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What is it?
2007 Kia Rondo
What's special about it?
Even though the new 2007 Kia Rondo was introduced today at the 2007 L.A. Auto Show as an all-new crossover-utility vehicle (CUV), the model has been a part of Kia's worldwide arsenal for awhile. Called the Kia Carens in Europe and Asia, this smaller-than-a-minivan vehicle has been a perennial strong seller in a very popular overseas market segment.
So when this CUV was redesigned for 2007, Kia management decided to bring it to these shores. Apparently, when you translate "Carens" into American English, you get "Rondo." Still, the segment doesn't have deep roots here. Perhaps recognizing that reality, Kia has set a modest sales goal of 30,000 per year.
Rondo's compact van body, which conceptually matches up to the Mazda 5, will be sold in five- and seven-passenger versions. The proportions of Rondo say "minivan," even if Kia officials avoid that word like the plague. Perhaps to thwart that impression, Rondo's rear doors are normally hinged, unlike the Mazda 5's sliders. And in an attempt to up the hipness quotient, Kia marketing wizards want us to know that the Rondo has "Stylatude," dude, and, like "huge Cabinosity." Whatever.
The new Rondo has mechanical roots in the recently redesigned Kia Optima sedan, with which it shares a platform. As in the Optima, the front wheels are powered by either a 2.4-liter four-cylinder DOHC engine, here putting out 162 horsepower, or a 2.7-liter V6, making 182 ponies. All-wheel drive is not on the options list. The whole thing sits atop front strut and rear multilink suspension, and rolls on either 16- or 17-inch tires.
You can already buy the five-passenger variant, which was quietly introduced in late October in what Kia Public Relations Director Alex Fedorak termed a "soft launch." The main push will come in January, when the seven-passenger version becomes available. Base prices range from $16,395 to $20,195, not including destination.
What's Edmunds' take?
This vehicle configuration, while popular in other parts of the world, hasn't really taken off here, so it's hard to predict the fate of the Rondo. Kia's attempt at youth marketing seems a long shot, as the Rondo's styling is neither sporty nor dorky enough to generate much buzz. Practicality and value, however, might win the day. — Dan Edmunds
What is it?
2007 Kia Rondo
What's special about it?
Even though the new 2007 Kia Rondo was introduced today at the 2007 L.A. Auto Show as an all-new crossover-utility vehicle (CUV), the model has been a part of Kia's worldwide arsenal for awhile. Called the Kia Carens in Europe and Asia, this smaller-than-a-minivan vehicle has been a perennial strong seller in a very popular overseas market segment.
So when this CUV was redesigned for 2007, Kia management decided to bring it to these shores. Apparently, when you translate "Carens" into American English, you get "Rondo." Still, the segment doesn't have deep roots here. Perhaps recognizing that reality, Kia has set a modest sales goal of 30,000 per year.
Rondo's compact van body, which conceptually matches up to the Mazda 5, will be sold in five- and seven-passenger versions. The proportions of Rondo say "minivan," even if Kia officials avoid that word like the plague. Perhaps to thwart that impression, Rondo's rear doors are normally hinged, unlike the Mazda 5's sliders. And in an attempt to up the hipness quotient, Kia marketing wizards want us to know that the Rondo has "Stylatude," dude, and, like "huge Cabinosity." Whatever.
The new Rondo has mechanical roots in the recently redesigned Kia Optima sedan, with which it shares a platform. As in the Optima, the front wheels are powered by either a 2.4-liter four-cylinder DOHC engine, here putting out 162 horsepower, or a 2.7-liter V6, making 182 ponies. All-wheel drive is not on the options list. The whole thing sits atop front strut and rear multilink suspension, and rolls on either 16- or 17-inch tires.
You can already buy the five-passenger variant, which was quietly introduced in late October in what Kia Public Relations Director Alex Fedorak termed a "soft launch." The main push will come in January, when the seven-passenger version becomes available. Base prices range from $16,395 to $20,195, not including destination.
What's Edmunds' take?
This vehicle configuration, while popular in other parts of the world, hasn't really taken off here, so it's hard to predict the fate of the Rondo. Kia's attempt at youth marketing seems a long shot, as the Rondo's styling is neither sporty nor dorky enough to generate much buzz. Practicality and value, however, might win the day. — Dan Edmunds
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