2027 Kia Sorento: is the turbo worth $3,200?
The gas 2027 Sorento starts at $32,590 before destination. The real decision is whether you pay $3,200 more for the EX and its turbo.
A buyer's breakdown, not a road test. We have not driven the 2027 Sorento. Prices, destination, color change and assembly note checked against PR Newswire 302895238 (Kia America, Oct. 1, 2026); horsepower, torque, transmissions, acceleration, towing, fuel economy, seating and cargo checked against Kia Media's 2027 Sorento specifications page on Oct. 8, 2026.
The gas-powered 2027 Kia Sorento is a three-row family SUV, and Kia barely touched it for the new model year. The base LX goes up $200, one paint color swaps out, and that is about it. So the interesting question is not what changed. It is which engine you buy, because the lineup splits cleanly in two.
This is a buyer’s breakdown. We have not driven the 2027 Sorento. Prices come from Kia’s Oct. 1, 2026, pricing release and exclude the $1,495 destination fee, which is the charge for getting the car to the dealer. Performance and economy figures come from Kia’s own spec sheet.
The two engines
| 2027 Sorento (front-wheel drive) | MSRP | Engine | Horsepower |
|---|---|---|---|
| LX | $32,590 | 2.5-liter four | 186 hp |
| S | $35,490 | 2.5-liter four | 186 hp |
| EX | $38,690 | 2.5-liter turbo four | 274 hp |
Both engines are the same size, 2.5 liters. The difference is the turbocharger on the EX and up: a small fan spun by the engine’s own exhaust that pushes extra air into the cylinders so the engine can burn more fuel. That takes horsepower from 186 to 274 and torque, the twisting force you feel when you pull away from a light, from 178 lb-ft to 311 lb-ft.
The gearboxes differ too. The LX and S use an eight-speed automatic with a torque converter. Turbo trims get an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
What the $3,200 buys
The jump from S to EX is $3,200, by our math. Kia’s spec sheet says the front-drive EX gets from 0 to 62 mph in 7.4 seconds against 9.8 for the S, and from about 50 to 75 mph in 4.4 seconds against 6.7. That second number is the one you feel when merging onto a highway with the whole family on board.
Towing also changes. Every gas Sorento is rated to pull a 2,000-pound trailer with its own brakes, but the EX with the tow package is rated for 3,500. If you have a small camper or a boat in mind, that alone may settle it.
What it costs you
Kia estimates 23 mpg combined for the front-drive EX, down from 26 for the LX and S. At 12,000 miles a year, that works out to about 60 more gallons, by our math. All trims carry the same 17.7-gallon tank, so the turbo also means a few more trips to the pump.
Seating is worth checking in person. Kia’s spec sheet lists the LX and S as seven-seaters and the EX as a six-seater. Cargo space is the same across the trims.
All-wheel drive and the paint
All-wheel drive adds $2,000 on the S ($37,490) and $1,500 on the EX ($40,190). The AWD four-cylinder drops to an estimated 25 mpg combined, while the AWD turbo stays at 23.
The one real update for 2027 is color. Black Jade Green replaces Jungle Green, and Kia says the new shade “has performed well on the new Telluride.” We have never seen paint get a performance review before, but here we are.
Kia also says the gas Sorento is assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
Our call
If you mostly drive around town with a light load, the S is the sensible buy and keeps the better fuel economy. If you tow, merge onto busy highways often, or regularly carry a full car, the EX turbo is the one that actually changes how the Sorento drives, on paper at least. We will say more once we have driven one.
