Off-roaders are getting younger, it seems. They’re also more likely to be a townie than a country dweller. And they’re more likely to be a woman.

Those are the claims from Kia, which has softened its Sorento a little to make sure it appeals to the new-style off-roaders.

It seems the old image of a farmer in a mud-plugging Land Rover is out of date. And while the Sorento is equipped to handle fields and streams, quite frankly most never venture anywhere more intrepid than Sainsbury’s.

That said, the recent bad weather brought home the value of 4x4s. You don’t need to live in the Dales or moors to appreciate the benefit of four-wheel drive and good ground clearance.

The Sorento has always ticked those boxes, but Kia’s stylists – who, by the way, don’t get the credit they deserve – have been hard at work on the model.

They made the Sportage into the best compact 4x4 pound for pound on the road; now they’ve been at work giving Sorento a similar appeal.

Kia says it was important to make it a seven-seater because many buyers might otherwise have gone for a people-carrier.

They also made it lower and longer to give it more of a car-like ride and greater space.

The first Sorento, launched in 2002, was a landmark vehicle which took the Korean brand into a whole new section of the motoring market.

It marked a huge step for Kia, challenging many established 4x4 and SUV brands and starting the process of changing public perception of Kia as a ‘maker of small cars’.

Now, under the direction of chief design officer Peter Schreyer, the Kia design team has aimed to deliver futuristic styling to the brand. Schreyer is a man with form in this area, for he was largely responsible for the iconic Audi TT.

Sorento is what Kia called a CUV (crossover utility vehicle), as opposed to the more common SUV (sport utility vehicle).

It carries the now-familiar Kia family grille. It’s a bold-looking car with an almost-sporty stance.

The longer bodyshell created for new Sorento ensures that the stretched cabin is more spacious than the old model, with seating for up to seven people.

Interior headroom and legroom is increased, and luggage space in the new Sorento is among the best-in-class as the cargo area is increased by 15 per cent, thanks to moving the tailgate back by almost 70 mm.

In fact, it holds just over 2,000 litres if you only use the front seats. Even with all three rows in place, it can still hold 258 litres.

For the new Sorento, the suspension engineers’ brief was to improve the on-road driving experience, in terms of ride quality and steering ‘feel’.

They managed to do this while retaining the vast majority of the previous model’s off-road abilities. The suspension has been lowered by 10mm and, thanks to the new chassis, the centre of gravity has been lowered by 54mm.

Buyers can select from two advanced drivetrains. The 2WD drivetrain offers lower weight and enhanced fuel economy, while the 4WD will be ideal for buyers who face difficult driving conditions, tow trailers or spend a lot of time off-road.

Yet on the road, this fairly chunky vehicle has excellent manners. It rides and handles more like a big estate car than a formidable 4x4, and it comes with arguably the best warranty in the world for peace of mind.

Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi automatic:- PRICE: £30,440. Range starts at £21,265.

ENGINE: A 2.2 litre engine generatng 194bhp via four wheel drive.

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 118mph, 0-60mph in 9.6 seconds.

EMISSIONS: 194g/km.

COSTS: Average 38.2mpg.

INSURANCE: Group 30.

WARRANTY: Seven years, 100,000 miles.

Steve’s ratings:- Performance: 4/5 Economy: 4/5 Ride/Handling: 3/5 Space/Practicality: 3/5 Equipment: 3/5 Security/Safety: 4/5 Value For Money: 4/5 OVERALL: 4/5