Compare the2026 Kia SorentoVS 2026 Volvo XC90

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Kia Sorento is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volvo XC90, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Sorento achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Volvo XC90 has not been tested.

Both the Sorento and the XC90 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sorento is safer than the Volvo XC90:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Kia Sorento is safer than the XC90:

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 XC90’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 XC90. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the XC90 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’ 2025 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 above average in initial quality. With 77 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volvo is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 6 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Sorento EX/SX 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the XC90 running its gasoline engine:

Both the Sorento and the XC90 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 XC90 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 XC90 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the XC90. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sorento stops shorter than the XC90:

The front and rear suspension of the Sorento uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC90, 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 XC90 B6 Ultra pulls only .81 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 XC90 B6 Ultra (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the XC90’s (37.9 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 850 pounds less than the Volvo XC90.

The Sorento LX/S/EX/SX is 5.4 inches shorter than the XC90, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sorento has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 4.7 inches more rear legroom, 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room, .5 inches more third row headroom and 6.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the XC90.

The Sorento’s cargo area provides more volume than the XC90.

The Sorento has a higher standard payload capacity than the XC90 (1255 vs. 1210 lbs.).

The Sorento has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the XC90 (1543 vs. 1210 lbs.).

The Sorento Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The XC90’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Sorento is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the XC90, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the Sorento offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the XC90.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the Sorento equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The XC90, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Kia Sorento empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

The Sorento is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The XC90 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Kia Sorento retains 47.74% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 41.32% resale value of the 2025 Volvo XC90 after five years, which can save the Kia’s owner up to $16962.0498 in depreciation.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento and the Volvo XC90, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Volvo XC90 by over two to one during 2024.