The new Kia K7 SUV is completely ready. It will hit the Chinese car market on March 16. The K7 is the new flagship SUV for Kia in China. The Kia KX7 is based on the current third generation Kia Sorento, but with a flashier grille and different lights and bumpers.

The Sorento is imported into China from South Korea which makes it a bit more expensive than offerings from the competition. Not much more expensive because South Korea and China have a sweet little trade deal that eliminates most import taxes on cars. Nevertheless, Kia thought it wiser to shift to local production.

Price of the Sorento starts at 230.000 and ends at 370.000 yuan. Engines: 188hp 2.4, a 200hp 2.2 turbo diesel, and a 241hp 2.0 turbo. The diesel variant is only marketed outside the big cities, where diesel-powered passenger cars are mostly forbidden.

The KX7 will be made in China by the Dongfeng-Yueda-Kia joint venture. It will get exactly the same engines as the Sorento, mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The base models will be FWD and the high end models will be 4WD.

Price will start just above 200.000 yuan and end around 300.000 yuan.

The interior is updated and looks surprisingly nice for a Kia. Lots of leather and even some wood. The pedals are perforated for extra lightness and thus speed. The infotainment system is housed in a large standing pod on top of the center stack.

The touch screen itself however is not very large; just 8 inch and the graphics look outdated. But it has Apple CarPlay and Baidu CarLife.

This is the five-seat variant and Kia will also offer a seven-seater. Passengers on the third row however better be small as there won’t be much space.

Size: 4730/1890/1730, and wheelbase is 2700.

Roof rails are properly useful and large enough to attach a tree to.

Not a Sorento; this is the new Kia KX7 for China.