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Following hot on the heels of artwork for the new Cerato sedan, the sketches for the second generation of the Rondo – known as the Carens overseas – show Kia’s march towards sleeker styling.
It gets design chief Peter Schreyer’s signature ‘tiger face’, set off with swept-back headlights streaming to sharply angled A-pillars and a low roofline.
Kia classifies the Rondo as a compact MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) but its main purpose is moving people – more or less as a smaller sibling to the large Carnival.
Kia is promising a focus on more room for the seven-seater, with a longer wheelbase and more functional space. It ditches the 15-in wheels of the current model for 18-in ones, and is likely to have a few more dressed-up accents as well.
There’s no information yet on drivetrains, but it’s likely the vehicle will be offered overseas with a 1.6-litre diesel engine and a 2.0-litre turbo petrol, which would see the exit of the 106kW/189Nm 2.0-litre petrol in the current model here.
The Rondo will debut at the Paris motor show in September.
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