Compare the2023 Nissan AriyaVS 2024 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Ariya have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Nissan Ariya has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Ariya Platinum+ has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Ariya and the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ariya its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

The Ariya’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid runs out after 100,000 miles.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Ariya for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Nissan will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

There are over 38 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Ariya’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ariya’s reliability 12 points higher than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

The Ariya’s optional electric motors produces 74 more horsepower (335 vs. 261) and 155 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 258) than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Ariya Engage+/Evolve+/Platinum+’s standard electric motors produces 128 more horsepower (389 vs. 261) and 184 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 258) than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Ariya gets better mileage than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the Ariya gets better mileage than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine:

The Ariya can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 205 to 304 miles. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 32 miles.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Ariya higher (10 out of 10) than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (7). This means the Ariya produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Ariya’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:

For better traction, the Ariya Platinum+’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (255/45R20 vs. 235/55R19).

The Ariya Platinum+’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ariya Platinum+ offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Ariya has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Ariya’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

The Ariya is 6.5 inches shorter than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, making the Ariya easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Ariya Platinum+ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Ariya has .9 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room and .4 inches more rear headroom than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

The Ariya has a much larger cargo volume than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid with its rear seat up (22.8 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Ariya easier. The Ariya’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.6 inches, while the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, the Ariya Platinum+ has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

On a hot day the Ariya’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

When the Ariya Platinum+ is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Ariya Empower+/Platinum+’s ProPILOT Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Ariya is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Ariya and the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Ariya first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid isn’t in the top three.