After driving the 2021 Kia Sorento for a week now, I have a question for you: How do the premium German brands differentiate themselves, into the next decade?

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If you are an actual car-buyer … someone with cash and the need for seven seats, the new Sorento is good. Not perfect, but really good. Certainly far better than the notion you might have in your head when someone says ‘flagship Kia’. If you last looked at Kia in about 2010 (or even earlier) it’s time for you to re-calibrate.

In this report I’m going to lay out exactly what I like about the new Sorento - and there is a lot to like about this vehicle. But there are imperfections too, and some things it does poorly - right at the end of this report I’ll address those shortcomings.

This review is independent. Everything I say here is my honest personal opinion about the vehicle, and the company selling it.

This is the fourth generation Sorento - and all-new platform, updated diesel, all new transmission for the diesel, new interior and exterior, new infotainment OS, etc.

The diesel is a 2.2-litre turbo - an evolution of the predecessor. It’s got an aluminium block now, which shaves almost 20 kilos off the bathroom scales, and delivers hybrid-like fuel economy - 6.1 litres per 100km on the official combined cycle test, and 5.3 on the highway.

You really should consider the diesel, but if you’re a ‘petrol-only’ kind of dude or dudette, there’s a V6 petrol in the range as well.

If you’re an average sort of driver looking for a versatile SUV with five seats and a large cargo bay, or seven seats and modest cargo capacity, then Sorento V6 is a definite starter.

The diesel is definitely better - it’s smoother and more composed thanks in part to the all-wheel-drive powertrain, and also because the diesel just makes more mid- and low-rpm power. It’s also a lot more fuel efficient, but more expensive.

Sorento diesel AWD is compatible with dirt roads and easy fire trails and driving of that nature - but if you throw properly difficult terrain its way, you’ll probably break something. It’s just not designed for that.

All-wheel drive is a real plus for family camping. Like, if it rains overnight and the dirt road you drove in on turns to mush, you stand a far better chance of fronting up for work Monday morning, with AWD. If that’s you, buy the diesel.

There are four specification grades. Starting at the bottom is the ‘S’, then the ‘Sport’, ‘Sport+’ and (topping out the range) the GT-Line. And there’s an $18,000 gap between the V6 front drive ‘S’ poverty pack at about $47k drive-away, and the range topping diesel AWD GT-Line at about $65k. So, how do you make sense of that?

I’d suggest it’s like this: Bottom of the range is there to appeal to beancounters - specifically the kind of beancounters who buy vehicles by the dozen for corporate fleets. They strip out almost everything they can to get the price low.

If you’re buying for yourself, on a tight budget, take one step up because Sport is a lot better than S - and it’s only $3000 more.

Sport+ is the smart choice on value - it’s a $4500 step up. You get a proximity key with pushbutton start, power tailgate for juggling the groceries, leather, remote start, heated seats and USBs in the back.

GT-Line is the works burger - also diesel only - and it’s going to cost you about $6500 more than Sport+. It’s got everything - premium instrument cluster, blind view monitor, you can park it remotely, you get a 360 camera, and premium sound. This stuff is all nice, but can you live without it in Sport+? Yeah. Absolutely.