Kia adds dash to restyled Sorento

KIA has followed up a sneak look at the exterior of its upcoming Sorento mid-size SUV with a peek inside the vehicle.

The South Korean car-maker today released a single sketch of what the interior of the new Sorento – due for its Asian reveal this month ahead of an international debut at October’s Paris motor show – will look like when it enters production.

It reveals an interior that appears to shake off the brand’s once-cheap, utilitarian looks for a design that is far more stylish and European-feeling than ever before.

A video released last week shows that the Sorento’s exterior will morph into something akin to a high-riding European hatchback with a lower roofline, higher beltline, more muscular stance, rounded shoulders at the rear, and deeply sculpted body surfaces.

“The third-generation Kia Sorento’s cabin will raise the bar for luxury in its segment, thanks to a modern, wrap-around dashboard, high quality soft-touch materials and a range of advanced on-board technologies,” Kia said in a statement.

“Together, these developments will enhance the ownership experience of the brand’s popular crossover utility vehicle.”

According to Kia, the interior styling was led by the brand’s design team in Frankfurt, Germany, which cited the finest modern Swiss watches as a key influence during the design phase.

“The smoothly-contoured cabin features a higher proportion of soft-touch materials, leather and stitching, as well as Kia’s latest HMI (human-machine interface),” it said.

“A large infotainment screen dominates the center of the dashboard, which employs long, flowing shapes to envelope the driver and front passenger and to emphasise the width and space of the larger cabin.”

The Sorento is in line to receive the car-maker’s latest driver assistance technology, including a forward collision alert system that warns the driver if the vehicle in front is too close.

As well, it is expected to draw on a new suite of infotainment technologies shared with the upcoming Kia Carnival and hinted at by the large screen that dominates the dash.

The new Sorento, which will share its underpinnings with the Carnival, is due on sale in Australia early next year.

Kia is already believed to be working on a local suspension and steering tune for the new car.