The role of the family vehicle is not an easy one to fulfill. It has a lot of requirements to meet, from being able to handle the daily grind through heavy traffic, having the size and space to bring the whole family along, returning a comfortable ride whether on city streets or rural roads, capable of good fuel efficiency, and most of all, packed with all the amenities to keep all members of the family occupied even on a long drive. It's easy to find a vehicle that can meet two or three of these criteria. However, once you find one that easily meets all, you’ve got yourself a gem.

One such gem is the new Kia Sorento Turbo Hybrid. Unveiled earlier this year, its new features make it even more appealing to discerning buyers looking for a do-it-all family car.

Think you already know the Sorento? Perhaps it’s time to reacquainted with the truly game-changing 2025 model.

The Sorento is now a proper mid-size SUV, boasting of room for up to seven passenger (thanks to two new folding third row seats). It makes an art of its own arrival thanks to stacked 4-Cube LED headlight design, signature Star Map daytime running light pattern, and large 19-inch alloy wheels as standard. Its new look is both subtly masculine and also sophisticated.

The new Sorento Turbo Hybrid also has the muscle to back its capable looks. Under this hood is a new 1.6L turbocharged GDi four-cylinder engine. It is assisted by an electric motor and a 1.49 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This gives the Sorento HEV a total system output of 235-PS and 367-Nm of torque when in hybrid mode. Power is then transferred to a 6-speed Smartstream automatic gearbox. This can further be customized with Eco, Sport, and Smart drive modes to tailor the power delivery. It’s available in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

This new system allows the Sorento Turbo Hybrid to automatically select between engine power, electric power, or a combination of both to move the vehicle. This results power coming when it’s needed, while electric propulsion kicks for more efficient and quiet operation. This results in an average of 18-19-km/L depending on the variant.

The inside is just as appealing to the eyes as it is to the senses. Passengers will be delighted by the light tone of the interior, paired with supple leather seats. Dual-zone climate control ensures passengers can set the temperature to their own desired level.

Techies will be especially delighted by its interior. The front dashboard boasts of a wide high-definition digital display. It’s composed of two 12.3-inch screens that serve as the vehicle's instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment. In-car entertainment supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. High quality audio is delivered through a 10-speaker Bose sound system. Even if you don’t have your own tunes, the car has built-in audio ambiance tracks to help set the mood.

The Sorento’s cabin features multiple USB ports all around the cabin with which to charge devices. There’s also a wireless charging pad for compatible phones. Passengers on the second row can adjust the front passenger seat to give themselves more leg or knee room. At night, its clever design is made even more evident. LED ambient gives the cabin a subtle glow. The panoramic sunroof can be opened up to show the stars above.

When loading cargo, the Sorento is also quite versatile. The second row has a 60:40 split folding function with switches in the cargo area to fold the seats remotely. The third row seats fold with a 50;50 split ratio. This allows both long or wide cargo to be easily loaded while still offering a number of seats for passengers. With both the second and third-row seats folded, up to 2,139 liters worth of cargo can be opened up.

Opt for the Sorento Turbo Hybrid All-wheel drive and its capabilities are expanded further. Its clever system comes with real-time torque distribution that senses where traction is needed and delivers power there immediately. It also comes with various terrain modes which include; Snow, Mud, and Sand for even more specialized traction delivery.

When it comes to safety, the Sorento also delivers with its DriveWise safety suite. This is a collection of advanced driver assistance systems that help in various situations. There’s Smart Cruise Control with stop-and-go, that can keep a set speed, but also maintain a safe distance if the car ahead slows down all the way to a crawl or stop. Blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist make staying in lane on the highway even easier. Forward collision avoidance assist, parking collision avoidance assist, rear blind-spot avoidance assist always scan for obstacles or passing vehicles and can warn or even apply the brakes to prevent an accident. Downhill brake control and hill-start assist prevent the car from speeding downhill or rolling backwards on steep slopes. Finally, the 360-degree camera system gives the driver an even better view all around the vehicle for easy parking.

Besides this impressive list, the Sorento also comes with the standard set of ABS, traction control, and multiple airbags.

This may all sound quite daunting, but the best part of the Sorento Turbo Hybrid is how incredibly easy it is to drive. It offers a commanding driving position, a customizable instrument cluster view, and numerous automated systems. Many of the advanced driver assistance systems are on by default, sounding a gentle chime if the driver veers over his lane or is at risk of colliding with the car ahead. Flick on the turn the signal and a view of your blind spot shows on the instrument cluster. Put it into reverse and the view behind shows on the center screen.

Managing the potent power is just as easy. It starts with the Eco drive mode by default, with Sport offering more power, and Smart being the perfect balance between the two. The hybrid system is just as intuitive. Simply drive it like any vehicle and the vehicle takes care of the rest, seamlessly switching between gasoline and electric power to return the best efficiency and the quietest drive no matter the situation.

Finally, owning the car is made worry-free thanks to its easy once-a-year preventive maintenance service and lengthy 5-year/160,000 km warranty. The hybrid battery itself has a warranty that is good for 8 years. In addition, because it’s a hybrid, all variants of the Sorento are coding exempted.

With perks like these, it’s no surprise the Sorento is billed as the family adventure vehicle. It has the size and capability to take on any road, the efficiency to make even the farthest journeys worthwhile, and the technology to make the drive both convenient and memorable.

The Sorento Turbo Hybrid is now available at your nearest Kia dealer in three variants: the 1.6 EX Turbo Hybrid AT 4x2 (P2,188,000); 1.6 EX+ Turbo Hybrid 4x2 (P2,588,000); and 1.6 SX Turbo Hybrid AWD (P2,888,000).