I need not have worried; the thoroughly underwhelming plug-in hybrid version of the XCeed had left me wondering if Kia's steady ascent had plateaued, writes William Scholes.
Then I spent a week with the company's new Sorento; there's nothing underwhelming about this ginormous seven-seat family SUV. It's really, really good, in a confound-your-expectations and pleasantly-surprise-you kind of way.
If the XCeed PHEV was a rare fumbled pass and dropped catch from Kia, then the Sorento is a dazzling return to form, a statement of intent that shows the Korean maker is close to nibbling at the heels of the premium German brands.
But let's not get too carried away. This is a large SUV, so is never going to be an oil painting, let alone a Mazda 3 or Alfa Romeo Giulia. It is, however, better looking than anything coming from BMW these days.
The Sorento casts an imposing shadow, measuring 4.8 metres long, 1.9m wide and 1.7m tall. But it's well proportioned for something so large, and the grille and headlamp detail lend the front of the car a bold expression. You'll not lose it in a crowded car park.
Where the Sorento excels is with a fabulous interior stuffed with crowd-pleasing touches.
There are, for example, USB charging sockets built into the backs of the front seats for rear passengers - trust me, teenagers will love it - and separate heating controls for the rear-most pair of seats.
Best of all is the sheer amount of space on offer. You could socially distance in here. That pair of seats at the back are, at least by the standards typical of seven-seater SUV, palatial.
OK, lankier - or more generously girthed - adults won't be rushing to fill them, but children and teenagers will have nothing to complain about, beyond those things they normally complain about.
The middle row is limo-like, with space for three generously upholstered adults to lounge. There's no central transmission tunnel to speak of, aiding foot space, and the seats themselves are comfortable and can slide and recline.
Passenger space is particularly generous up-front. I'm 6ft 4ins but so roomy is the Sorento driver's seat and imperious its driving position that I almost felt small - not a sensation I experience very often...
Adding to the air of spaciousness are deep windows and, on the test car, a large glass sunroof.
An abundance of natural light and space will make any car feel luxurious. But the big Kia backs this up with tactile quality that also makes the Sorento feel upmarket.
The Sorento excels with a fabulous interior stuffed with crowd-pleasing touches
The buttery soft leather trim of the test car, in range-topping '4' trim, is a case in point; heck, it even smelt expensive, with an aroma that put me in mind - believe it or not - of a Bentley.
But then again, this is a pricey car; and, one might say, expensive for a Kia. In '4' trim, it's £47k... which isn't that far behind something like a Volvo XC90, which has a similarly calm and relaxed cabin vibe (Sorento prices start at £39,360).
It says much for how credible this new Sorento is that it bears mentioning in the same sentence as a car as highly regarded by Drive as the big Volvo.
Bolstering the Kia's case is an extensive list of standard equipment. My test car came with - deep breath - 19-inch alloy wheels, heated seats in the front and back, a superb full-colour head-up display, cool LED interior lighting, many safety aids, an excellent Bose sound system, bird's-eye view parking camera, wireless phone charging, lots of storage space for water bottles, iPads and teddy bears, smart cruise control... The list goes on.
One unusual but surprisingly useful feature was how the blind spot cameras put their image in the dashboard when you indicate right or left.
Another novel aspect is the option to choose from a variety of 'soundscapes' - if you fancy driving along to the crackling sound of a log fire or the scrunching of feet in freshly fallen snow, then the Sorento can oblige.
The infotainment screen - large, at 10.25-inches - is clear and, in trademark Kia fashion, very simple to operate.
Bolstering the Kia's usability is the ease of access to the rear-most seats and how straightforward it is to fold and configure the seats. I couldn't work out what to do with the parcel shelf when it wasn't needed - there was no easy way to store it under the boot floor, for example - so it had to stay at home; a minor black mark...
The Sorento's wonderful interior is maybe its strongest attribute. That's arguably the correct priority, given that large SUVs are primarily bought to move families in comfort.
Kia hasn't attempted to make this two-tonner handle like a sports car. That would likely be a waste of effort and, frankly, the Sorento isn't that exciting to drive.
It does have a plush ride, which is more important, and body roll is well controlled for something so large, high and heavy. It's a composed, comfortable companion - which, I suspect, is the way it ought to be for a family SUV.
The new Sorento is another very convincing product from Kia. It's a leap forward from its predecessor in every sense and offers further evidence of the Korean company's relentless progression
You can have your Sorento with a diesel engine. It's a 2.2-litre unit, with 199bhp. That output isn't that special but the wedge of 325 lb ft of torque is far more like it. It uses an eight-speed double-clutch automatic gearbox and, like all Sorentos, has four-wheel-drive.
A large diesel SUV isn't unusual by any means, but Kia offers it on only one trim level, the '3' grade.
That's because Kia is nudging us towards accepting that a petrol-hybrid drivetrain is what we really need under the bonnet of our large SUVs.
A plug-in hybrid Sorento has now joined the regular 'self-charging' hybrid set-up. It uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor which can contribute up to 59bhp; the car boasts a total power output of 226bhp, which is beefier than the diesel, though it isn't as torquey, with 258 lb ft. The hybrid uses a six-speed automatic gearbox.
The diesel can tow up to 2,500kg while the hybrid is limited to a more modest 1,650kg; that will make the decision for you if your family wagon needs to regularly pull a heavy trailer.
Diesel is still more economical too, at least on the official WLTP combined cycle, though perhaps by not as much as you might imagine - 42.2mpg against the relative hybrid's 38.7mpg.
I haven't driven the diesel Sorento yet so can't comment on how it goes about its business; but the hybrid is quite excellent.
Kia is by now really experienced with this technology - thus why I was perplexed at the XCeed plug-in being below par - and it shows on the Sorento.
The engine cuts in and out as needed when tootling about almost imperceptibly and the car is so quiet at a cruise that you don't really hear it anyway. Smooth gear changes enhance the impression of a well sorted drivetrain.
Lean too hard on the throttle and the engine does become vocal and uncouth. It's not worth the effort either, as even when roused, this isn't what you could call a quick car.
Better to coast along where the drivetrain is at its smooth and refined best.
Driven thus, it emphasises just how calm and serene this new Sorento can be. There's a relaxing Volvo-esque gait to the Kia and, particularly in '4' trim as tested, a similar sense of being insulated from the world outside.
The new Sorento is another very convincing product from Kia. It's a leap forward from its predecessor in every sense and offers further evidence of the Korean company's relentless progression.
The cabin has a real 'wow factor', the car has a deep sense of quality and it justifies its price tag.
Were I in the market for a large, seven-seat SUV, the Sorento would definitely be on my check-list.
PLUG-IN HYBRID WIDENS SORENTO LINE-UP
THE plug-in hybrid Kia Sorento costs from £45,245 in ‘2’ specification, with ‘3’ models costing from £49,145. Top of the range ‘4’ models break the £50k threshold, and are priced from £53,495.
The car uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine combined with a battery-powered electric motor. Total outputs are 261bhp and 258lb ft.
Kia says this gives the big SUV up to 35 miles of electric-only driving, with CO2 emissions of 38g/km.
Because the Sorento was designed to accommodate a plug-in drivetrain, Kia says the battery and motor don't impact on practicality.
