| Pros | Cons |
| ✓ Distinctive styling | ☓ Can we lose the DCT, please? |
| ✓ Potent turbocharged engine | ☓ X-Pro only in the top-spec $48K trim |
| ✓ Well-equipped interior | |
| ✓ Comfortable, compliant ride |
2025 Kia Sorento X-Pro SX Prestige Overview: There’s a lot to like
You can’t take five steps onto a dealer lot anymore without seeing some kind of ruggedized family hauler sitting there. That’s now true for Kia among so many others these days, thanks to the new X-Pro versions of the Sportage, this larger Sorento and the largest Telluride. The Sorento, for its part, received a mid-cycle refresh for 2024, including a new look, updated tech and the off-road, get-out-there-and-do-it X-Pro trim. But should you actually shell out nearly $50,000 (technically over, if you include taxes) to pick one up for your family? That’s what we aimed to find out in the time we had this latest version at our office.
If you’re shopping across the whole 2025 Kia Sorento lineup, you’ll want to know a few things for the 2025 model year. The gas models like this X-Pro carry over without any changes. The Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid — neither of which sport the X-Pro trim as an option — adopt the same exterior look and interior updates as last year’s gas trims. Pricing starts at $33,435 for the base Sorento LX, while getting this X-Pro SX Prestige, which comes with a standard turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, tops out the range at $48,835.
With the Glacial White Pearl paint, Olive Brown leather and a few choice accessories, our 2025 Kia Sorento X-Pro SX Prestige just tipped the $50K mark, with an asking price of $50,140 including a $1,415 destination fee.
Depending on where you’re shopping in the range, you have one of four powertrain options available. A naturally aspirated 2.5-liter comes standard, with or without all-wheel drive, while the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine we have here is a more potent gas-only option. If you go that route, you’ll get 281 horsepower and a hearty 311 lb-ft of torque, mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (more on that in a moment). Two hybrids are also available, with the plug-in hybrid offering up to 32 miles of all-electric range.
What makes an ‘X-Pro’, and how does it perform?
While the Sorento Hybrid offers up a combined 227 horsepower and the PHEV manages 261, the 2.5 turbo is still the mightiest of the current lineup. To create the X-Pro, Kia raised the ground clearance up to a more reasonable 8.2 inches (as it also does on the X-Line), and dropped the SX Prestige’s 20-inch wheels for what is, again, a more reasonable set of 17-inch alloys. Around those wheels, we get a set of BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A tires, which Jen discovered in her video review doesn’t impact on-road fuel economy as much as you think (it still managed over 28 mpg in her range test).
The X-Pro also gets another 1,000 pounds of towing capacity over other trims, thanks to a larger radiator. You will still need to get a tow hitch that Kia prices at $625, if you go the OEM route, but it may be worth it if you’re looking for a one-size-fits-all solution to your needs, and need something that can haul up to 4,500 pounds without going for an even larger SUV.
All around, the 2025 Kia Sorento X-Pro makes a strong case for itself, with the meatier tires, a comfortable ride — seriously, you don’t need huge wheels — and a good spread of drive modes to change up the driving experience to suit your needs. In addition to the Normal mode, you also get Eco to deaden the throttle and help with economy, Sport to sharpen things up, Smart (a balance between the two that reacts to your driving behavior), and Snow mode, which softens up throttle response and helps with traction in slippery conditions when used with the center differential lock to split torque 50-50 front to rear.
Helpfully, it’s worth noting that most all-wheel drive Sorentos get the center diff lock, with the only exception being the lower-end S trim. Hill descent control (or Downhill Brake Control, as Kia calls it) also comes standard across the entire range, so apart from the tires and lift, you’re not losing that much dirt or snow capability versus going all-in on the X-Pro. You still don’t get any more undercarriage protection, nor do you a get a limited-slip rear differential to help shuffle power from side-to-side: only brake-based torque vectoring.
So…what’s the issue?
As I immersed myself in the updated Kia Sorento experience and came to terms with the top-end SX Prestige X-Pro, I found the brand’s long-running SUV is every bit as good as competition like the Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-90, among others. There’s just one thing holding me back from a recommendation…the dual-clutch transmission.
Point-blank, I’m not a fan. I get the intent — Kia’s DCT aims to make the most of that turbocharged power with near-instantaneous shifts that are far snappier than your conventional “slushbox” automatic. The thing is that you only really get that experience if you’re driving the Sorento (or any other DCT, for that matter) flat-out. That’s where it shines, but you almost never get those opportunities in the real world, driving what is still a family SUV.
Kia and Hyundai’s 8-speed DCT hasn’t been without its issues in this generation, either. Back in 2022, both companies recalled tens of thousands of vehicles for problems related to oil pump malfunctions, including more than 65,000 Sorentos. That issue doesn’t seem to be prevalent on newer examples, but even from an experiential standpoint, the DCT’s jerkiness driving at slow speeds and while reversing made me wish I had a torque converter automatic like you get with the nonturbo models.
Hyundai recently decided to drop the 8-speed DCT from the midsize Santa Fe. And honestly, Kia needs to follow suit, in my opinion. You may lose a little bit in the 0-60 mph sprint, but if you’re buying a car like this, does it really matter, or do you want a smooth everyday driving experience? In my week with the Sorento X-Pro, this is the one thing that turned an otherwise pleasant experience into a mildly aggravating one. But hey, at least you still get a physical gear lever, so that’s a plus, at least.
The interior is well thought out, with nice styling touches and materials.
I’m not kidding when I say the transmission on the turbo models is my only major complaint. The Sorento’s interior is a nice place to be, particularly when you do get up into the SX Prestige trims, including the X-Pro. Kia didn’t change much apart from the infotainment screens and dashboard layout in 2024, but it also didn’t have to.
From the dual 12.3-inch screens (lower trims get a 4.3-inch display in front of the driver) to the switch layout, materials and standard third row, the 2025 Kia Sorento largely brings its A-game against its rivals. The only area it loses out a bit is cargo space: With just 12.6 cubic feet behind the third row and 75.5 cubic feet with second and third rows folded, it’s not quite as cavernous as, say, a Toyota Highlander. It’s still perfectly usable, though actually folding the seats down is a manual process on both rows.
On the feature side, the SX Prestige and X-Pro naturally come fully loaded with goodies. Heated and ventilated seats with memory functions? Check. Panoramic sunroof? Yep. You also get a heated steering wheel, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, a 115-volt power inverter in addition to the standard 12-volt outlet and USB ports, and you get the extra Snow drive mode. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, for what it’s worth to you, comes standard across the whole Sorento lineup. A wireless smartphone charger comes on all trims except the base LX.
Verdict: I heartily recommend the Sorento, but I’d go a different route than the X-Pro
There’s a lot to like about the latest Kia Sorento. The way it looks, the way it rides and the feel of solid build quality are all high points, and that’s true pretty much anywhere you shop across the wide range of trims and powertrains.
At just over $50,000 as it’s priced here, though, the Sorento is in high-end Telluride territory. So, you have a decision to make on whether you want more features or more space, and that’s more or less how Kia intends to position its two largest SUVs. Is the X-Pro worth the money? Unless you just have to have the best of everything and could use the factory-equipped tire package and extra ground clearance, it may be worth shopping some of the more affordable trims. You could also sort the wheel-and-tire issue yourself and possibly save some money, depending on what your priorities are.
For the money and all-around capability, I’d lean toward the Sorento Hybrid rather than the SX Prestige X-Pro. Not only does that get around my DCT gripes, but it also still brings a decent amount of power with up to 34 mpg if you stick with all-wheel drive. If you want a more “driver-focused” Sorento, then the turbo’s power is hard to pass up, but try to take a long test drive of one to come to gripes with that transmission and see how it feels for you.
For a more thorough TFL take, check out Jen’s insights on the Sorento below:
