Kia Rondo vs Mazda CX-5

What's the difference?

It's rare to see a Kia Rondo on the road. Spotting one is like when you get a commemorative 50-cent coin in your change, only not as exciting. Yup of the 219,270 cars sold so far this year 59 of them were Rondos. But the more I've driven the base-spec Rondo S - the more I think 219,211 people may have missed out on something quite good.

So what is a Rondo? Is it a van? Is it a hatch? Is it a wagon? Well, Kia calls it a people mover, but while the top-spec Rondo Si has seven seats, the five-seater Rondo S which arrived late in 2016 only has seating for five. Is that enough people to count as a people mover? 

As for rivals to the Rondo S, well there's the Citroen C4 Picasso, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and the BMW 2 Series… aaaaaaand that's about it.

So what is it about the Rondo S that makes me think that many of the 220,000 people may have the wrong choice and bought a SUV when what they really needed was a Rondo, but just never knew it? Oh and what is it about the Rondo that dogs really like? And what's bigger about the five-seater Rondo S than the seven-seater Rondo Si?

The new-generation Mazda CX-5 is here, promising to be bigger, better and bolder, with fresh styling, sharper handling and more technology. But in a market where hybrid power is becoming increasingly hard to ignore, has Mazda left the CX-5 at a disadvantage? I’ve spent a week with the Evolve grade to find out for you.