Kia Rondo 2008 review

When Kia’s entry into the people-mover category was unveiled at the 2007 Sydney Motor Show, it didn’t trigger a rousing reception so much as a polite golf clap.

Underwhelming as it may have appeared then, set amongst a backdrop of European classic and super cars, the Kia Rondo is in fact a very competent and affordable ‘crossover’ vehicle which aims to combine adequate seating, with the versatility of an SUV.

Variants and Drivetrains

The Rondo comes in three variants – the LX, EX (our test car) and EX limited. All are powered by a twin-cam, four-cylinder 2.0-litre ‘Theta’ petrol engine with continuously variable valve timing (CVVT), which optimises low and medium speed torque. A five speed manual for the LX or optional Sport Mode ‘intelligent’ four speed Tiptronic-style automatic transmission for the EX and EX limited, transfers the 106kW at 6000rpm and 189 Nm at 4250rpm, to the wheels.

Kia has managed to keep fuel consumption down to a reasonable 8.4litres/100kms for the manual, which equates to 650km from the 55 litre tank on 91RON regular unleaded. The automatic gets you 8.6 litres/100kms.

Exterior

Using the Kia Magentis platform but with a 20mm shorter wheelbase and shorter overhangs, the Rondo is compact and square but not boxy thanks to a sloping windscreen and carefully sculptured front end. Thoughtful shaping of the door mirrors and A-pillars help to achieve better aerodynamics. 17 inch alloys give the EX a more sporty and agile appearance.

There is nothing outlandish about the Rondo – it won’t win any awards for exterior design – but with its modern, smooth lines it certainly doesn’t embarrass itself up against more expensive competitors.

Interior

With SUV interiors in mind, Kia have developed the Rondo to be wider and taller, increasing leg and elbow room and giving the seats a more upright position. Large windows give the cabin a big airy feel.

From the front seats looking back, there seems to be adequate room in the second row for three decent sized blokes. The press kit assures us that the back two seats “will accommodate two 1.8 metre adults in comfort”, but they don’t mention how long they will be comfortable for. We reckon a quick half hour trip to the beach and back would be time enough to begin to feel a little cramped and restless.

The middle row of seats slides back or forward on rails allowing several seating configurations to provide adequate room for either passengers or cargo. With five seats in use and the just the back two seats folded down, luggage space is more than 400 litres. With all but the front seats down, a whopping 2106 litres is freed up.

The driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive, and its high position provides good vision from every angle. The dash is refreshingly simple, elegant and intuitive and is angled towards the driver creating a snug cockpit.

Numerous storage areas adorn the cabin, including 10 drink holders, big door pockets, a huge centre console space and various other trays and dishes for passengers in every seat.

In addition to these standard features, the EX gets a leather steering wheel, gear knob and steering wheel mounted audio controls.

Safety

Safety has not been overlooked in the Rondo 7. It comes standard with four-wheel disc brakes with Anti-Lock Braking, Electronic Brake force Distribution, traction control and Electronic Stability Program.

Living with it

Wigley says

What shocked me at first with the Rondo 7 is how compact it looked. I was expecting the usual, bulbous seven-seater but it really does look a lot more SUV than people- mover.

It’s not great looking from the outside but it doesn’t look dull or out of place - it sits humbly between boring and cocky. Its smooth lines and rounded front end let me know that Kia have tried to keep it as up to date as possible for the money.

Climbing in the driver’s seat and adjusting mirrors and so on, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was. You sit right up high and you have great vision - with help from the bigger than normal windows. The supportive seat and enclosed, simple dash gave me a cosy warmth.

Road noise isn’t too much of a problem even on the freeway but there was an irritating buzz around the passenger door which I thought was a faulty speaker at first, but it turned out to be wind hitting the side mirror.

The most annoying thing I found in the otherwise impressive Rondo 7, was the power. If regular overtaking on the freeway or dragging other cars at the lights is your thing, don’t get this car – it’s gutless. But I have left this point until last because I don’t think aggressive power is particularly important for vehicles in this category. It gets you where you want to be on time and that’s all you really should need in a seven seat ‘crossover’ vehicle.

The Rondo 7 is a comfortable, smooth and enjoyable family car with great fuel economy and loads of space. For a starting price of $24,990 for the LX and $28,990 for the EX, it’s very affordable too.

Pincott says

This is the kind of vehicle you buy because you need something very practical, and while styling is subjective, the Rondo looks quite good on the street – and a lot better than other people movers.

But the real proof of this kind of vehicle is how well they do what they’re supposed to, which is carry around people. And the Rondo passes this test well. For a start, it’s very easy to get in and out of the rear area — even through to the third row that is usually the bane of these cars.

Space is good once you get in there, too, although I’m not sure large adults would want to spend days in the last row.

And there are a lot of spots to stow smaller pieces of everyday cargo… mobile phones, change, cups, maps and so on.

But there’s not a great deal of larger luggage space if all three rows of seating are being used.

We didn’t get to load the Rondo completely full with adults, however with four on board it had little trouble with city driving but the automatic transmission needed a little forethought for highway overtaking where most torque is needed.

The steering is featherlight for around town, but feels a touch vague.

But in all situations it was the handling and ride quality that really impressed. You’re not going to have much joy trying to chuck it around corners like a sports car, but it sits as happily as most mid-range sedans. And with either one, two or four adults on board it cruised over poor surfaces with as much confidence as more expensive vehicles.

Halligan says

Manoeuvrability and vision were both good, and pick-up was very good from stationary.

The seating was comfortable however I couldn't work out how to recline the seat backs. I like to be able to find those controls intuitively and — being a guy — I don't want to have to read a manual on how to use the controls in a car.

The orange glow instrumentation I also found annoying, especially the clock which is hard to read.

City driving was great with positive steering and excellent visibility, however the spacing between first and second gears is a little too spread.

Highway driving was also good, cruising in the 120-130 range, but again I found the gearing to be a little odd.

While kickdown was easy, the gear spacing was again the issue. I feel it would be vastly different vehicle to drive if it had one more gear.

At those speeds there was also a bit of wind noise — just enough to be noticeable.

My wife really like the design– she thought she saw a fair amount of current RAV 4 in it.

She praised the front seats and also the cupholders and the centre console vents to the back seat — which are the first two things she checks for.

She was also impressed by the rear luggage compartment and third row of seats as she didn't think it looked big enough to have all that from the outside.

She would definitely have it on her possible list if she was looking for a people mover as an alternative to a 4wd

Overall, it’s a well designed package with quite a bit of style for small people mover, feels solid and well built, and has good pick-up, steering lock and visibility — which adds up to an easy to drive family car. The only thing that lets it down is that transmission.