Kia has to be admired for its dedication to the cause of improving its cars, getting to know the European buying public and giving us what we want. Obviously it has a vested interest, what with all the money it's trying to make, but it deserves admiration all the same. The difference between now and ten years ago is immeasurable.
That's not to say there aren't any delays in that process of getting to know the public - Kia might think the public wants a particular thing, but it's no good planning products that are going to take three or four years of development based on what people want now. It truly is a guessing game, this car building business.
Take the last Kia Sorento, for instance. Off-roaders were all the rage a few years ago - Kia clearly saw a hole in its business that needed filling there. Something commanding, high up, masculine and imposing. Something that would be good off-road. Except that wasn't quite what the public wanted - the public wanted the high, commanding presence, but hardcore 4x4s were all that was available at the time. It turns out we wanted softroaders - aggressive cars without the ability to back it up. Something that would make us feel good in the supermarket car park.
So Kia has learned its lesson and come up with something far more user-friendly (unless that user happens to be a farmer) with the new Sorento. The styling is very international and the whole ambience of the car is of a semi-premium soft roader - a sort of junior Lexus. Or at least it is until you look closely at the interior. The design is fine, but some of the plastics feel like they have come from the Kia Picanto.
On the road, the highlight is the 2.2 litre diesel engine mated to the optional automatic transmission. This drivetrain is about as refined as a four-cylinder diesel can get, and has the feel of something genuinely upmarket. The rest of the Sorento driving experience can best be described as, "good enough". The steering, handling and ride are all sufficiently unexceptionable that you barely notice them - although the ride can get a little crashy on rough British roads.
The Sorento is a perfect example of how far Kia has come in recent years. Unfortunately, that applies as much to the price as to the car.