We went to the edge of Luzon for this trip. Starting at Solaire North, we drove to La Union, then went up to Ilocos and ended up at the bay side in Pagudpud. I had significant driving time with the Sonet (internal combustion engine or ICE), Sorento (Turbo Hybrid), Carnival (Turbo Hybrid), and the World Car of the Year 2024 Winner EV9 (battery EV) in a 582 kilometer drive stretched over 2 days. What were they like, especially one after another?

My adventure started great because I started with the Carnival Hybrid. The Carnival is undoubtedly a great choice for an opulent family looking for a plush ride. The second row is a great place to be in with its captain seats that were very comfortable. It’s so good that when I wasn’t driving, I still sat in the second row. You even have a power-adjustable legrest and powered sliding doors. The space is abundant and creature comfort is simply top notch.

There’s minimal compromise if you’re driving it too. The driver’s seat is high giving you a good view of the road and sufficient support for the legs. Its foam is almost couch-like so that long driving sessions aren’t fatiguing. Best of all, with all the metal the Carnival has, it can still slug it out for quick overtakes. The 180 horsepower and 265 Nm of pull might be lower than the diesel iteration, but the fast response and seamless operation more than makes up for it.

It was my first time to be in a World Car of the Year winner and it was… different. The biggest adjustment I had to do was getting used to the cameras that replaced the mirrors. The side mirrors only have a camera and inside, there’s a digital screen. Same goes for the rearview mirror. Instead of camera adjustment, the external cameras send a huge output to the screens. It’s then cropped so you can only see a specific part of the video and allows for adjustment. It felt very weird at first especially since you’re used to looking at the side mirrors outside and not on the edge of the dashboard.

There’s no question about the power of the EV9. Its 384 horses and 700 Nm of torque can be delivered at your preferred manner - mild or all out, and somewhere in between. It also has an intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control in that if you change lanes, it won’t speed up immediately unless you’re completely on the other lane. How can you not adore smart little features like that? It’s also outstanding that even at 100 km/h there’s no hint of wind noise in the cabin. The second row is also better than the Carnival’s, with the captain seats having a powerful massage function.

Surprisingly, it missed something its more affordable brother relished in - ride comfort. It was a bit too firm for my liking both as a driver and a passenger. Although I have my reservations because I forgot to check the tire pressure. It would be insane if Kia couldn’t at least match the EV9’s ride to that of the Carnival.

Going from the Carnival and EV9 into the Sonet is polarizing to say the least. The drastic change in size, power, and capability was disorienting but the Sonet gave me a good time nonetheless.

It was my first time to be here and I am definitely impressed with its styling. The exterior is easy on the eyes for sure, but this cabin is something else. We have brown leather upholstery, a light gray headliner, and silver accents to jazz up the otherwise bland black dashboard. This is complemented by the abundance of creature comforts like the sizable touchscreen, wireless charger, USB-C port, automatic climate control, and rear air vents. There are no paddles but you can override the transmission with the shifter’s manual mode.

The best thing here is you have advanced safety bits that really help on every day driving. The top of the line variant has Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, and High Beam Assist among others. The Lane Keeping System is very useful on the highway while Forward Collision is something you can use in and out of the city.

I understood why I see more and more of the Sonet on the road. Its style is backed up by intuitive functionality making it easy to drive for a driver of any skill level. Those safety features are a good bonus too, especially in our chaotic roads.

My experience ended on a high note as I drove and rode the Sorento Hybrid on the final leg to Pagudpud. Its front face looks similar to the Carnival and rightfully so, as they are somewhat identical. While the Carnival is a mini-van, the Sorento is a crossover SUV. Still, both are 7-seaters powered by the same Turbo Hybrid setup, and have similar power figures.

The Sorento became my favorite on this trip. It has the same power as the Carnival so there’s no question about speed. What I loved best about it is where it compromised the most - the second row.

Its top of the line trim we drove is around P 600,000 cheaper than the top trim Carnival. Naturally you have to pull your punches but I love the calls Kia did with the Sorento. It has a traditional 60-40 bench on the second row, retained two air vents behind the center console, there’s USB ports at the side of the front seats, the front passenger seat has power adjust buttons on the side as well, and there’s a cup holder on the edge of the armrest of the door panels. And this is all topped by a huge panoramic sunroof.

Sure there’s the glaring lack of third-zone climate control but it’s understandable given the price point. It’s also a great thing that the third row gets their own dedicated air vents and air flow adjustment. Why get a pickup-based SUV for the family when you can ride plush and comfy with something like this Sorento?

The common denominator between these 4 cars is how Kia goes out of their way to consider what the customers really need. The Sonet can call it a day without advanced safety bits, but they decided to go ahead with it because people need it. We are so used to the third row being an after-thought but they gave their occupants their own vents and fan control in the Sorento. Or let’s talk about the Carnival’s second row windows that you can roll down instead of being fixed. There’s also the EV9 that moved the air controls for the second row from the side to the center of the headliner.

These cars are definite lookers on the road. Go inside and you may or may not be impressed when sitting at them at a standstill. Drive it, ride in it, and you’ll realize bits of empathy from Kia that make the overall experience very warm. These small things add up and the totality is one that is definitely pleasant.