Kia Motors Corp. aims to sell 270,000 of its all-new Sorento SUVs worldwide in 2015 by highlighting the vehicle’s “class above” performance, amenities and technology features, the company said Thursday.

In a media event to mark the domestic launch of the crossover, which helped place Kia as a contender in the recreational vehicle segment, South Korea’s No. 2 carmaker expressed confidence that the third-generation Sorento will outpace rivals in all areas.

“The target set for domestic sales in 2014 stands at 5,000 units per month, with next year’s target being 50,000 for South Korea and 220,000 in all foreign markets,” the company said. 

Since its launch in 2002, sales of the Sorento had reached 2.09 million units as of last month.

The carmaker said its target has been set to reflect across-the-board improvements made to its flagship crossover that took 42 months to develop and cost 450 billion won ($443.7 million).

“The Sorento is an embodiment of Kia’s latest design philosophy, attention to safety and vehicular performance, and has been built with the goal of creating an ‘upper class’ SUV,” the company stressed.

The car takes a more sporty and athletic stance, capped by the company’s tiger nose grille and comes packed with the latest safety features not commonly found in the class, Kia said.

The new car has a lower roof line, but is longer, wider and has more space between the front and rear wheels than the model it replaces. The proportions allow the car to have three rolls of seats and 605 liters of cargo space in the back, up 90 liters from the current Sorento.

Kia said that extensive use of structural adhesives and various techniques, such as more floor undercover, has greatly improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) qualities that are hallmarks of premium crossovers. (Yonhap)