Kia Sorento vs Nissan X-TRAIL

What's the difference?

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 Nissan X-Trail ST-L 7 Seat is easy to drive, has some great features and fit my family of three just fine. The on-road handling is solid and there’s enough power under the bonnet for longer road trips. On a car this size, I’m not sure those extra two seats are worth losing the boot space but if you occasionally need to ferry your kid's friend to a game or something, it will be worthwhile. There are a few little things that aren’t quite up to a standard I like to see but overall, we like this one and it gets a 7.5/10 from us.

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?'

There was something robustly charming about the previous X-Trail shape and while the overall size has been maintained, most of the squared edges have been softened in the new model.

It makes it appear far more modern and it should maintain its kerbside appeal for years to come.

There’s quite a lot of chrome on the grille, making it look enormous. However, the black plastic moulding that wraps the car at its base helps it look sportier than it has the right to look. As does the dark privacy glass at the rear.

The interior hosts soft touchpoints, synthetic leather trims and wood-like grey panelling to create an upmarket finish.

I'm not a massive fan of the brown/black two-toned trim on the dashboard and doors; it just doesn't land with me.

But it does create a bit of interest for the cabin space.

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.

For my little family’s needs this week, I found it to be fairly practical most of the time. The front and middle rows have loads of space and even taller passengers will find comfort with the legroom and headroom in both!

The third row should be considered as ’sometimes’ seats for kids because the legroom is very tight. Besides two cupholders, there are also no amenities back there. Adults will curse you if they get stuck back there for long.

The front row enjoys the most storage options with a deep middle console, a phone/utility tray and glove box. There are also large storage bins in each door and two deep cupholders. The sunglasses holder in the roof is a bonus, too!

The middle row gets a couple of map pockets, drink bottle holders in each door and a couple of cupholders in the fold-down middle seat, which doubles as an armrest. The practical, easy-to-clean trim on the back of the front seats is great, too.

The charging options are good for the first two rows, with each one getting an USB-A and USB-C port, while the front also gets a 12-volt socket.

It is easy enough to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay and the 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive.

I found the digital radio cuts in and out every few seconds, which makes that feature a bit useless. There’s no satellite navigation but with your smart phone attached, it’s easily forgotten.

My six-year old had no trouble getting in and out of the car and really enjoyed the tall seating position. He also liked having directional air vents and a reading light on our little road trip this week.

The boot is 465L and that puts it on the smaller side compared to its rivals, with only the CX-5 being smaller. I like the level load space and retractable cargo blind, but after my big grocery shop the boot was full.

You’d have to get strategic with gear loading on a full-scale road trip.

This has a temporary spare tyre but to access it, you have to remove the third row (after sliding the second row forward) and that would be an pain to access if you had a full car load of gear and child seats.

Being a lower grade this doesn’t have a powered tailgate and I did miss it this week because the boot is heavy to close.  

Our model is the part-time four-wheel drive ST-L with seven seats and it is $46,290, before on-road costs.

That makes it more expensive compared to its key rivals with the Mazda CX-5 AWD Touring costing $43,700 and Kia Sportage SX+ Petrol DCT AWD at $43,850. Only the Toyota RAV4 Edge tops it with a $53,020 price tag.

However, for a model that sits second from the bottom in its own line-up, it’s well-specified.

There are eight paintwork colours to choose from and none of them cost extra. This grade also enjoys an upmarket interior with two-toned synthetic leather trims, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus those two extra seats.

The driver also enjoys four-way electric lumbar support and electric seat adjustments. The exterior isn’t forgotten with 18-inch alloy wheels, full LED lights, electric folding side mirrors and an auto dimming rear view mirror.

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.

Excluding the ePower hybrid, the X-Trail shares the same 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine across its models. It has max outputs of 135kW and 244Nm, which means it’s not super powerful but it doesn’t really whine at you, either.

I’m not a massive fan of continuously variable transmissions and this one can get a little jerky when you put your foot down. It's smooth otherwise.

The part-time 4WD drivetrain is an interesting feature for this size SUV but I didn’t test its capabilities this week. You can choose between five modes - 'Auto', 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Snow' and 'Off-Road' but I kept it in Auto.

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.

The official combined cycle fuel figure is 7.8L/100km and real-world testing saw my average at 8.1L. That’s pretty good for an SUV of this size and it was after a lot of open road and urban driving (think school and grocery runs).

The X-Trail has a 55L fuel tank and based on the official combined figure, you should be able to get around 705km of driving range. Perfectly respectable for the odd road trip or family vacay.

Nissan recommends a minimum of 91 RON petrol and adds that it is E10 suitable.

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 X-Trail ST-L delivered a solid performance in all the situations I put it in this week.

I was just as happy tackling the open-road as I was in stop-start traffic in the city.

It has enough power to get up to speed quickly and keep you there but you don’t feel like you have heaps left in reserve. The engine can sook a little when you get too aggressive with the accelerator but otherwise works without complaint.

The ride comfort is great! I took my dad on a road trip this week and he was singing its praises as a passenger. As a driver, I like how cushioned the suspension feels but it’s not at all floaty on the road.

The cabin space is very quiet, even at higher speeds. However, I wasn’t super impressed with the sound system and reckon it could be better.

Despite, looking like a big car, it doesn’t park like one. It’s actually stupidly easy to park and that’s a winning feature for me. Especially with the crisp 360-degree view camera, too. 

The X-Trail has been fitted with a good list of safety features, with the following being standard: LED daytime running lights, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree view reversing camera, dynamic parking guidelines, front and rear parking sensors, rear occupant alert, intelligent seatbelt monitoring and a driver fatigue monitoring system.

It also features adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist; meaning, so long as you have your hands on the wheel, the car essentially steers itself. It's great to minimise fatigue on longer journeys.

It has AEB and forward collision warning with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 10-80km/h (5.0-130km/h for car detection). It is usual to see it operational from 5.0km/h, though. 

The X-Trail was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2021 but it is based on its stablemate, the Qashqai. I think it’s worth mentioning that ANCAP’s individual assessment scores were all fairly high (hitting the 90 per cent range for all but one) which is great to see on a family car.

It only has seven airbags but that includes a front centre airbag and curtain airbags covering all three rows. 

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats in the middle row, along with three top-tethers. You could get lucky in fitting three seats side by side but two will fit best. There's just enough room when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

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.

The X-Trail comes with the market standard five-year/unlimited km warranty term and you can pre-purchase three-, four- or five-year capped-price servicing plans. 

On the five-year pre-paid plan, services average $425 annually which is great for this class.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, which could get a little annoying if you put a lot of kays on your car every year.