Facelifted Kia Sorento even getting in on the 'Ring thing

It looks as if Kia is hard at work sorting out some of the suspension woes in the company's Sorento. Photographers spotted this camouflaged version thrashing around the Nürburgring recently. More often than not, manufacturers use the track for suspension development, and while the Sorento debuted to generally strong reviews, its stiff-legged ride came in for criticism. That complaint was addressed with the uplevel SX trim and its dual-flow dampers, which were subsequently retrofitted to the rest of the line. We're not sure if the prototype seen here is rocking that same technology, but the 'Ring is as good a place as any to sort out dynamics and ride.

This is the second time this year we've seen the Korean crossover take on the Ring's numerous corners. Our shooters first clocked the machine doing the same back in May, though with substantially heavier cladding working to disguise the sheetmetal beneath. Hyundai has reportedly been benchmark testing the next Sorento against costlier models like the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK, both of which boast far superior on-road manners.