Plug-in hybrids are currently very attractive, both for manufacturers looking to reduce average CO2 figures across their fleets and company buyers able to save a packet on monthly Benefit In Kind tax costs. In theory private owners also stand to benefit, especially for those with the facility to plug in at home and do their regular journeys on electric power without using a drop of petrol. That doesn’t always stand scrutiny in the real world, where plug-ins often prove no more efficient than non-hybrid models once the battery has been exhausted, especially on longer journeys. Credit to Kia – the system in the Sorento seems smarter than most at balancing the mix between electric and petrol engine power to make the most of efficiency gains over longer journeys too. Pricing is also keen, though the comparison you’ll really want to keep an eye on is that with the closely related Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid. The Kia is a fraction cheaper but not by enough to make it a deal breaker, while the Sorento PHEV costs about £5,000 more like-for-like when compared with the non-PHEV version. Whether you make that money back will depend heavily on the kind of driving you do.

Click here for our review of the regular Sorento.