Sorento is a spacious and stylish seven-seater

The fourth-generation model went on sale in 2020 and received a significant upgrade this year, including sharper looks, a refreshed interior and an expanded specification line-up.

Large SUVs can sometimes look functional rather than flamboyant, but Kia has given the Sorento enough design flourishes to make it visually pleasing.

The vehicle takes design inspiration from the brand’s flagship SUV, the eye-catching EV9.

The gloss black grille has a new shape and is complemented by new vertical headlights and ‘star map’ daytime running lights.

The Sorento looks sharp and dynamic from all angles Redesigned alloys and a new bonnet design, with confident creases, create a rugged, purposeful look.

The Sorento comes with plenty of standard kit, making it one of the best-equipped models in its segment.

New features include the dual curved 12.3-inch displays, ambient lighting, fingerprint recognition and a customisable head-up display on the top-spec ‘4’ grade model, tested here.

Soft touch materials are to be found throughout the cabin, with the new model benefitting from artificial leather and other premium sustainable materials throughout the cabin and upholstery.

Premium materials can be found throughout the interior

The Sorento sits above the Ceed family, Niro, and Sportage in the brand’s line-up, slotting in just beneath the all-electric EV9.

It is one of only a few models offered with a choice of diesel, self-charging hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and is available in‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ specification levels across all three powertrains.

We tested the plug-in hybrid, which offers a nice balance between power and economy.

It has a bigger 13.8kWh battery than the self-charging hybrid, with the more powerful electric motor boosting the Sorento to 248bhp and a meaty 367Nm of torque.

That’s enough to take this large SUV from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds, which feels swift for a vehicle of this size.

Official figures suggest it can go 34 miles on electric power alone, but we found that figure to be in the region of 25 miles.

It’s worth noting that some key rivals will go a fair bit further in pure electric mode, but if you keep the battery charged up, you’ll see some serious benefits in terms of running costs.

You might expect the larger battery in the PHEV to make the handling feel more cumbersome, but the Sorento feels well-planted when cornering and is more agile than you’d expect.

This is perhaps helped by Kia’s decision to place the battery low down in the centre of the body, between the two axles, keeping the centre of gravity low.

The vehicle's confident creases catch the sunlight in this Autumn shot The multi-link suspension provides a smooth ride, while the self-levelling rear dampers improve both driving performance and stability when carrying heavy loads or several passengers.

Once you step into the cabin, you’re greeted by a huge and flexible space where all occupants should feel comfortable.

Headroom and legroom are first class. On a day trip, we found it to be an ideal long-distance family cruiser.

If you’re feeling adventurous, the new Sorento is equipped with Kia’s ‘Terrain Mode’ system, providing improved traction and control on mud, snow and sand.

The second row seats slide and recline, providing oceans of legroom and plenty of space for three adults to sit across the second row, helped by the car’s width.

Both outside second-row seats and the two third-row seats have mounting points for child seats.

At a shade under £56,000, the top spec version isn’t a cheap vehicle and is in a price bracket that brings it into competition with some strong opposition. However, judged purely on its own merits, the Sorento is a compelling all-round package.

Kia Sorento PHEV ‘4’

PRICE: £55,995

ENGINE: 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol-electric hybrid

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in 8.8 secs and top speed of 113mph

ECONOMY: 37g/km and 17mpg combined