Ldv D90 vs KIA Sorento

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Ldv D90 in South Africa

Ldv D90

D90 Flagship Diesel 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 899,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 160 kW 🔧 500 Nm ⛽ 10.99 km/l
VS
KIA Sorento in South Africa

KIA Sorento

2.2 CRDi SXL AWD DCT Diesel 8-Speed DCT Current
ZAR 1,299,995 ex-showroom
⚡ 148 kW 🔧 440 Nm ⛽ 15.6 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance D90
Fuel Economy Sorento
🛡 Safety Sorento
📦 Practicality D90
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
D90 starts ZAR 100,095 cheaper D90 from ZAR 899,900 · Sorento from ZAR 999,995

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec D90 Sorento
Maximum Power 160 kW @ 4000 rpm 148 kW @ 3800 rpm
Maximum Torque 500 Nm @ 1500-2400 rpm 440 Nm @ 1750 rpm
Engine Size 1996 cc 2151 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 10.99 km/l 15.6 km/l
Ground Clearance 210 mm 185 mm
Boot / Load Bay 343 l 219 l
Airbags Not Officially Disclosed 7
Kerb Weight 2370 kg 1960 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 7 seats
Warranty 5 years / 200000 km 7 Years / 150,000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

D90 and Sorento are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance D90 +8 pts
Efficiency Sorento +16 pts
Safety Sorento +7 pts
Practicality D90 +14 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Catalogue-index leader

D90

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Sorento

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

D90

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Sorento

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec D90 Sorento
Model Introduced Year 2025 2021
Generation Current South African D90 generation. Fourth generation (MQ4); global launch 2020, SA 2021
Facelift History No later South African facelift is published. Fourth generation (MQ4) launched SA 2021; updated spec 2024
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2024
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Seven-seat large SUV SUV
Model Year 2025 2026
Production Status active active
Segment SUV SUV
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Color Note - Glacier White Pearl, Aurora Black Pearl, Steel Grey, Interstellar Grey, Gravity Blue
Dealer Stock Note - Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup
Drivetrain Note - Drive layout derived from the official derivative naming: 2.2 CRDi SXL AWD DCT
Tare Mass Kg - 1960 kg
Spec D90 Sorento
Length 5046 mm 4810 mm
Width 2016 mm 1900 mm
Height 1876 mm 1700 mm
Wheelbase 2950 mm 2815 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 185 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not Officially Disclosed 176 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity Not Officially Disclosed 67 l
Boot/Cargo Space 343 l 219 l
Kerb Weight 2370 kg 1960 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 3100 kg 2550 kg
Payload Capacity 730 kg 620 kg
Towing Capacity 3100 kg 2000 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 7 seats
Number of Rows 3 rows 3 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 6.45 m 11.2 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm 1010 mm
Rear Headroom 990 mm 955 mm
Front Legroom 1050 mm 1040 mm
Rear Legroom 950 mm 855 mm

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

D90 leads by 1 points

D90 and Sorento are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Index leader 76 /100
Lead 1 points
Data 68% source coverage
76
#1 Index leader

D90

68% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 93 Check Efficiency 45
Performance 82
Efficiency 45
Safety 93
Practicality 78
Leads by 1 points
75
#2

Sorento

99% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 100 Check Efficiency 61
Performance 74
Efficiency 61
Safety 100
Practicality 64
Ownership 71
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance D90 +8 Efficiency Sorento +16 Safety Sorento +7 Practicality D90 +14

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

D90

Performance 82/100
Efficiency 45/100
Safety 93/100
Practicality 78/100

Sorento

Performance 74/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 100/100
Practicality 64/100
Ownership 71/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Ldv D90 leads the catalogue index with 76 pts vs 75 pts for Sorento

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, D90 leads. However, Sorento may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This D90 and Sorento comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: D90 82 vs Sorento 74.

Efficiency index: D90 45 vs Sorento 61.

Safety-equipment index: D90 93 vs Sorento 100.

Practicality index: D90 78 vs Sorento 64.

Ownership-cover index: D90 not separately scored vs Sorento 71.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.