Compare the2023 Kia SorentoVS 2023 Volvo XC60

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sorento are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The XC60 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Sorento and the XC60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sorento its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 125 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XC60 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

The Sorento comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The XC60’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the XC60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sorento’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 100 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 33rd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 111 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 30th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 3 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sorento 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the XC60 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento 2.5T AWD gets better fuel mileage than the XC60 B6 running its gasoline engine (22 city/27 hwy vs. 21 city/27 hwy).

Both the Sorento and the XC60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Sorento’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The XC60 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XC60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The XC60 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sorento stops much shorter than the XC60:

The front and rear suspension of the Sorento uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the XC60 Recharge Core pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XC60 B5 Core AWD (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 600 pounds less than the Volvo XC60.

The Sorento has standard seating for 7 passengers; the XC60 can only carry 5.

The Sorento has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC60 (105.3 vs. 103).

The Sorento has 2.3 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC60.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sorento’s middle row seats recline. The XC60’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Sorento’s cargo area provides more volume than the XC60.

The Sorento’s cargo area is larger than the XC60’s in every dimension:

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento’s optional second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The XC60 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the Sorento, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the XC60.

The Sorento Prestige’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The XC60 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sorento’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XC60’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Sorento has standard extendable sun visors. The XC60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sorento to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XC60 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Sorento Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XC60 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Volvo XC60 by over two to one during the 2022 model year.