Sturdy, dependable and down-to-earth – not qualities that everyone looks for in a car, but this was my first impression of the new Kia Sorento.

Just as well, as this was also the car that I drove my new baby boy home from hospital in – always a bit of a nerve-wracking trip, no matter how many years you’ve been driving.

We are a family of four, so the term ‘seven-seaters’ has always gone over my head a little. But it’s surprising just how often the extra seats come in handy, and you almost certainly value the boot space when the seats are down.

All models now have Intelligent All-Wheel Drive and are powered by a revised version of Kia’s 2.2-litre CRDi turbodiesel engine, driving all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic.

The engine develops 194bhp at 3,800rpm and 422Nm of torque from just 1,800rpm, endowing the Sorento with outstanding driveability both on and off-road.

And although I didn’t test its off-road ability on this occasion, it was effortless to drive, soaking up bumps well with very little road noise, both around town and at motorway speeds.

It’s not that different to its predecessor, but it does have a new grille and bumpers, and it is also more than 100kg lighter.

Length and width are unchanged, although the new Sorento is slightly lower, which helps improve on-road agility.

Steering has been switched to an electrically-assisted system, and its modified bodyshell has helped reduce noise and vibration.

The Sorento has a host of features, and the satellite navigation system is combined with a 10-speaker premium audio system delivering 495 watts of power.

It includes a central speaker, subwoofer and an 11-channel DSP external amplifier for maximum surround-sound quality.

Every Sorento has anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) to allow drivers to steer and brake simultaneously in emergencies and to ensure the stopping effort is directed to the wheels with most grip.

A flashing LED Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) is also fitted to warn following motorists if you have to brake suddenly.

Six airbags are standard, as are active front headrests that prevent or minimise whiplash injuries should the Sorento be hit from behind.

There are also front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters.

As with every other Kia, the Sorento benefits from a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

Fact file:
Car: Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi
Price: £29,995
0-60mph: 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 118mph
Fuel: 47.9mpg
CO2 emissions: 155g/km