Kia Sorento PHEV EV Charging Cable

Three and a half hours, whatever you plug in

The number that settles the cable choice on this car is 3.3 kW, which is what Kia's onboard charger accepts. Against a 13.8 kWh battery that is a full charge in roughly three and a half hours, and it is the same three and a half hours on a 16A lead as on anything dearer. Spending more on the lead changes nothing, as the car sets the rate.

Seven seat buyers tend to charge on a timer rather than watching it, so the practical question is not speed but reach, which is the next section.

How long a full charge takes

Hours are worked from battery size against power drawn, plus a 13 per cent allowance for what is lost as heat, rounded to fifteen minutes. The 13.8 kWh figure is Kia's total battery capacity; no usable figure is published. Electric range is 35 miles WLTP combined and up to 43 on the city cycle.

Which length to buy

The charging flap sits high on the rear offside quarter panel, above the rear wheel arch and opposite the fuel filler. On a car this size that is a long way back from a wall box mounted near the front door.

Backed in with the charge point on the offside, five metres will do it. Facing the other way the cable runs the length of a five metre SUV, and that is a ten metre job. Take a tape measure to the run, inlet to charge point, and add a couple of metres before choosing.

Where the charger lives, and why that matters

Kia mounts the onboard charger beneath the cargo floor, which is worth knowing for two reasons. It is why the boot floor sits slightly higher than the diesel Sorento, and it is why the charging flap ended up at the back of the car rather than the front: the shortest run from inlet to charger.

For a seven seater used as a family car, the practical consequence is that you plug in at the corner of the vehicle nearest the tailgate. If the wall box is by the front door, the cable is crossing the whole length of the car every night, and that is a decision worth making once rather than fighting weekly.

How these cables are built

It is a CE marked IEC 62196-2 cable, IP55 against the weather, rated to work between -30C and +50C.

The three pin cable is built to IEC 62752, CE marked, sealed to IP67 and rated from -30C to +60C. Two year warranty from the manufacturer, free next day delivery in the UK, 30 day returns.

Also from Kia: Kia EV3 EV Charging Cable. The full range of Kia charging cables is on one page. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

Kia Sorento PHEV charging cable questions

What cable does a Kia Sorento PHEV need?

A Type 2 to Type 2 cable at 16A. The onboard charger is 3.3 kW, so that is all the car can accept, and a 32A cable charges it no faster.

How long does a Sorento PHEV take to charge?

About three and a half hours from empty on a home charge point, and around six from a three pin socket. Most owners are topping up rather than filling, so it is usually less.

Where is the Sorento PHEV charging socket?

On the rear offside quarter panel, high up above the wheel arch, on the opposite side of the car to the fuel filler.

Can the Sorento PHEV rapid charge?

No, it is AC only, so there is no rapid socket. The 13.8 kWh battery is small enough that a home charge point covers it comfortably overnight.