Compare the2026 Kia Sorento Plug-In HybridVS 2025 Mercedes EQB

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and EQB have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Plug-In 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 EQB’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 provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid. But it costs extra on the EQB.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the EQB.

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the EQB 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The EQB’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the EQB. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the EQB ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’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 Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes 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 Mercedes 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, Mercedes is rated below average.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 73 more horsepower (261 vs. 188) than the EQB 250+’s standard electric motor. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 36 more horsepower (261 vs. 225) than the EQB 300’s standard electric motors.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 452 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The EQB’s range is only 205 to 250 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 35 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge at a professionally installed 220-volt charging station can take up to 8 hours and 15 minutes.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the EQB.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the EQB; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the EQB don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than on the EQB.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has .3 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear legroom, 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 2 inches more third row headroom, .5 inches more third row legroom and 9.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the EQB.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the EQB.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the EQB’s in almost every dimension:

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

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

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the EQB only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The EQB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The EQB doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the EQB. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid X-Line SX Prestige also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the EQB.

The Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Mercedes charges extra for Homelink® on the EQB.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the EQB, 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 Plug-In Hybrid offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the EQB.

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 Plug-In Hybrid equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The EQB, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Mercedes EQB by over 9 to one during 2024.