Compare the2027 Kia Sorento Hybrid VS 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander

Both the Sorento Hybrid and Grand Highlander have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Grand Highlander’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sorento Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum/Nightshade offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the Sorento Hybrid and the Grand Highlander have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Sorento Hybrid	Grand Highlander
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23%	39.3%
Neck Stress	208 lbs.	355 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	340	356
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	139 lbs.	199 lbs.
Neck Compression	52 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	118/119 lbs.	384/277 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Grand Highlander:

	Sorento Hybrid	Grand Highlander
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	83	112
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	1 cm	5 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	1/.8 kN	3.5/1.3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.56/.53	.69/.57

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Sorento Hybrid	Grand Highlander
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	42
Hip Force	196 lbs.	199 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	39 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	17 inches
HIC	228	344
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	552 lbs.	823 lbs.

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

The Kia Sorento Hybrid (built after September 2025) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Grand Highlander is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

The Sorento Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Grand Highlander’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Grand Highlander. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Grand Highlander ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento Hybrid gets better mileage than the Grand Highlander:

			MPG
Sorento Hybrid
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	37 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	32 city/35 hwy
Grand Highlander
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	37 city/34 hwy
		2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/27 hwy
		LE/XLE 2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		Limited/Platinum 2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento Hybrid stops shorter than the Grand Highlander:

	Sorento Hybrid	Grand Highlander
60 to 0 MPH	132 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	148 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

The Sorento Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Highlander LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sorento Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Highlander LE/XLE.

The Sorento Hybrid has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Sorento Hybrid EX handles at .80 G’s, while the Grand Highlander XLE AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento Hybrid EX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Grand Highlander XLE AWD (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

The Sorento Hybrid is 11.8 inches shorter than the Grand Highlander, making the Sorento Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sorento Hybrid has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

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

The Sorento Hybrid SX 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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Grand Highlander XLE/Limited/Nightshade/Platinum offers wireless charging.