2016 Kia Sorento Unveiled in Paris

Kia has revealed its all-new Sorento, touting a quieter ride and a more luxurious feel, one day before the 2014 Paris Motor Show.

The Korean brand calls the design inspiration for the new Sorento “Streetwolf,” even though the styling changes are mostly evolutionary. Long wrap-around headlights, more prominent fog lamps and a larger more upright tiger nose grille have all been added to the SUV.

From profile, a lower roofline, higher beltline and a more swept-back appearance help the Kia take on a more muscular look also enhanced by the addition of 3-inches in length, bringing the total to 188 inches. Around back, the haunches have also been made larger.

Moving inside, Kia is looking to bring the Sorento into a more premium space by wrapping the innards in leather and soft-touch materials. A flowing horizontal design has been implemented to help with the luxury feel, while the latest version of Kia’s infotainment setup is present. Buyers will be able to get either an all-black interior, a two-tone scheme with black and beige or a brown and light gray color scheme.

2014 Paris Motor Show Coverage

Passengers now get more headroom and legroom, while the cargo area grows to 21.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. Five- or seven-passenger versions of the Sorento are available, with the second row using a 40/20/40 split.

A smoother ride is promised by Kia thanks to new suspension tuning, a longer wheelbase and an updated bodyshell which is 14 percent stiffer. Interior noise is also said to be cut by 3 to 6 percent courtesy of new sound deadening in the dashboard and around the transmission tunnel.

All of these chassis updates also make the Sorento safer in a crash according to Kia, though safety technology is not in short supply. The Sorento can be fit with adaptive cruise, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a speed limit informer.

In Europe, the Sorento will have two diesel options and single gas engine, a 2.4-liter unit. U.S. specifications have not been announced.