New Kia Sorento revealed, showing plusher upmarket design

Kia has revealed its new Sorento ahead of the large SUV's debut at the Geneva show next month.

The fourth-generation Skoda Kodiaq rival adopts a design distinctly different to that of its predecessor or any other Kia sold in Europe. This angular styling, which apes the larger Telluride, is likely to be a reflection of its greater sales status in the US than Europe.

The Sorento's proportions have been altered with the aim of making it look longer, by way of shorter front and rear overhangs and a 35mm-longer wheelbase. All other dimensions are only around 10mm greater, although space inside – especially for middle-row passengers – is said to be significantly enhanced, thanks to improved packaging. All UK models will be seven-seaters.

The only image of the interior released so far is of a Korean-spec car, but it's unlikely to be changed much for Europe beyond the choice of trim colours.

Highlights include a Mercedes-style panel that links a larger infotainment touchscreen to a new digital instrument display, while a separate climate control panel is flanked by central air vents.

Technical firsts for Kia include improved cruise control that automatically readjusts limits according to corner gradients, a self-parking function accessed via the key fob, automatic braking if the car is about to hit something while parking and a blindspot monitoring system that uses cameras mounted on the door mirrors to project images of what's alongside the car onto the dashboard.

The Sorento will be launched this autumn with a 199bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine and a 227bhp hybrid powertrain comprising a 1.6-litre petrol engine, a 59bhp electric motor and a 1.5kWh battery. A plug-in hybrid will follow shortly after with 261bhp overall, an 89bhp motor and a 16.6kWh battery.

Buyers will have the choice of front- or four-wheel drive except with the plug-in hybrid, which will exclusively be a 4x4.