I drove the Kia Sorento – it’s a roomy 7-seater and smooth on the road but too expensive… and there’s a cabin issue

I’VE said it before, but I’ll say it again – the Koreans have got it nailed.

Maybe not so much with their pop music.

Or haircuts.

But when it comes to cars, the Korean brands are top of the class.

If you had asked me to swap the Kia Sorento I’ve just tried for an Audi or BMW, I would have flat refused. Genuinely.

Because the Sorento is one of the best large SUVs money can buy right now.

It’s a proper seven-seater, for a start.

The rear two seats are spacious enough for anyone who doesn’t make a living by playing professional basketball – more roomy than seven-seat rivals like the Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008.

And those camping out in the back even get USB charging points and air vents.

The front of the cabin is properly sorted with tech.

The large infotainment screen is a doddle to use and hosts useful features like a 360-degree parking camera.

Kia only sells the Sorento in one trim level here in the UK, which means everyone gets a trick Bose sound system.

Probably more likely to be playing Peppa Pig songs than hip hop, but still a nice feature to have.

My only criticism when it comes to the cabin is the fact it’s a little bit too busy.

Kia’s approach to upping the wow factor for its flagship European SUV is to throw everything at it, so the console is a mish-mash of materials and textures.

All of them high end, but too many.

It’s like asking for every topping possible on a pizza – good idea in theory, but doesn’t taste nice in reality.

Despite being longer and wider than ever, the Sorento is the baby brother of the Telluride – a monstrous SUV sold in the US.

When you know that, the in-your-face interior styling makes more sense.

They love their bling over there.

On the road, no complaints.

I drove the self-charging hybrid, which is smooth and quiet thanks to the leccy motor.

A plug-in hybrid is also available, as well as a diesel.

Plenty of choice when it comes to engines, then, which makes it a bit odd that there’s only one trim level available.

It’s called “Edition” and it’s basically the tippy top spec, which means all Sorentos sold in the UK are fully loaded, which is good.

What’s not so good is the fact it means you can’t buy a new Sorento for less than £50k.

Still, it’s worth the money as far as I’m concerned.

Especially when EV9, as good as it is, starts at £65k.

I’ll like Sorento even more when it is three years old and half the price.