Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Staria

What's the difference?

The Kia Sorento GT-Line PHEV is a sumptuously equipped seven-seater that delivers comfort, tech and an easy-going drive. It presents well on the surface, and for the right buyer (one who can make the most of its plug-in capabilities ) it could be a smart, low-emissions option for family life.

But for all its polish, it doesn’t quite do enough to justify itself as the best Sorento in the range. The electric-only driving range isn’t especially generous, and the higher price tag , combined with its lower towing capacity, may leave some families wondering whether the diesel variant is the more practical choice.

It’s not a bad car by any means, but the flagship GT-Line PHEV feels more like a stepping stone than a standout.

The Staria Load has good build quality, refinement, performance and pricing. In Premium specification, it also offers numerous desirable goodies that make it one of the best-equipped and sharpest-looking one-tonne vans on the market. For some buyers, depending on their requirements, it offers a compelling alternative to the ubiquitous HiAce. 

The Sorento looks exactly how a modern SUV should - confident, capable, and well-proportioned without feeling bulky. It wears its size well, delivering that commanding presence families often want in a seven-seater, without coming across as too aggressive.

I especially like the 19-inch alloy wheels as they suit the vehicle’s stance perfectly. I also like the striking LED lighting signatures front and rear, which really come to life after dark.

Step inside and the cabin strikes a neat balance between tech-forward and user-friendly. You’re greeted by dual 12.3-inch widescreen displays that make a strong first impression, but thankfully Kia hasn’t gone all-digital! You still get physical buttons and dials where they matter, making everything feel intuitive and easy to navigate.

Material quality is a highlight. There’s quilted Nappa leather upholstery, soft-touch surfaces throughout, and even a luxe suede headliner. These premium touches, coupled with the panoramic sunroof, lift the ambience and it's a cabin that feels genuinely upmarket, but not at the cost of family friendly functionality.

The Premium shares the same 3273mm wheelbase, MacPherson strut front suspension and leaf-spring beam axle rear suspension as all Staria Loads, along with power-assisted rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes. The Premium is available only with a swing-up tailgate.

Its 5253mm length and 1997mm width allows a turning circle of 11.94 metres (HiAce LWB is 11 metres) and its 2000mm height ensures access to height-restricted multi-storey carparks and underground loading docks.

The two-seat interior design, with its absence of physical dials and scarcity of buttons on the dash, provides a spacious and uncluttered workspace. However, adjustments like cabin temperature, fan speed, audio volume control etc using touch-sensitive prompts can be distracting while driving.

Even so, the brightly illuminated instrument display with its ‘virtual’ analogue speedo/tacho is mounted a long way ahead of the driver and quite high, so it almost works like a head-up display given its optimal positioning in the driver’s eyeline.

The height of the cabin doors is also conspicuously low, which has practical benefits given they are not far above knee height (like a LandCruiser 70 Series) which provides excellent side and forward-angle vision.

Space up front is generous, with excellent seat comfort thanks to wide seat bases, extendable under-thigh support and heating and ventilation. Getting in and out is easy, too, helped by wide door openings and a manageable 176mm ground clearance.

Storage throughout the cabin is thoughtful and abundant. Up front, there’s a large glovebox, a spacious centre console with a removable shelf, two cupholders, door bins with bottle holders, and a handy phone cubby beneath the dash.

The second row adds its own bottle holders and storage bins in each door, map pockets, four cupholders (including one cleverly placed on each door) and a removable floor shelf in front of the centre seat.

Even the third row isn’t forgotten, with a snack cubby and cupholder built into each wheel arch.

Tech-wise, the dual 12.3-inch displays look sharp, and the media system is intuitive and quick to respond. The instrument cluster isn’t particularly customisable, and I’m not a huge fan of the layout, but it displays the essentials clearly. You also get a head-up display, satellite navigation with over-the-air updates, and both wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Charging options are solid across all three rows, with multiple USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket in the second row and boot, and a wireless charging pad up front.

The second row offers ample legroom, though headroom is slightly reduced due to the panoramic sunroof. The lack of a transmission tunnel is a win for middle seat comfort, and the bench is wide enough to accommodate three child seats side-by-side. There are three top-tether points and ISOFIX anchors on the outboard seats.

Comfort and convenience features in the second row include heated outboard seats, device pockets, directional air vents, and the same handy storage and charging options mentioned earlier. My son especially loves the retractable sunblinds and the cupholders built into the door handles as they’re easy to reach and super practical. I am, however, disappointed that there’s no separate climate control zone for this row.

As for the third row, it’s best treated as a sometimes seat for adults. Access is more child-sized, and amenities are limited, but you do get directional air vents and a fan control, which are definitely appreciated.

Boot space is tight with all three rows in use, at just 175L, but that was still enough for the odd errand during the week. Fold the third row down and you get a much more usable 604L. Both rows fold completely flat, making it easy to slide in larger items, and the GT-Line includes a powered tailgate and a rare full-size spare wheel for extra convenience.

With its relatively light 1938kg kerb weight and 3020kg GVM, our test vehicle has a genuine one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1082kg (HiAce LWB is 1060kg) of which up to 100kg can be carried on roof racks.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer (HiAce LWB is 1500kg) and with its 5520kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that means it can legally tow its maximum trailer weight while hauling its maximum payload.

On face value, that’s a handy set of numbers. However, with a tow-ball download (TBD) limit of only 100kg it would be a challenge not to exceed that with 2500kg of trailer, given TBD is usually around 10 per cent of trailer weight.

The Premium’s solid-walled cargo bay, with 4.94 cubic metres of load volume (HiAce LWB has 6.2), is accessed through sliding doors on each side and a swing-up tailgate (no rear barn-door option is available for the Premium).

The doors and walls are lined to mid-height and although there’s internal lighting it could be brighter (preferably LED), particularly given the dark colour of our test vehicle.

The cargo bay is 2607mm long and 1640mm wide with 1250mm between the rear-wheel housings, which means it can (theoretically at least) carry up to two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, secured by a choice of eight load-anchorage points.

We say ‘theoretically’ because the raised tailgate effectively blocks rear access for forklifts not equipped with extendable tynes and the side-door openings are too narrow for an Aussie pallet to pass through.

So, if pallet-loading is important, a base model Staria Load with rear barn-doors would be a better choice than the Premium. However, for many other working roles a swing-up tailgate can be beneficial, particularly when serving as a large ‘umbrella’ during wet weather.

The cabin offers three tiers of storage in each door, with the lowest level providing a large-bottle holder and generously-sized bin.

There’s also a small-bottle/cupholder in the dash-pad to the driver’s right plus a handy compartment with clamshell lid in the centre, single glove box, full-width overhead shelf and pop-out cupholder.

Our test vehicle is the Staria Load Premium, which as its name suggests is a cut above the base model Staria Load Van. It comes equipped with the same 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic transmission shared by all variants, for a list price of $51,740.

Although that’s a sizeable $5000 more than the base model, it's lineball with the Toyota HiAce LWB in premium GL specification ($51,886). Our example is also fitted with some items from Hyundai’s impressive genuine accessories range, including the mesh-type cargo barrier ($916.75) and heavy-duty rubber cargo bay floor mat ($762.75).

Although our test vehicle is an MY24 build, it’s mechanically and (almost) visually identical to the latest MY25 Premium, which adds Hyundai’s ‘Bluelink’ connected car services, rain-sensing wipers and next-generation key fob.

That’s in addition to the Premium’s desirable standard features including 17-inch alloys with a full-size alloy spare, smart power tailgate, LED MFR (Multi Face Reflector) headlights, LED front light bar and LED tail-lights, high-beam assist, smart key with push-button start, big 10.25-inch instrument cluster and same-sized multimedia touchscreen, blind-spot-view monitor and automatic climate control.

It’s also enhanced by MY25 upgrades shared by all Staria Load variants including new 2D aluminium body-badging and additional USB-C ports, plus replacement of 'Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist' with 'Blind-Spot Collision Warning' (see Safety).

Powering this GT-Line variant is a plug-in hybrid system that pairs a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a small electric motor and battery. Combined, the system delivers up to 195kW of power and 350Nm of torque, which is plenty to get this sizeable SUV moving with confidence.

It’s a part-time all-wheel-drive set-up with a lock mode for extra traction when needed, and it’s paired with a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission.

Around town and on the highway, the power delivery feels seamless and refined, with the electric motor doing a nice job of smoothing out stop-start driving.

One key trade-off, however, is towing capacity. While the diesel Sorento can tow up to 2000kg braked, the PHEV’s figure drops to just 1010kg. That’s a significant reduction and could be a deal-breaker for families who regularly tow a camper, trailer or boat.

The Euro 5-compliant 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel produces 130kW of power at 3800rpm and 430Nm served across a 1000rpm-wide torque band between 1500-2500rpm.

This is paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic, which offers the choice of more direct engine control using sequential manual-shifting. It also has overdrive on its seventh and eighth gears to optimise fuel economy at highway speeds.

Plus, there are four selectable drive modes comprising Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart, with the latter automatically switching between the other three to optimise performance and economy depending on variables like driving styles, road conditions, payloads etc.

The Sorento GT-Line PHEV offers a WLTP-rated electric-only driving range of up to 57km - not huge, but enough to cover most daily commutes or school runs without dipping into the petrol tank.

When driven as intended and regularly charged, it’s capable of a combined fuel consumption figure as low as 1.6L/100km and this is paired with a 67-litre fuel tank. That means you could go a seriously long time between fill-ups if you’re topping up the battery daily.

In my week of testing, which included a mix of highway stints and urban errands, the trip computer reported an average of 7.2L/100km.

That’s well above the official figure, but still pretty reasonable considering the type of driving I was doing.

Charging is simple enough. The Sorento uses a Type 2 charging port, and on a standard 3.3kW AC charger, the 14kWh battery can be charged from 15 to 95 per cent in about three hours and 26 minutes.

Kia includes a portable AC charger with this grade, which is a handy bonus for charging at home or on the go.

Hyundai claims official combined consumption of only 7.0L/100km. The dash display was showing 8.3 when we stopped to refuel at the end of our 270km test, which comprised a mix of city, suburban and highway driving, with about one third of that distance hauling a heavy payload. We also regularly switched between drive modes.

Our own consumption figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in at 10.9, which was considerably higher than the dash was claiming. So, based on our ‘real world’ numbers, you could expect a driving range of around 680km from its 75-litre tank.

The Sorento PHEV hits most of the right notes when it comes to power delivery and gear shifts. Occasionally, there's a slight hesitation between whether the engine or electric motor should take the lead - like a dance partner who’s just a touch out of step. It’s noticeable, but not disruptive.

Most of the time, the transition between power sources is smooth, and there’s more than enough grunt for overtaking or merging confidently.

The suspension has a springy, soft edge to it and you’ll feel some movement over bumps but it’s never harsh or uncomfortable. It corners surprisingly well for a large SUV, with responsive, albeit lighter, steering. Body roll is present if you push into tight bends, but that's par for the course in a seven-seater.

Regenerative braking is subtle, almost too subtle. There’s not much feedback, and it can feel a bit heavy underfoot in stop-start traffic. It’s not a deal-breaker, but worth noting if you’re expecting the more pronounced regen feel you get in some other hybrids or EVs.

The cabin remains quiet at both urban and highway speeds, making it easy to hold a conversation across all three rows. Visibility is generally good, though the thicker pillars take a little getting used to. The digital rearview mirror is a great touch when the back seats are loaded with people or gear.

Parking is refreshingly simple thanks to a crisp 360-degree camera and front and rear sensors. One of my favourite features is the remote smart parking, which lets you move the car forwards or backwards via the keyfob, a lifesaver in tight parking spots. Just don’t teach your eight-year-old how to use it ...

The driving position feels spacious and comfortable for someone my height (186cm). However, given its Premium status, the driver's seat should have adjustable lumbar support for longer hauls. A fold-down inboard armrest would also be welcome.

The large doors mirrors, combined with blind-spot monitoring and different camera views (including the excellent blind-spot views that appear on the instrument panel) ensure good all-round vision.

This is one of the Staria Load’s strengths, given the huge blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder created by all solid-walled commercial vans.

The steering is nicely weighted with a mild self-centre effect that ensures it tracks nice and straight over road surface irregularities.

Its unladen handling is stable and sure-footed, with a disciplined ride quality that’s supple enough to soak up the bumps without the lightly-loaded rear suspension bouncing around as you might expect in an empty one-tonner.

Engine response is energetic, as the eight-speed auto does a good job of keeping the turbo-diesel operating within its 1500-2500rpm maximum torque band most of the time. And it requires less than 2000rpm to maintain highway speeds.

Of the four drive modes available, we found ‘Sport’ the most engaging and enjoyable to use, with the instrument panel changing to a red colour and revised shift calibrations providing sharper engine response. This sporty effect is enhanced when using the sequential manual-shift function.

To test its payload rating, we used a forklift to load 650kg into the cargo bay through the side doors, which were just wide enough to allow this.

Combined with our crew of two, this was a total payload of 850kg (about 200kg under its limit). The rear suspension only compressed about 10mm, so there was no chance of its bottoming-out on our test route.

It felt even more planted on the road hauling this payload and coped well with our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60-km/h in ‘Normal’ drive mode, self-shifting down to fourth gear to easily haul this load to the summit.

However, when testing engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, road speed was approaching the 60km/h limit when the transmission overrode our manual selection and shifted up to third gear when the engine reached 3750rpm.

These engine-protecting shift calibrations are common in light commercial vans, which is great for mechanical longevity but not much use when you’re leaning on the engine to assist with braking on steep descents. Fortunately, the four-wheel disc brakes easily coped with the increased workload.

We should also mention the internal noise levels when travelling at highway speeds, given the lack of a solid bulkhead between cabin and cargo bay. Tyre roar emanating from the rear-wheel housings, not helped by the unlined upper walls and roof, can become intolerable over long distances. Fortunately, Hyundai offers a solution with a solid bulkhead ($1825.63) in its genuine accessory range.

The Staria boasts a maximum five-star ANCAP rating achieved in 2021 (expires 2027). It comes with seven airbags and comprehensive ‘SmartSense’ active safety and driver assistance technologies.

MY25 safety upgrade includes replacement of 'Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance Assist' (BCA) with 'Blind-Spot Collision Warning' (BCW) across the range. BCW monitors for vehicles in the blind-spot areas to give the driver audible and visual warnings as required.

The Sorento is backed by Kia’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which keeps the Sorento competitive in a market that is slowly starting to offer seven/year plus terms as standard.

You’ll also benefit from capped-price servicing for up to seven years or 70,000km, with an average cost of $764 per visit. That’s on the pricier side, especially when compared to some rivals.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first, so if you’re someone who racks up the kilometres quickly, that could mean more frequent trips to the service centre than you’d like.

It’s also worth noting that the GT-Line PHEV requires a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, which is something to factor into your ongoing running costs, particularly if you're already trying to offset fuel usage with regular charging.

Hyundai covers the Staria with a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing for the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km totals $2375 or an average of $475 per year.