Kia Rondo seven-seater diesel 2013 review

Kia has now filled its lineup with excellent offerings following the recent introduction of the new Rondo compact seven seat people mover.

Rondo now features most of the cool technology available through the Kia range and in diesel form, offers impressive performance and fuel economy in an affordable package for a big family ... as long as they don't need to carry much luggage.

Price and features

It gets plenty of kit including leather, three mode electric steering, rake and reach steering adjust, electric park brake, 17-inch alloys, electric driver's seat adjust, recline and slide middle row, fold flat second and third rows, electric folding exterior mirrors, privacy glass, auto wipers and headlights, rear view camera, cruise, satnav, paddle shift, trip computer, multi media connectivity including Bluetooth phone and audio along with generous storage dotted throughout the cabin.

Safety

It gets a five-star safety rating with a full retinue of primary and secondary safety kit.

Engine / transmission

Our drive Rondo ran the impressive 100kW/320Nm 1.7-litre turbo diesel used elsewhere by Hyundai/Kia and drives the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. It's frugal too, capable of sipping fuel at the rate of 6.4-litres/100km.

Driving

The engine's power and torque outputs give the 1612kg Rondo plenty of punch whether fully loaded or not. And thankfully, using the airconditioning has no effect on engine performance or economy.

It's comfortable and looks good from all angles --both inside and out -- thanks to the mastery of Kia (and recently Hyundai) legendary head of design Peter Schreyer, who before he shifted to the Korean brand penned such classics as the TT for Audi.

But you have to have a bit of a reality check with the seating and cargo arrangements. This is a compact size vehicle so putting three rows of seats in there is going to take up plenty of space. The load area is good for one large suitcase of a couple of soft bags.

Or, if you only need to carry five, there's no problem, because the rear pews fold flat opening up an expansive load space. There's absolutely no cringe effect with this car as was the case with earlier people movers. It looks like an SUV or a slightly plump wagon, has strong performance is luxuriously equipped and is pitched at an affordable price.

Verdict

A good one for the "fam."