Kia is well known for producing affordable and honest cars, with the power to surprise as their corporate slogan goes. That is mostly true.

The Kia Sorento is a sister vehicle to Hyundai’s Santa Fe, but comes with a much more appealing design and with what the chief designer at Kia refers to as, a “tiger nose”..

With its Acura looking front headlights, LED tail lights, chrome door handles and 18” rims, Kia really tried to make this SUV look more upscale rather than a workhorse.

Since 2009, the Sorento is no longer based on a truck (ladder) frame and no longer comes with a low-ratio transfer case. Instead, it is now unibody constructed (like a car) and comes with a button to lock the center diff, not to mention 475 lbs lighter which benefits fuel economy and performance.

A side note to that is that these changes gave the Kia engineers the opportunity to incorporate independent all-round suspension, which is good for on-road handling but terrible news for those of you seeking off-road adventures.

Moving on to the interior, one can’t help but be overwhelmed by the amount of gadgets fitted to the vehicle. Satnav, rear view camera, double sunroof, heated and cooled leather power seats, multifunctional heated steering wheel with cruise control and Bluetooth phone controls are only some of accessories that come as standard on the SX trim level.

The layout and design is where this Sorento got it all right. The instrument cluster is modern, clear, functional and pretty. Some of the switches are placed where you wouldn’t expect to find them like the rear wiper switch and the heated steering wheel, but overall, getting familiar with the cabin should be easy. The seats are adjustable in every possible way, but awkwardly, it took me a while to get it right.

The trap Kia fell into is that with prices starting at the mid-twenties for a FWD base model, the interior quality isn’t the greatest. The materials are all hard plastic and cheap looking and the finish between them is mediocre. Not a problem and very acceptable considering the price of the entry model. But when you spec it up and the price goes way above $40.000,00 as in the SX, this becomes a problem. Simply, because at that ambitious price, the competition offers really upscale interiors, even if they fall short on gadgets.

Getting comfortable in the cabin will be a blast for your passengers, as there is plenty of room for 5 adults + 2 kids. There are many compartments for storing stuff and the center console offers very generous capacity since the Kia engineers were clever enough to move the handbrake to a footbrake to create more space. The only drawback is you have to choose between the 2 extra kids or some luggage space. When carrying fewer passengers, you can lay all rear seats literally flat and create a massive loading bed for moving bigger things around.

On the road, the Sorento is very smooth and civilized thanks to its class leading 276BHP 3.5lt V6 engine and 6-speed automatic gearbox. The engine is smooth, quiet and refined but at the same time very powerful and always willing to rev-up. The all-round disk brakes work well although the brake pedal requires getting used to the spongy feel and long travel. Fuel efficiency is toward the top of the class, as during our test the Sorento averaged 12.9lt/100km of regular unleaded in a mix of mostly city and less highway driving.

The Sorento with its clever stability control is very competent on twisty roads while pointing in corners is done impressively well for a big SUV. The 18” wheels with excellent Kumho Solus KL21 tires provide adequate traction under most circumstances. The steering is light and provides some feedback but not enough to make this Sorento feel inspiring. Even though it handles well, it feels big and heavy which it really is not. The rear suspension feels like the head engineer quit and left half way through the design of it and the rest of the team just left it as was. They got it all right in theory, but in practice, it feels like it could use some finer tuning. Over harsh bumps, it will unsettle and does not control the body as well as you would expect. Comfort-wise, it’s on the stiff side, which benefits handling but on rough surfaces, the 2 extra kids in the back will be shaken up a bit. In this case though, you can utilize the awesome Infinity sound system to cover up their yelling.

Overall, the Sorento is another case that proves that the Koreans are getting stronger and can no longer be ignored by the competition. The leap forward compared to the near past is impressive, even when it comes to safety as the Sorento scored 5 stars everywhere. If they continue at this pace they will soon claim top of class in general. This generation Sorento I am afraid is let down by the price. At above $40,000.00, this SUV is facing competition that it can’t compete with. But opt for a lower trim level, like an EX V6 which goes for about 5 grand less and at this price point you will be getting a great AWD true 7-seater that combined with the amazing 5 year warranty will make you feel proud for the choice you made.