For front-seat passengers, the Sorento has moved up a class yet again. Yes, this means it’s a more expensive vehicle than previously, but it looks it. While I can actually say that the previous week’s Sedona SXL+ had a more upscale piano-black two-tone thing going on, the Sorento’s interior looks easier to maintain and is a huge improvement over the previous generation.

Functionality is key in a vehicle like this, and there’s plenty to please. I like the placement of the HVAC controls, the simple layout for the heated and ventilated seat surfaces, the clustering of drive mode functions down by the shifter, and the bright UVO infotainment system works well as per usual.

Poke around a bit and there’s not much to complain about. The USB port is up front so you can bung your smartphone in the front bin. The steering wheel controls are rollers rather than buttons, making volume adjustments a little nicer. If you really squinted until your eyes watered, that steering wheel wouldn’t look out of place in a Cayenne or Macan.

I guess the chrome surrounds for the side air vents do reflect a little too much in the side mirrors. Oh, the humanity. Get it together, Kia!

Overall then, a well-executed effort from a brand that seems to be full of them. And then there’s how the Sorento drives.

Under that big hood is… mostly air actually. The 2.0L direct-injection turbocharged engine in this SX model makes a solid 240 hp and a hefty 260 lb-ft of torque, but it looks to be about the size of a toaster oven sitting way down there in the cavernous engine bay.

It certainly handles its business though – fitted with an unremarkable six-speed automatic transmission, the Sorento’s considerable heft is child’s play for the 2.0L to punt off the line, with 0-100 km/h coming in seven-point-something seconds. Considering I’m faced most days with a twenty-foot on-ramp designed by Evel Knievel, this torque-filled forward thrust is a very good thing indeed. If you’re looking at the 3.3L Hyundai/Kia corporate V6 that provides power for seven-seater versions, its 290 hp should be plenty; however, the forced induction motor has more low-end oomph.

Bigger though it might be, the Sorento has been nicely stiffened, and is both a smoother and quieter affair because of it. Handling is perfectly acceptable, and the transition of the electric power-assist from steering column to steering rack has resulted in at least a modicum of feel. There are selectable drive modes, but these seem almost to have a placebo affect rather than anything else. Honda’s terrain mode works a little better here.

However, for sheer driving competence and acceptable zip, the Sorento is better than fine. In comparison, the hefty Highlander ate a baby: it’s more than 200 kg heavier.

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