SUV smackdown: Kia Sorento vs. Ford Everest

Two of today’s top sport utility vehicle (SUV) choices include the Kia Sorento and the Ford Everest. Some car buyers put these automobiles at the top of their lists, but which of the two would best suit you?

On that note, we’re going to pit the South Korean against the American to see what nameplate would come out on top. That said, let the SUV smackdown begin.

Weigh-in

The Kia Sorento measures 4,810 millimeters (mm) long, 1,900mm wide, and 1,700mm tall. Its minimum ground clearance is at 176mm and its wheelbase is at 2,815mm.

Meanwhile, the Ford Everest has an overall length of 4,904mm, an overall width of 2,201mm, and an overall height of 1,884mm. Its ground clearance is 223mm while its wheelbase is 2,900mm.

Noticeably, the Ford Everest is larger than the Kia Sorento. It is 94mm longer, 301mm wider, and 184mm taller than its rival. Further, it clears the ground 47mm higher than the latter with a longer wheelbase by 85mm.

Exterior

Outside, the Kia Sorento packs stylish and elegant features, which include a set of LED lights, silver-colored front and rear skid plates, a chrome front radiator grille, chrome beltline molding, and chrome door handles.

Other notable exterior appointments come in the form of roof racks, a rear spoiler, a high-mount stop lamp, and a power tailgate.

It rides on 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 235/55R tires.

Similarly, the Ford Everest also comes with luxurious fittings with a dash of rugged features. It does sport an all-LED lighting setup, a huge chrome-finished front grille (for the Titanium variant), chrome front fog lamp housings, chrome elements on the side mirrors, chrome door handles, and chrome window surround appliques.

It also gets roof rails, puddle lamps, huge step boards, a panoramic sunroof, a power hands-free liftgate, splash guards, and tow hooks.

For kicks, the range-topping Ford Everest sports a set of 20-inchers as standard. They are shod on 255/55 R20 rubbers.

Both SUVs present solid exterior offerings but the Ford Everest slightly edges the Kia Sorento thanks to its larger dimensions, beefier wheels, and other premium appointments. That said, we give this round to the contender from the Blue Oval brand.

Interior

Inside, the Kia Sorento comes with plenty of modern amenities like a 12.3-inch thin-film transistor LCD instrument panel, an eight-inch infotainments system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger (for top-of-the-line SX variant), and a smart entry system with remote start.

Also notable are its opulent interior features such as leather-trimmed seats, a leather steering wheel, a leather-wrapped gear shift knob, and a dashboard with metallic and wood elements. It also has a host of cupholders and bottle holders as well as a dual-zone air conditioning system.

As for the Ford Everest, the top-level trim is equipped with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster; a 12-inch colored portrait-style infotainment unit with enhanced voice recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto; a wireless charger; and a smart keyless entry with a push start button.

Other interior appointments come in the form of leather and synthetic leather-finished seats, a leather steering wheel, a gaming mouse-like shifter wrapped in leather-like material, various cubby holes, and a dual-zone air conditioning system with automatic temperature control.

Again, we will give this round to the Ford Everest thanks to its large screens, specifically the portrait-oriented infotainment display that seems to have become a trend on most SUVs and crossovers nowadays.

Engine

Power for the Kia Sorento comes from a 2.2-liter diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Per Kia’s local arm, this setup can produce approximately 199 horsepower and 441 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque.

Meanwhile, the Ford Everest is propelled by a 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel mill (2.0-liter turbo for lower variants) and is married to a 10-speed automatic transmission (six-speed transmission for lower grades). On paper, it generates as much as 207 buff horses and a robust pulling power of 500Nm.

Clearly, the round goes to the Ford Everest due to its more powerful setup.

Safety

Taking safety seriously, the Kia Sorento comes standard with front, side, and curtain airbags; an anti-lock brake system; cruise control; electronic stability control; downhill brake control; hill-start assist control; trailer stability assist; an anti-theft system; and a rear camera with dynamic guide lines.

Customers choosing the range-topping model also get driver-assist technologies like a blind spot view monitor, lane-keeping assist, forward collision avoidance assist, and rear cross traffic alert.

Not to be outdone, the Ford Everest also offers a solid safety feature list. To be expected are a suite of airbags (driver, front passenger, side, curtain, knee) and seatbelts, cruise control, adjustable speed limiter, hill launch assist and rollover mitigation, front and rear parking sensors, and security alarms.

Meanwhile, those opting for the Titanium variant can get a handful of improved safety and advanced driver-assist systems, namely adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering feature, auto high beam, pre-collision assist, dynamic brake support, forward collision warning system, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, evasive steer assist, post-impact braking, hill descent control, lane keeping aid, reverse braking system, a 360-degree camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Clearly, the long list of safety features offered by the Ford Everest merits it a win. So, we give this round to the American SUV.

Variants and pricing

Kia Sorento

Sorento EX – P2.448 million
Sorento EX (Pearl color) – P2.458 million
Sorento SX – P2.638 million
Sorento SX (Pearl color) – P2.648 million

Ford Everest

Everest Trend – P1.799 million
Everest Limited – P2.019 million
Everest Sport – P2.109 million
Everest Titanium + – P2.209 million
Everest Titanium + 4X4 – P2.525 million

Verdict

The Ford Everest emerges as the top dog of this SUV smackdown. A clean sweep means that it bettered the Kia Sorento in all aspects making it a better buy for customers in the market for either a family carrier or a weekend vehicle.

Photos from Kia Philippines and Ford Philippines

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