kia sorento new 1

We now have the very first official pictures of the 2015 Kia Sorento, to supplant the various renderings we've had of the third-generation Korean SUV. You'd expect new Kias – especially large ones – to look rather bold, and this one's doesn't disappoint.

It's fresh and flash at the same time, incorporating a super-sized "tiger nose" grille with a three-dimensional diamond pattern up front that neatly flow into the slim, swept-back headlamps. The rear appears simple but sophisticated, while the lower roofline is paired to a higher beltline for dramatic effect.

Against the measuring tape, the 2015 model is now 95 mm longer than before at 4,780 mm, but 15 mm lower at 1,685 mm tall. The wheelbase has been stretched too, to 2,780 mm (an increase of 80 mm), so there will be more space for all three rows.

kia sorento new 2

Kia claims that the new model carries elements of the Cross GT concept from the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, but truth be told, it has more in common with the already-distinctive second-generation Sorento XM (in separate gallery below). The long bonnet and wide D-pillars are carried over intact.

We don't have any real photos of the interior just yet, so the single official sketch of the dashboard released last week will have to do for now.

"Completely redesigned and re-engineered," Kia says the new Sorento will have a host of "new convenience and safety technologies, as well as enhanced space, driving comfort and handling response." It will be shown in full in Korea later this month, and make its global motor show premiere at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October.

2015 Kia Sorento

2012-2014 Kia Sorento