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By Dan NeilLATimes.com
April 18, 2007
WHAT would you call a seven-passenger, V6-powered vehicle with lots of amenities (e.g., heated outside mirrors, keyless entry), air conditioning, alloy wheels, ABS and electronic stability control; heated leather seats, sunroof and premium audio system; a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 20/27 mpg fuel economy; and an out-the-door price of $23,495? Hint: It's not an Aston Martin. You might call it a bargain, or you might call it a little bit of den-mother heaven. Personally, I would have thought twice before calling it the Kia Rondo, a name that sounds like a John Wayne movie or one of those men's "adventure" magazines (like "Honcho"). Kia calls this vehicle the Carens in other world markets, but I guess that Kia Motors America thought that name was too soft and vaguely Esperanto-ish for U.S. ears. The rest of the world knows these types of vehicles as MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles), or tall wagons: compact to midsize, car-based five-door breeder shuttlecraft with flexible cargo holds and van-like capacity. The Rondo casts a shadow that's almost exactly the same size as the underappreciated Mazda5 minivan and the Toyota RAV4, the latter being more typical of crossover styling. MPVs are very big in $7-per-gallon Europe. The Opel Zafira, for example, has three-row, seven-passenger seating like the Rondo. If, after looking at the picture on this page, you think the Rondo is boring - Thorazine on wheels, actually - find a picture of the Fiat Multipla and count your blessings. You could just as easily call the Rondo the won, since the favorable currency exchange rate between the U.S. and Korea and lower labor costs account for its price-per-feature advantage. The front-drive Rondo comes in two basic flavors: a 2.4-liter, 162-hp four-cylinder paired with a four-speed automatic ($16,995); or a 2.7-liter, 182-hp V6 with a five-speed automatic ($19,495). At these prices, perhaps you can afford to splurge. The EX trim model sells for $20,195, including delivery. There is a strong inclination among manufacturers to bring these modules in from overseas markets, given U.S. consumers' recent urge to find more right-sized, fuel-efficient family transportation. But, at the moment, there is really only one direct competitor, and that's the Mazda5, a sporty little van with six-person seating (it has two "captain's chairs" mid-row, though they are more fit for a bosun's mate) and two sliding rear doors. I don't mind telling you, I think the Mazda5 is just about perfect for a small family, and the sliding rear doors make it a lot easier to load and unload your unruly spawn and their sports equipment. Instead of the sliding doors, the Rondo has conventional, front-hinged doors that open wide enough to admit kids and cargo - provided you aren't parked too close to the car next to you. It's easy enough to ingress the third-row seat, though it is - squeezed between the wheel wells - a pretty tight fit, even for Halflings. The second-row seats do slide forward for extra legroom. The third seat lacks Isofix child-seat attachments, so the age range able to use the rear seats is between 3 and about 13 years old. Putting seven humanoids in a vehicle only 179 inches in length requires some packaging compromises, and no small amount of bear grease. In the Rondo, the cargo space behind the third seat comes in at a Porsche-like 6.5 cubic feet (the EX edition comes with roof racks and it's easy to see why). Fold the third row down, however, and the space expands to a very usable 31.7 cubic feet. Fold the second row down and you have a hollow of 74.4 cubic feet - more, even, than a Toyota RAV4. In the cockpit, the Rondo - based on the Optima sedan - is a coolly efficient and contemporary-appliance design, with a prominent central console and a sort of free-floating gearshift transom. The instruments, back lighting, switchgear and materials all feel well above the Rondo's pay grade. Once underway, the car has a well-tempered solidity to it. Nothing rattles or squeaks. It's clear to me the company used an unusual amount of Loctite, or the Korean equivalent, on the assembly line. The seat position and sloping nose, as well as the triangular windows at the bottom of the A pillars, opens up the outward views. This is a vehicle for close urban contact, so it's reassuring to be able to see out. It also helps to be able to negotiate tight corners. The Rondo's 34.4-foot turning circle is among the best in class. At 3,511 pounds, the seven-seat Rondo is no featherweight (the five-seat model weighs 3,443) but it drives pretty well. Around-town acceleration is good and, when the five-speed falls into its loping overdrive, the 24-valve, all-aluminum V6 purrs along the freeway at about 3,500 rpm. The powertrain is commendably refined and civil sounding, even though it's located mere inches from the cockpit. The overall dynamics of the car might be described as extravagant adequacy. It seems fairly settled and composed while cornering and the steering is direct. The ride quality is fair to good. You might think that's all one could reasonably expect from this type of family vehicle - you might think that, if you'd never driven the Mazda5. Still, the Rondo isn't about driver gratification, is it? It's about satisfying the automotive nesting instinct people feel when they've got kids - their own and their friends' who need to get around with a minimum of fuss and maximum of thrift. Secure, well-constructed, nimble and versatile as a blue blazer, the Rondo does all that and leaves money left over for piano lessons. 2007 Kia Rondo EX Base price: $20,195 Price, as tested: $23,495 Powertrain: 2.7-liter DOHC V6, five-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive Horsepower: 182 at 6,000 rpm Torque: 182 foot-pounds at 4,000 rpm Curb weight: 3,511 pounds (seven-seat) 0-60 mph: 8.5 seconds Wheelbase: 106.3 Overall length: 179 inches EPA fuel economy: 20 miles per gallon city, 27 mpg highway Final thoughts: Den mother delivery
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