The Kia Sorento is often overshadowed by its popular sibling, the Kia Telluride. The Telluride has become a midsize SUV icon. The Sorento may share a segment with the Telluride, but it isn’t as popular. The Sorento Hybrid provides great value for the money. Here’s the only reason you should choose a Kia Sorento Hybrid SUV over the popular Kia Telluride.

The Kia Sorento Hybrid succeeds in one Telluride problem area

Why would anyone choose the Kia Sorento Hybrid over the Kia Telluride? Why make the comparison in the first place?

The Kia Sorento Hybrid is within the same price range as the Kia Telluride, so many consumers could be struggling to choose between the two midsize SUV models. The 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid starts at $34,090. The 2022 Kia Telluride starts at $33,390. The price difference between the two midsize SUVs is just $700.

There are plenty of differences between the two South Korean midsize SUVs, but the main difference in terms of performance is gas mileage. The Telluride’s fuel economy is below average. The Sorento Hybrid’s fuel economy is excellent for its size.

The 2022 Kia Telluride achieves 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway. The 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid gets 39 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway. The Sorento hybrid gets 14 more miles per gallon combined than the Telluride. The Telluride has an 18.8-gallon tank and a total driving range of about 432 miles. The Sorento Hybrid has a 17.7-gallon tank and a total driving range of about 654 miles. That’s a driving range difference of 222 miles on a full tank.

The Kia Sorento Hybrid is a great midsize SUV for the money

The Kia Sorento Hybrid has a lot more going for it than just stellar fuel economy. It makes 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.

The Sorento Hybrid comes standard with a leather steering wheel, remote keyless entry, and an engine immobilizer. It also comes standard with push-button start, roof rack rails, and a driver monitoring alert.

The 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid includes plenty of great standard driver assistance and safety features that make it worth the money like a lane-following assist system, tire-specific low tire pressure indicator, and forward collision-avoidance assist for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Kia Telluride is still king of the hill

The 2022 Kia Telluride is still outselling the Sorento, and it’s definitely outselling the Sorento Hybrid. The Kia Sorento Hybrid may be a great deal for the money for small families, but millions of Americans are just not ready to go hybrid.

The Telluride had a history of excellence since it debuted. It is clinging on to the top midsize SUV position, and few competitors seem like they could actually dethrone the midsize model. The Telluride remains king of the hill because it’s affordable, well-equipped, and has a roomy cargo area. Car and Driver features the 2022 Kia Telluride on its 10 Best list and gave the midsize SUV an Editor’s Choice award.

Read about how the Kia Telluride compares to the upcoming Kia EV9 in the next article below.