Kia Sorento displayed in Paris

The Kia Sorento SUV was one of the main exhibits on the Kia stand at this year's Paris Motor Show. The Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan X-Trail rival goes on sale next year and also hopes to take on upmarket competition including the BMW X3 and upcoming Land Rover Discovery Sport

It's the third generation of the brand's biggest SUV, which was launched back in 2002. Early models sold well in the UK, but sales of the current car have slowed somewhat, as improved rivals have stolen its market share.

New Kia Sorento design

The new model is sleeker, with new headlights, a bold grille and chrome detailing throughout. The rear has been updated too, with some new tail-lights and a redesigned bumper.

New Kia Sorento practicality

The new car is 95mm longer, allowing for more interior space and increased rear legroom. It’s also 15mm lower – presumably in an attempt to make the Sorento more fun to drive.

The boot is bigger, too. With the third row of seats (the Kia Sorento will be available with seven seats) folded flat, the SUV will boast a huge 605-litre boot. That's up from 515 litres in the old model, as well as being 20 litres more than you'll find in a Hyundai Santa Fe.

New Kia Sorento interior

Kia says that inside, the third-generation Sorento will "raise the bar in luxury thanks to a modern wraparound dashboard, high-quality soft-touch materials and a range of advanced on-board technologies."

There's a more luxurious, sophisticated, higher-quality design, with a central touchscreen display for the sat nav, radio and Bluetooth controls. Kia says this part of the dashboard is inspired by a Swiss watch, incorporating Kia's latest HMI (human-machine interface) technology.

Buyers will have a choice of interior finishes, including black and two-tone black/grey trim. Additionally, brown or light grey leather will be offered as an option.

New Kia Sorento engines

Although other markets will be offered a range of petrol and diesel engines – including a powerful 266bhp 3.3-litre petrol – UK buyers will be restricted to the more economical 2.2-litre diesel. Performance and economy figures are yet to be announced, but expect slight improvements on the current car's 47.9mpg fuel economy and 155g/km CO2 emissions.

New Kia Sorento price and release date

The car officially debuted at the Paris Motor Show. Exact prices will be revealed in due course, but should start from around £27,000. Expect the first models to be delivered to customers early next year.

To read a Kia Sorento review, visit the Carbuyer Kia reviews page.