Mazdas completely new CX-80 arrives in Australia and launches as part of the brand’s wider range of large SUVs, including the CX-60, CX-70 and CX-90.
It will compete with other established seven-seaters, with the Kia Sorento taking the stand as a major competitor due to its seven-seat shared capacity and overall model variety.
Both are offered with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and both are sold in four different variants.
The differences start to become apparent the further you get beneath the surface of each vehicle, lending itself to a comparison of many of each car’s key specs.
By comparison, Kia has sold 8,379 Sorento units through the end of October this year. For the month of October, 631 Sorentos were sold, while VFACTS reported 113 CX-80 sales during the same time.
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CX-80 -
Sorento
Remark: Mazda CX-80 Azami SP package shown throughout.
That’s not entirely representative given the CX-80’s short sales run to date, so it will be worth revisiting the sales figures as it gains a foothold in the local market.
Looking for a new large seven-seater? Here’s how each model stacks up on the spec sheet.
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links.
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Prices
The cheapest cars in each model range have petrol engines, and the Kia has a cheaper list price before on-road costs are applied.
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CX-80 -
Sorento
Mazda offers four variants of the CX-80: Pure, Touring, GT and Azami. All four are offered with both petrol and diesel engines, although only the Touring and above are available as plug-in hybrids.
Similarly, the petrol Sorento is also sold in four variants: S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions are also available, both of which are based on the more expensive GT-Line.
By comparison, the CX-80 and Sorento range diesel models start at $63,950 and $53,680 respectively, excluding on-road costs.
| Model | Price range before the road |
|---|---|
| Mazda CX-80 | $54,950 – $87,200 |
| Kia Sorento | $50,680 – $68,590 |
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Powertrains and efficiency
Both cars offer multiple powertrains, but in the petrol battle it’s the CX-80 that takes the cake in terms of power and fuel efficiency.
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CX-80 -
Sorento
All offer six-cylinder engines, although the CX-80 adds a turbocharger to its smaller-capacity inline six-cylinder engine versus the Sorento’s naturally aspirated V6.
The CX-80 also comes with all-wheel drive as standard, while the same setup in the Sorento is only available with a diesel engine. Petrol Sorentos only have to make do with front-wheel drive.
All CX-80 petrol and diesel variants are exclusively mild-hybrid, while both cars are also available as a plug-in hybrid. Unlike Mazda, Kia also offers a hybrid Sorento separately as standard.
It is worth paying attention to the different weights, which may not be representative. Mazda only lists the curb weight, while Kia only lists the tare weight.
| Specifications | Mazda CX-80 G40e | Kia Sorento 3.5 FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3.3 liter turbo petrol i6 | 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 |
| Electrification | 48V mild hybrid | – |
| Maximum power | 209 kW | 200 kW |
| Maximum torque | 450Nm | 332 Nm |
| Transfer | 8-speed gearbox | 8-speed gearbox |
| Driven wheels | Four-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Empty weight | 2084-2114 kg | – |
| Tare mass | – | 1898 kg |
| Gross vehicle mass (GVM) | 2663-2693kg | 2600 kg |
| Fuel consumption (claim) | 8.4 l/100 km | 9.7 l/100 km |
| CO2 emissions | 197 g/km | 222 g/km |
| Fuel tank size | 74L | 67L |
| Fuel requirements | 91 RON | 91 RON |
| Braked towing capacity | 2500 kg | 2000 kg |
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Dimensions
The Mazda CX-80 is larger than the Kia Sorento, culminating in a length difference of almost 200mm.
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CX-80 -
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The wheelbase of the CX-80 is also noticeably longer, although the two cars are similar in width and height.
Both also offer three-row seating, although the CX-80 can have seven or six seats depending on variant (with captain’s chairs in the second row).
Boot space is similar for both cars, although in the CX-80 you get more capacity with all three rows in place.
| Dimensions | Mazda CX-80 | Kia Sorento |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4990mm | 4815mm |
| Width | 1949mm | 1900mm |
| Height | 1710mm | 1700mm |
| Wheelbase | 3120mm | 2815mm |
| Start-up capacity | 258L (all rows up, incl. underfloor storage) 566L (third row folded) 1971L (second and third rows folded) |
179L (all rows up) 608L (third row folded) 1995L (second and third rows folded) |
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Maintenance and warranty
The Mazda CX-80 is covered by a standard five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. It has not yet announced service pricing for the CX-80.
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CX-80 -
Sorento (GT line)
The Kia Sorento, meanwhile, is covered by the Korean brand’s seven-year unlimited mileage warranty. Logbook maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000 km.
Kia offers capped-price service for the first seven visits, which cost $370, $582, $446, $765, $417, $732, and $442, respectively. Over five years, that’s an annual average of $516 and a total of $2,580.
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Safety
The Mazda CX-80 has yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, although the related CX-60 receives a five-star rating from both safety authorities. The CX-60 was tested in 2022 and we will refer to it for safety comparison.
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CX-60 crash test
Meanwhile, the Kia Sorento carries a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on tests carried out in 2020.
The CX-60 and Sorento both scored above 80 percent in the protection of both adults and children, but differ in the areas of protection of vulnerable road users and safety support.
While the CX-60 scored 89 percent on the protection of vulnerable road users, the Sorento scored 63 percent. Conversely, the Sorento’s 89 percent safety assistance score was not matched by the CX-60’s 77 percent.
Both cars come standard with adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, driver attention monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and tire pressure monitoring.
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Sorento
While a surround-view camera is standard on all CX-80s, it’s only available on the Sorento as part of the top-spec GT-Line.
The Sorento also offers Highway Driving Assist on its mid-range Sport variant over the CX-80, which builds on adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, combined with Lane Following Assist to keep the car in the center of its lane keep.
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
Standard equipment
There are some differences in standard features between the two cars, although this largely depends on the variant.
At the lower end of the range, the CX-80 rides on 18-inch wheels compared to the Kia’s 17-inch rims, and the Mazda has a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system against the 12.3-inch display of the Sorento. Both benefit from wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Both have cloth seats, which have been replaced by leather from the CX-80 Touring and Sorento Sport+ trim levels. Power seat adjustment is available on the CX-80 Touring, while the Sorento adds it from the Sport onwards.
Each of the four Sorento variants increases their wheel sizes by one inch over the previous model, while the two top-spec CX-80s offer 20-inch alloy wheels. One of the top two is the GT, which also adds a larger 12.3-inch infotainment system to match the Sorento.
Both come with DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation and dual-zone climate control as standard, with features such as a wireless phone charger and heated seats only offered in specific variants.
The SP package mentioned in this article on the CX-80 is only available on the top-spec Azami, which is available as an optional extra.
View a complete overview of the standard features for the Mazda CX-80 and the Kia Sorento here
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
CarExpert’s choice: to be determined
Max Davies: Both are solid choices on paper. The Sorento is cheaper and more established, while the CX-80 is Mazda’s latest and greatest and has more room inside.
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The most important question to ask yourself is which of those balances do you prefer? It’s also important to remember that for each individual model range there are plenty of options to suit your needs, each equipped with different levels of technology and different powertrains.
In general, this comparison revolves around the cheapest versions of each car, as these are the most accessible to people who want to get behind the wheel of a large seven-seater. Of course, there are also diesels and various hybrids available, depending on how much you want to spend.
It’ll be a few more days before we can fully consider the CX-80, so this comparison is based entirely on specs we’ve already published.
Our detailed review of the CX-80 goes live on November 12, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can read Jack Quick’s review of the base gasoline Sorento here.
Interested in buying one Mazda CX-80 or a Kia Sorento? Contact a dealer by clicking on the links
MORE: Everything Mazda CX-80 • Kia Sorento
