The 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid will start at $46,165 when it arrives at dealerships within the next few months, according to CarsDirect.
That base price, which includes a mandatory $1,175 destination charge, is about $5,000 more than a comparable gasoline Sorento, the website said. However, available incentives could close that pricing gap.
The pricing gap is also partially due to the fact that the base Sorento Plug-In Hybrid SX trim level gets standard all-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive is an optional extra on the gasoline Sorento SX.
2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid
Kia also expects the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid to qualify for a $6,587 federal tax credit, while California residents should be able to get a $1,317 Clean Fuel Reward and $2,000 Clean Vehicle Rebate. That's $9,904 in potential savings, according to CarsDirect.
That's also before the savings from improved fuel economy. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid gets an EPA-rated 32 miles of electric range with a 79 MPGe efficiency rating, as well as 34 mpg combined in hybrid mode. Those figures are slightly better than the related Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid, although the Hyundai has a lower base price.
They also put the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid ahead of other similarly-sized plug-in hybrid SUVs (admittedly a small niche), but we'll have to see how the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe compares when it arrives next year.
2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid
Keep in mind that Kia also offers a Sorento Hybrid, without the plug. It starts at $35,165 for 2022 (including destination) and, while it was initially front-wheel drive only, it gets all-wheel drive for the new model year.
Kia is also ramping up launches of all-electric models. The EV6, which has been confirmed for all 50 states, and at least two other EV models are expected before 2025.
