of the three engines and shifts the Captiva's two tonnes with reasonable verve. It's a noisy, grumbly unit but works well with the six-speed auto.
The engine specs of the two petrols don't really tell the story. While the V6 is quicker in a straight line, its extra weight knocks the shine off the torque increase and the engine itself isn't a shining example of modern engine tech. Actually, neither of them are, missing out on stop-start and other goodies.
This isn't an off-road review, but moderately ambitious mud-plugging is doable in the AWD models, with a ground clearance of 200mm but no low range or off-road mode. We even checked the manual to make doubly sure there wasn't a diff lock button hidden somewhere.
As ever, the idea here is that when you're buying a Captiva you're buying a lot of space and a cheap ownership experience.
The facelifted 2024 Sorento carries over the five-star ANCAP crash safety rating it was awarded in 2020.
The update ushers in new safety tech, specifically Highway Driving Assist in all grades except the base S. It essentially combines the adaptive cruise with stop and go and lane-following assist for freeway driving only.
Note that the curtain airbags do not stretch to cover the third seating row but the Sorento does have a front centre airbag.
Generally the Sorento has a solid standard safety features list on all grades and it includes a safe exit warning, auto emergency braking with a forward collision warning and vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist, blind-spot collision assist, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver attention alert and a rear occupant alert.
The Captiva carries six airbags, ABS, traction and stability controls, hill descent control, brake force distribution, active rollover protection, brake assist and three ISOFIX points, in addition to the reversing camera and rear parking sensors.
The Captiva's maximum five star ANCAP safety rating was awarded in November 2011.
Kia has led the market for some time when it comes to its ownership offer, with its highly regarded seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
The servicing schedule for the petrol and diesel models is every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, whichever comes first, and that’s about standard for the segment.
It also comes with capped-price servicing for seven years. The price ranges from $370 to $817 per service for the diesel and $370 to $763 for the petrol. The average cost over that seven years is $540 for the diesel and $534 for the petrol.
As with all new Holdens, the Captiva owner benefits from a three year/100,00km warranty and lifetime capped price servicing. All prices are available on Holden's website.
Service costs for the diesel are significantly higher than the either of petrols, but do include oil changes.
The standard package also includes a year of roadside assist.
For common faults and complaints, check out our Holden Captiva problems page, which covers known automatic transmission problems, engine problems and diesel problems. There aren't any widespread diesel engine problems with the later version.
Resale value is often a consideration and we've looked at the last major update, released in 2014.
A seven seat Series II LS from 2014 - the second major update for the Captiva after the 2011 update addressed lingering problems - cost $30,490 when new and will trade at around $13000-$15000, below fifty per cent of the purchase price, with private sales a little higher.
An LTZ diesel from the same period sold for $41,490 and trades in the 45 to 50 per cent of purchase price and a little over 50 per cent in private sales.