The payback period regardless will likely be yrs rather than months. Even charging it will cost money if you are charging from the grid. If you have a solar system capable enough for a fast charger then that will almost be no cost at all . For $82k D/A or $17K more than the diesel & the fact its also substantially heavier at 2T, that money could provide 4-5 yrs of fuel for the oiler. I've tested the diesel over a 300km Loop & got it down to 5.7l/100km . So I'd think long term , unless you really need a PHEV at $82k the diesel is by far the best choice.
All absolutely right. But it’s a combination of the reduced running costs / interest in lowering one’s own CO2. Most people don’t really care about the latter so the standard petrol or diesel will suit. That said, most people also finance their car. The difference between the diesel and the hybrid works out to about $70 per week. It all adds up, but if you had a solar power setup and recharged your car nightly, you could avoid a significant proportion of that cost difference in refuelling for an urban commute with this sort of electric range.
@@robertduklus6555 you have a good point, but lots people may already have solar and battery pack at home. I don’t use grid power and on the contrary, I sell power back to the grid. So my cost of running an EV is pretty low.
@@robertduklus6555 good points! However, we also have populist governments that react to market forces and want to keep the voting public happy. That means that despite the massive intertia against EVs in Australia, if enough people buy them they will probably signal a shift in policy at a national and state level, which will have a much larger environmental impact. Will your one car change anything? No. Will hundreds of thousands tell them the mood in the country has changed? Yes.
For some people, running costs are not the most important consideration when purchasing PHEVs, some of us buy them because we want a car that produces half the emissions of a diesel or petrol, but still require a good touring range.
It’s really a great SUV, great review as always Tom and the team. But I doubt how many people will buy a KIA of over $80k, no offence to KIA and Hyundai. They have improved so much in the last decade. Some products are definitely top notch. Look at Genesis, everyone loves it, but only a handful people actually buy it.
@@chasingcars Good to hear and well overdue. Toyota have steadfastly refused to bring the Prius Prime PHEV and the Rav4 Prime PHEV to Aus for the last 9 years, let's hope some others step up to the plate.
Excellent review, It'´s amazing this globalized world, I'm from Spain watching someone reviewing a car in Australia, truly convincing me that is the perfect car for my family and I. Thank you so much for breaking down the insides of the kia Sorento PHEV like no other. Great job!!!
Very interesting review of this Sorento PHEV, Tom & team - thanks. Diesel Sorento GT-Line now looking more firm for my needs. Would you please share where that gorgeous rolling country-side location is?
Good review, especially the bit where you qualify the benefits of PHEV (i.e. beneficial if owner drives a lot in city) in comparison to diesel version. The high PHEV option cost creates a long payback from fuel savings so it makes sense only for certain people.
Great review Tom, keep them coming. I have two questions pls: We live in Melbourne and drive predominantly around the city, 40km each day (home to work and return). And drive 4-6 hrs to visit family in the countryside each quarter on avg (pre covid-19 lockdown). We also have a garage to charge the PHEV if we get it. 1. About how long would you say it would take to recoup the extra cost of buying the PHEV over the diesel? 2. Did KIA install third row air bags? This is a big factor for me as I have two little children and generally drive around their friends who would go in the back. This omission in the diesel is reason why I wasn't interested in the Sorrento even though everything else ticked the boxes. Thanks in advance 😊
I wonder if the service intervals are based on kms where the engine was running, or just total kms. Tesla doesn't require any servicing for the EV only cars. Seems rough if you need servicing if the engine has beenb off most of the time.
Series parallel hybrid Sorrento is now arriving before Christmas! www.chasingcars.com.au/news/future-cars/kia-sorento-hybrid-2022-australian-release-for-kluger-rivalling-self-charging-hybrid-before-christmas/
@@chasingcars That's great. The HEV being much cheaper is the biggest bang for the buck considering it still cost a fair bit to charge up the PHEV. The constant plugging in and out can get tedious for lazy folks.
I’m about to upgrade from my Kia Sorrento diesel 2016 to another Sorrento, do you reckon it’s better to go for this plug in over the diesel version? My driving is mostly highway round trips from Sydney to Wollongong
6.6L/100 from the 4 cyl alone is pretty impressive in a car this size. Sounds like it would be perfect for certain buyers, even if the diesel is still a viable option for others. Tom, can the system do any useful recharging of the battery (say, beyond maintaining the 12-15% you mentioned), or is it pretty limited until you plug it in again?
A little late after a year. But the answer is yes. We drive a Sorento PHEV here in Germany for 1 and 1/2 year now/35.000km and are totally satisfied. Fantastic, luxurious car at a reasonable price (63.000€ for the premium "Platinum" edition here in Germany). 7 years guarantee. No complaints at all. You are educated to drive smoothly, just to keep the ICE off. Driving full electric is just nice. In "Sport"-mode the battery will be charged by the ICE. But that only makes sense, if your battery is empty and you want to drive fully electric near your destination. Costs gasoline of course. "HEV"-mode in contrast maintains your battery at the current level (+/-). It should be called "Hold"-mode, to make that clear. On longer trips we drive in EV mode until we reach the highway, switch to HEV then and switch again to EV, before we reach our destination. Works perfect.
Can't believe they only have 65kW a electric motor. My Outlander PHEV has a 60kW at the front AND a 70kW at the rear, all for $ 47k new. Same size battery too. I fear around the suburbs in EV mode only. That Sorrento will have the petrol kicking in at every intersection. Get the new 7 seater outlander PHEV in June. 85km range and 160kW Electric.
Here in Europe there are plans to allow only cars with no local emission into some cities/city centres, so a phev does/will make a lot of sense. Is that something like that discussed in Australia?
HAHAHAHA. This is great. Aussie are currently doing the OPPOSITE of what is needed for the environment. Actually makes sense with such a high percent of GDP from 'resource extraction'. Guess who has the lobbying power. No, I would think that EVs of any kind will be charged a TAX to enter cities because they are not paying for the road maintenance through fuel taxes. Smokie old diesels/petrols that do 6-20MPG will get to enter for free, or even paid an entry fee for the wonderful service they are providing for the economy. /s
Not yet, but you could imagine it in Sydney and Melbourne at some point. The state of NSW is introducing a significant amount of EV purchase incentives but these don’t apply to PHEVs.
Was considering this but the servicing is ridiculous. Why when the first 60 kms a day you aren't using the petrol motor does it have 10,000 km service intervals. With an average service cost of $700 for the first 7 services. Should be at least 15,000 km intervals.
In Germany/Europe you have a 15.000km (or 1 year) interval for the service of a Sorento PHEV. Maybe because of better streets/fuel/mild weather conditions? We payed 230€ for the first service (=oil change) and 450€ for the second (=30.000km). Frequent oil changes are recommended, BECAUSE the ICE does not run very often.
Hi I have a question here pls. Though I know that there is no point buying it if I can’t charge it but If am unable to charge my PHEV for couple of days, can it run like an hybrid and possibly self charge and safe me few $ on fuel? Thanks
Yes, that's how it works. The battery never fully drains; it uses some engine power to retain about a 15% state of charge along with regenerative braking. We found the Sorento PHEV used 6.6-7.5L/100km in our real-world testing with zero EV range.
Is that mild hybrids are selling in the Sorrento range are they a good option vs the diesel and the phev? Are they good drives compared to the diesel especially?
@@chasingcars Agreed. But coming to a state near you soon. NSW says by 2027 I believe, but they will bring it forward, especially with the new "economy first" Premier.
