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3.6

DRIVING score

DESPITE its larger dimensions, the Kia is actually 50kg lighter than the Hyundai. This meant it was the fastest car on test from 0-60mph, taking 9.0 seconds.

With 197bhp and 441Nm of torque available, it was also the quickest between 50 and 70mph, posting a time of 9.7 seconds. This was one second faster than the Mitsubishi and 1. 2 seconds up on the Hyundai. However, the Kia was marginally slower than the Santa Fe in our other performance tests, even though it had the edge over the Outlander.

For many buyers, speed won’t be as important as comfort, and here the Kia offers exactly what you want from a large family SUV. The raised ride height means there’s a good level of suspension travel, and when this is combined with the forgiving damping, the Sorento rides all but the worst bumps with a nice level of poise.

The trade-off is that it’s not the most nimble car, but at least the light steering provides a sense of agility you don’t get from the heavier steering in the Hyundai.

Refinement is also good, and at 70mph on the motorway, there’s not much road, wind or engine noise. If you do rev the motor harder, you get a diesel grumble from under the bonnet, but it’s

OWNERSHIP score

A Seven-year/100,000-mile warranty will be a big draw for buyers, and Kia fared better than its rivals in Driver Power 2016, finishing 14th.

All three cars get a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. However, the Sorento doesn’t have autonomous emergency braking. Six airbags and lane departure warning are standard, but if you want blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, you’ll have to upgrade to the top-spec KX-4 model.