Long respected for its off-road ability -- if less-so on the road -- Kia's Sorento is due to morph into something quite different when the second-generation model is unveiled at this year's Frankfurt motor show in September.
Just as the current Sportage is to Kia owner Hyundai's Tucson, so is the next Sorento to the Santa Fe SUV.
As such, the new Kia SUV will no longer feature full-chassis construction and will adopt the increasingly-common unitary or monocoque construction favoured by most SUV makers. It will also get a fully independent suspension to replace the old live-axle rear end of the original -- all from the Santa Fe.
Maybe we can expect to lose some of the off-road capability, but the more refined new model should be appreciated by more buyers.
The more luxe and road-friendly Sorento will appear at Frankfurt alongside an updated Kia cee'd -- the Hyundai i30-based small Kia sold in Europe only.
The company's most popular model in Europe will get new front and rear ends as well as a number of internal upgrades, including Bluetooth connectivity, that are focused on enhancing the cee'd's already Euro feel.
Significantly, the latest cee'd will also pick up the high-efficiency 1.6-litre turbodiesel from Hyundai's i30 that will replace the previous 2.0-litre engine and improve both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions figures -- the latter quoted at 110g/km.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi