THERE'S a general belief that the more you spend on a big off-roader, the better the vehicle. Wrong!

Here are six little words that blow that popular misconception right out of the water - Hyundai Terracan, SsangYong Rexton, Kia Sorento.

Those three are the real bargain buys out of a good handful of new 4x4s launched on the British market in recent years, and their £18k starting prices, with masses of guts and gear, killed, once and for all, the idea that cash equals capability, quality and kit.

Of that trio, the Sorento is the shooting star, a proficient and punchy off-roader that has scooped more awards in a year than some manufacturers gain in a decade.

The respected 4x4 Magazine made the Kia their Car of the Year 2004. The USA, France, Spain and Austria have all heaped awards on the car, too. The Korean estate's accolades all add up to a little back-door pat on the back for Britain, because the four-wheel-drive system uses technology from Borg-Warner, with components manufactured in South Wales.

The Sorento scores best in 2.5-litre turbo diesel form. The other engine choice is a 3.5-litre V6 petrol unit. All variants offer the choice of automatic transmission, for £1,000 extra, and the five-speed sport option was fitted to the tested base model, the XE.

That 2,497cc oil-burner has 138bhp to draw on for both agility and rough work, and enough torque to haul, or tow, a hefty load with ease. Flicking from front two to all four wheels simply means turning a switch to the right of the steering wheel, with low-ratio offering sure-footed confidence on steep, slippery slopes.

As four-cylinder diesels go, the Kia has no bad habits. Noise is well suppressed, and it sprints well enough to look very lively around town.

In automatic form, it gets to 62mph in 14.3 seconds, three-tenths of a second faster than the five-speed manual, and the Sorento's top speed is 104mph.

The big 75-litre tank (almost 18 gallons) gives the Sorento a 750-mile stretch between fill-ups and nearly 42 miles to the gallon.

The all-coil, self-levelling suspension sorts out the off-road ruts, and it is remarkably composed on the Tarmac, too - even at motorway limits. But then, it was fine-tuned by Porsche.

It handles best when fully laden - and that tells you what the Kia is all about: hard work.

The cloth seating is very supportive, and five adults can ride along in comfort, everyone getting plenty of legroom.

The XE automatic has a high level of equipment for the £19,498 asking price, including driver, passenger and curtain-side airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic force distribution, air-conditioning, power sunroof, alloy wheels, fog lamps, roof rails and body side protective mouldings.

Luxury touches include a leather steering wheel and gear knob, a remote key-operated opening for the rear tailgate window, in-dashboard CD player with eight-speaker audio system and electric aerial, and multimeter in-roof console providing ambient temperature, altimeter, compass and barometer.

To round that lot off, you've also electric windows and heated mirrors, rear cargo cover, and a cargo net.

Things get better in the XS, with luxuries including a powered driver's seat, leather upholstery and climate control.

Those lengthy lists spell trouble for the likes of Shogun and Discovery, whose cheapest models are at least £4k dearer than the Sorento XE, which is a much better-looking motor.

So don't go fooling yourself that price, and a badge, makes a vehicle a much better buy.