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What's the difference?
The new Kia Sorento HEV GT-Line AWD is another entry to the growing hybrid market and competes against heavy hitters like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger, but what makes it different from the competitors?
Well, it’s a seven-seater that boasts four ISOFIX child seat mounts and five top-tethers (I can hear the families singing, now) but it’s really the features list that makes this model one to watch.
I’ve been in this for a week with my family of three and it’s not just my little boy who is impressed!
The Nissan Pathfinder has evolved over the years from what was quite a rough-and-tumble Ford Everest style vehicle to a remarkably plush three-row family SUV.
Although it took a while to reach Australia, when the fifth-generation version landed in late 2022 it was a huge leap over its predecessor. And yet it has been a relatively slow seller in Australia.
In the first half of 2024 only 405 were registered, less than a tenth of the segment benchmark Toyota Kluger (5861 sales).
This can be largely attributed to a lack of choice in the Pathfinder range, following Nissan culling entry-grade variants early on leaving only the relatively expensive Ti and Ti-L grades, both fitted with a V6 petrol engine.
To increase customer choice, Nissan has reintroduced the ST-L mid-spec trim with the option of front-wheel drive for under $60,000, before on-road costs. But is it a good buy?
The Kia Sorento HEV GT-Line AWD is a mouthful to say but the all-round experience is light-hearted and practical. The amenities inside are really good and definitely make it feel top-spec. The driving experience is a bit mixed for me to truly love it as the everyday car but families wanting comfort won’t be disappointed. I would still be inclined to consider the bigger Carnival, considering the price but the hybrid powertrain makes it fairly fuel efficient and that makes up for the driving.
My son really enjoyed the amenities in his row and felt comfortable.
There’s a lot to like about the Nissan Pathfinder. The current model not only looks a lot better than its predecessor but in ST-L trim — and with an even cheaper front-wheel drive model — it offers the kind of value Australian families are chasing.
For all its practicalities, towing capacity and refined driving experience, the Pathfinder’s fatal flaw is its limited engine choice. A thirsty petrol V6 with no engine start-stop tech stunts its appeal for those who live in suburban areas where a Kluger hybrid just works better.
The ST-L is a worthy consideration for your next purchase if you’re less bothered about fuel use, and it's the pick of the line-up, offering just about every creature comfort and safety feature you'd want in a good-value package.
The Sorento is a good-looking SUV that has a refined shape. There’s enough going on to stir some interest, like the chrome panelling and accents, 19-inch alloy wheels and wide LED lights.
Standing at 1900mm tall, the SUV tag feels deserved but the 4810mm length and 1700mm width makes it feel well-proportioned for urban adventures, too.
The interior is beautifully appointed with soft touchpoints, quilted Nappa leather mixed with synthetic leather trims and shiny chrome inserts. It looks on point for the market and definitely top-spec.
The ambient lighting creates a cozy atmosphere in low light and the panoramic display panel on the dashboard looks great.
Each row has similar design points, making the overall aesthetic feel well-executed.
The exterior colour choices are a bit dull, our 'Mineral Blue' paintwork ($695) being one of the more interesting options, but there’s an understated elegance to the Sorento that should keep it feeling modern for years to come.
The Pathfinder has a lot going for it in the looks department. Lead designer Ken Lee leaned into the nameplate’s past, incorporating the three horizontal strips between the broad bonnet and 'V-Motion' grille which is encircled in chrome.
There’s real presence to this SUV (partially down to the Pathfinder's sheer size) with chunky wheel arches and plenty of vertical surfaces. The most eye catching colour is 'Scarlet Ember' red ($750) but the pearlescent 'Deep Ocean Blue' seen here is a classy look.
Every manufacturer is doing the spaced out nameplates on the boot lid now, but the Pathfinder was an early adopter and it is particularly well executed on this car. There's also the massive (in proportion to the vehicle) Nissan badges.
Inside, the Pathfinder focuses more on practicality and usability than wow-factor. There are no tacky design flourishes and the three-row SUV manages to stay on the right side of Americana, a trick the Toyota Kluger could learn.
For a seven-seater that’s not a ‘people mover’, this is very practical.
The front and second rows will enjoy loads of leg and headroom (even with that panoramic sunroof). The driver gets spoiled with easy-to-use tech that feels modern and looks good.
The 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system has built-in satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is customisable and easy to read, as is the head-up display. There are three USB-A ports, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad, too. Like I said, spoiled.
Storage throughout is pretty good but the drink bottle holders in each door are a tad too skinny and shallow to be useful for the popular and bigger reusable bottles out nowadays.
My six-year old felt like a king in the second row. It was easy for him to climb in and out because of the 176mm ground clearance and the door handles weren’t too high for him to access himself.
He also enjoyed the retractable sun shades, directional air vents, cupholders in the armrest and the cupholders in the door handle.
Adults will be happy in this row on a longer journey, too. There is a USB-A port embedded in the side of each front seat, plus an extra at the rear of the middle console. No one will be fighting to stay charged up.
The third row positions are still sometimes seats for adults, in my opinion. But what it lacks in space, it makes up for in amenities.
There are directional air vents, fan control, drink holders, snack trays, reading lights and a couple of USB-A ports.
The boot is a bit of a let-down, though. It sits on the smaller end for the market with 187L (VDA) with all seven seats in use.
Stow the third row and it only jumps up to 616L (VDA). The level load space and squared shaping does make it appear larger than it is, but it was more than enough for my weekday errands and the grocery run.
If you do need extra space, you can bump it to a massive 2011L (VDA) with just the front seats in use. Impressively, you get a full-size spare tyre, as well.
The Pathfinder is a thoughtfully packaged and practical vehicle, trading on more than just size with plenty of clever storage solutions.
In the front there are generous door bins, twin cupholders and a deep central cubby. But there’s more, with a thin rubberised storage shelf above the glove box perfect for phones or sunglasses and a pass-through space below the centre console for larger items.
A storage space for a smartphone is found in close proximity to USB-A, a USC-C and 12-volt sockets. All of thus is beneath a physical switch panel for the dual-zone climate control.
The 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is the only letdown, feeling quite small in the Pathfinder's vast cabin. It is still responsive and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though. The Pathfinder’s sound system is passable after tweaking the bass and treble balance.
The analogue speedometer and tachometer sits either side of a 7.0-inch media screen that gives driving information along with settings for safety systems. There are switches on the steering wheel to control major functions, including cruise control, media and the screen operation.
Among its competitive set, the US-built Pathfinder’s build quality is excellent. There are cleverly positioned soft-touch plastics and we didn’t notice any rattles over our week of testing, unlike Palisades and Klugers. The steering wheel, especially, is appointed in a high quality, smooth-grained leather.
While the ST-L may only get cloth upholstery, which is admittedly harder to clean than leather, the high-quality material is more temperature stable than the imitation cow hide often seen at this price. It’s also combined with heated front seats.
Adding to the comfort factor is power adjustment for the driver’s seat including in/out and up/down lumbar control. The passenger seat is manually adjustable but with a lever for height and the driving position is pleasingly low-set.
The low front seats open up a world of excellence for the second row’s stadium seating which gives passengers a fantastic view out. Not only is this just nice, it also helps kill travel sickness for kids (and grown-ups).
The second row is on front/back sliding rails with fine backrest adjustment to dial in a comfortable position. There’s ample room even for adults over 185cm with plenty of head, leg and toe-room.
Amenities include a third climate zone, USB-A and USB-C charge points, a total of six beverage holders and a fold-out armrest.
The Nissan Pathfinder has ISOFIX tabs in the two outboard rear seat positions. The anchors are not hidden behind a cover so there is nothing to lose and the three top tether points are big and meaty for easy access.
Nissan deserves praise for its wide opening doors, the Pathfinder’s go almost perpendicular to the body with a large square aperture making loading dogs, children or shopping extremely easy.
But there’s one crucial flaw — the back windows don’t go all the way down leaving around a third of the glass sticking up.
The Pathfinder’s three-wide third row is vast in the third row, with enough space for adults in a pinch — at least two across the three-wide bench — and up to four beverages.
The power-actuated second row gets out of the way quickly (perhaps a little too fast!) and slides back into place easily. The rear bench is split 60/40 with the long portion on the Australian kerbside.
There are no ISOFIX or top tether points in the third row of the Pathfinder ST-L which does hurt its practicality. The Ti-L features ISOFIX and top tether for one third row seat.
Aside from that, the Pathfinder is about as good as an SUV gets for practicality, though a Kia Carnival people mover has the edge for outright human carrying ability.
Behind the shapely power tailgate, the Pathfinder offers either 205L, 554L or 782L of cargo space depending on how many seats are in use. And while the smallest figure sounds compact, the space is tall and square making it quite practical. Four school bags would fit easily or five at a pinch.
With the third row stored elegantly in the floor, the space is generous although interrupted by the roof-mounted middle third-row seat belt which is a faff to unbuckle.
Amenities include two shopping bag hooks, a 12-volt socket, four tie-down points and a spacious wet storage area below the boot floor.
The spare tyre is hung beneath the Pathfinder however it is a temporary space saver, rather than a full-size item.
Despite no diesel powerplant, the Pathfinder’s towing capacity is best in class, beating both Palisade and Kluger with its 2700kg braked limit (750kg unbraked).
Though still shy of the ladder frame Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X (3500kg), the monocoque Pathfinder’s high limit is impressive.
There are only two models for the Sorento HEV variant, the only difference is one is a front-wheel drive and the other (ours) is an all-wheel drive.
The AWD will cost you $69,750, before on-road costs. It ain’t cheap but if you’re familiar with Kia, you’ll know that ‘GT-Line’ means top spec and that means a great features list.
You get the luxury items, like: heated and ventilated front seats that have a Nappa leather mixed trim, heated outboard seats in the second row, heated steering wheel, 14-way electric driver's seat, 10-way electric passenger's seat, panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate.
The kiddie features are superb with the aforementioned ISOFIX mounts and top tethers, seven seats (2/3/2 configuration), hard kickplates on front seat backs, cupholders galore, directional air vents in each row and retractable sun shades on the rear doors.
Despite the extensive features list, the price tag is average for the competitors and a little under the more expensive Toyota Kluger.
By the end of the week, I did wonder what family would be wanting this over a ‘soccer mum’ people mover because if it’s the seven seats which interest you, you can pick up the top-spec Carnival for the same cash… which might make it more practical for kid stowage.
The ST-L is not lacking for features, with 18-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera view system, tri-zone climate control, a head-up display, built-in navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front and rear parking sensors, cloth upholstery and heated seats.
The front-wheel drive ST-L starts at an impressive $59,670, undercutting the Hyundai Palisade Elite ($66,800) and more spartan Toyota Kluger GX hybrid ($60,920). The all-wheel drive ST-L seen here costs $64,170, with all prices before on-road costs.
As for other Pathfinder trims, the Ti adds a more powerful stereo, leather-accented upholstery and different wheel designs for $67,990 (in front-wheel drive) and the full-fat Ti brings a digital driver’s display, 20-inch alloy wheels and second row captain’s chairs — dropping seat capacity to seven — for $82,490, all before on-road costs.
All hybrid variants (including the plug-in hybrid) share the same engine - a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol with a maximum output of 132kW/265Nm.
It also has an electric motor which produces 44 kilowatts of power and 264Nm of torque. The overall combined total is 169kW/350Nm.
The motor is powered by a lithium-ion polymer battery. The electric motor tends to kick in more at lower speeds, stop-start traffic and idling.
The engine can feel a bit under-powered at lower speeds and combined with the six-speed auto transmission it’s not what I would call zippy. But once you get up to speed, it’s an easy SUV to cruise in.
The Nissan Pathfinder is only available with a petrol engine. It is an all-aluminium dual overhead cam direct and multi-point injection 3.5-litre V6. It's part of Nissan’s ‘VQ’ engine family that has been around since 1994.
The V6 develops 202kW at 6400rpm and 340Nm at 4800rpm which are respectable outputs. The torque builds steadily from around 3000rpm and starts to really move the Pathfinder above 4000rpm.
The lusty engine note is a nice touch in a world dominated by down-sized turbo-petrols and hybrids. There’s something refreshing about the natural response of a large capacity naturally aspirated engine, too, interfacing slickly with the nine-speed automatic transmission.
I’m quite happy with how it’s performed with fuel economy but am surprised it didn’t perform better for a hybrid.
The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 5.8L/100km, and real-world testing saw me average 7.1L/100km.
That’s not as awesome as some hybrids on the market now, but it’s very respectable given the size of this SUV.
The Sorento has a 67L fuel tank, takes regular unleaded petrol (91 RON min) and has an approximate driving range of 940km, using our on-test figure.
For all the benefits of that large capacity V6 it has a fatal flaw and that is fuel efficiency — particularly around the suburbs.
The Pathfinder’s rated fuel consumption is 10.5L/100km in the ADR combined (urban/extra urban) cycle with 245g/km CO2 outputs, however it is much thirstier around town.
After 100km of suburban driving in Sydney, the Pathfinder’s trip computer read 15.3L/100km. It lacks an engine start-stop system to save precious millilitres when sitting at traffic lights.
Other large V6 vehicles will be similar, or probably slightly higher in the case of the multi-point injected Palisade, but the gold standard in this segment is the Toyota Kluger hybrid which easily returns figures of 6.0L/100km or less in pretty much all driving.
A longer 200km loop taking in motorways and country roads saw the Pathfinder consume fuel at 11.4L/100km which is an improvement but still very high.
Our observed fuel consumption gives the Pathfinder, with its 71L tank, a theoretical driving range of 602km. It will happily take standard 91 RON unleaded at the pump.
The driving doesn’t have the polish that the rest of the car does but it will get you from A to B… just maybe without the pizzaz.
When the electric motor is being solely used, the ‘engine’ noise is non-existent and you have reversing beeps like you do in a full EV but then it switches over to the engine, which is loud and can sound whiny when you put your foot down.
The steering is firm but smooth and the 11.6m turning circle helps with tight car parks. As does the crisp 360-degree camera view.
However, the lane keeping aid does make it a bit jerky at times, which I didn’t like. It’s also a pain to turn off every time but I would make an effort in the city.
Unlike a number ofother Kia models, the Sorento Hybrid has not been tuned in Australia to suit local conditions. As a result, the ride comfort is a lot firmer than I was expecting and you feel every bump in the road.
The car shakes, rattles and bounces along the country roads near me; I think this is more suited to urban drivers.
It’s a heavy SUV and you will feel that when you’re slowing down or tackling bends. I got A LOT of noise from my passengers this week, despite a lower cruising speed to not jostle them about.
The Nissan Pathfinder is a remarkably pleasant drive. It is smooth and quiet on the motorway, comfortable around town and talented on testing Australian country roads.
Nissan has managed to nail the fundamentals including a well-weighted electronic power steering system, good ride comfort at high and low speeds and impressive body control for a high-set 2052kg vehicle that rides on passive dampers.
The 18-inch alloys are wrapped in 255/60 Kumho Crugen HP71 tyres which are notably cushier than the Ti-L’s bigger 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 255/50 rubber.
Being a car-based SUV, the Nissan Pathfinder is more comfortable and a sportier drive than more off-road focused vehicles such as the Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. It is not as dynamic as smaller seven seaters such as the Kia Sorento but is still secure and stable.
There are seven drive modes in total, with three ('Sand', 'Mud' and 'Snow') dedicated to off-roading, a further trio ('Auto', 'Eco', 'Sport') for the tarmac and a dedicated 'Tow' mode.
Along with adjusting steering weight and shift logic, the all-wheel drive Pathfinder adjusts the torque split settings. It can be a little slow to shift torque to the front wheels leading to chirping on fast getaways but it is mostly solid and a worthy $4500 investment over the new front-wheel drive only model.
Visibility is not great with a high belt line and low-set driving position. With the third row's large headrests up it's hard to see out the rear window, too, so it can be difficult to judge kerbs and walls while parking. A standard 360-degree camera system helps in low-speed manoeuvring.
The safety list is what makes this a true family car, and anxious parents need not stress because the following come as standard: LED daytime running lights, LED lights, automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian, car, cyclist detection and junction assist), forward collision warning, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, emergency lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree view camera with parking guidelines, front and rear parking sensors and rear occupant alert (which pops on every time you park).
A special mention for the blind-spot camera view that pops up on the instrument panel when you indicate. It was a really nice feature in the city which added some reassurance when you had to change lanes.
It only has seven airbags, which does include the newer front centre airbag but unfortunately, the curtain airbags don’t cover the third row. Which is something to consider if you plan on using that row regularly.
The Sorento has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating and it was tested not that long ago in 2020.
There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats in the middle row and three top tether anchor points. Interestingly, the third row also boasts two ISOFIX child seat mounts and two top tether anchor points. There is enough room with a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.
The Nissan Pathfinder received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022.
It has a total of nine airbags including dual front, a front centre, side chest for first and second rows and curtain airbags covering all three rows, unlike some smaller rivals.
Active driver assistance systems include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) that can detect cars, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycles.
The AEB system functions front and rear and includes junction cross-traffic detection. Lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and speed sign detection are also standard. Stability control and ABS systems intervene early and smoothly.
Going further than just having the systems, the Pathfinder’s integration is very good. The adaptive cruise control is smooth, the lane-trace assist is mostly good. They can all be easily disabled if you like, too.
Ongoing costs are always something to consider and the Sorento comes with Kia’s seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is above average for the market.
The Sorento comes with a seven-year capped-priced servicing plan, which is better than most but services are a bit expensive at an annual average of $608.
Servicing intervals could get annoying if you travel a lot, they’re at every 12 months or every 10,000km, whichever occurs first.
Nissan recommends the Pathfinder is serviced every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.
You can pay-as-you-go ($2592) or up front ($2333) which saves $259 over five years ($518.40/$466.60 average per workshop visit).
Those service price options are closely aligned with the Hyundai Palisade ($2345) but Toyota’s $1325 Kluger offer remains unbeaten.
A five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty covers all Nissan vehicles in Australia. It is now the standard with other marques, including Kia, MG and Mitsubishi pushing boundaries with longer seven and 10-year offers.