KIA SORENTO 1.6 T-GDI PLUG-IN HYBRID 4

Price £54,695 Kerbweight 2099kg Towing limit 1500kg

What’s new?

We’ve driven the Sorento before in hybrid and diesel forms, but this is our first chance to drive the plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

If you tow a caravan with your company car, favourable tax rates mean the PHEV is likely to be your first choice. For private buyers, it could still make sense if most of your trips are short and can be completed on electric power alone.

The downside here is that, despite being heavier than the diesel Sorento, the PHEV has a legal towing limit of 1500kg, a whole tonne less than the diesel’s.

What are we looking for?

As a car to tow with and to live with every day, how does the PHEV compare with the regular hybrid and the diesel?

Towing ability

We’ve already touched on the disadvantage of the PHEV – the reduced towing limit. This means that some large luxury caravans are off limits. However, a reasonable range of other tourers remains suitable.

For our test, we matched the Sorento to a Swift