Kia has raised the base price of the updated 2024 Sorento to $33,365. That’s 1600 dollars more than the model for 2023. Only the Sorento that runs on gas will get better in 2024. Some changes will be made to PHEVs and gas-electric hybrids in 2025. To pay for the makeover, Kia is adding $1600 to the base price of the 2024 Sorento. This is because plastic surgery is pricey. The most expensive trim level is the new X-Pro off-road, which costs $48,765. The base level LX costs $33,365. What comes with the update for the Sorento? Yes, it’s a much classier mug with a better pattern on the inside and some new touches, at least for machines that run on gas. Sorento gasoline-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars will look the same in 2024 as they did the year before. But starting in 2025, those cars will have new, ugly looks. The MSRP for the soon-to-be-updated hybrid versions has yet to be discovered. Our long-term review of a 2022 Kia Sorento SX shows that this is basically the same Sorento we’ve come to love and hate. The newest version of the Sorento seems to have a lot to offer: A smooth ride Fun driving An ergonomic cabin made of high-quality materials A flexible cargo area Comfortable seats for the first two rows What could be wrong with that? Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that is annoying. It works with the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 281 horsepower. Kia got rid of the dual-clutch transmission in the rebuilt Seltos and put in a standard eight-speed automatic with planetary gears and a torque converter. But they need to do that with the Sorento. The Sorento EX ($39,365 and up) comes with this powertrain mix as standard. We’ve learned through a lot of experience that the dual-clutch transmission works well with certain vehicles. The stars tend to move around, which is bad because our Sorento needed a new transmission about halfway through its stay. The Sorento comes with a standard 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four engine paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. This engine makes 191 horsepower, but it’s not enough to push this three-row SUV at higher speeds. It only comes with the base LX and the $35,765 S, which are the two lowest trim choices. People who are ready to take a chance on the turbocharged 2024 Sorento (a risk that may be worth it because Kia has a long warranty) or put up with the lazy naturally aspirated 2.5-liter will definitely like Kia’s changes to the Sorento.
