2008 KIA Rondo7 EX Limited Review

2008 KIA Rondo7 EX Limited Review

KIA’s Rondo7 is three cars in one

Model Tested:

• 2008 KIA Rondo7 EX Limited 2.0 litre four cylinder petrol automatic – $31,990 (RRP)

Options:

• Metallic Paint $350

Price, Practicality, Purpose, Handsome Looks
Engine Lacks Power, Tight Third Row Seat

CarAdvice Rating:

- by Matt Brogan

KIA claims the new Rondo7 has crossed the proverbial great divide in melding several of our more popular vehicles in to the one neat package. It’s categorised, in KIA speak at least, as an Urban Recreational Vehicle that aims to combine SUV versatility with people mover practicality in a large hatch proportioned car.

It’s a good idea in theory and the “many things to many people” approach may fair well in a category so heavily dominated by more pricey Europeans, but whilst that’s all well and good, is the Rondo7 really a good deal or is it a car trying too hard to be too many things.

Based on the Magentis platform, albeit 20mm shorter in wheelbase and completely unique from rear floor backward, the Rondo7 boasts some clever design attributes engineered at KIA’s Russelsheim Research and Development facility in Germany that ensure full utilisation of all the available space.

The reasonably compact chassis has also been tuned to enhance steering response, ride comfort, safer handling and braking performance attributes and uses smart ideas such as a shallow fuel tank and in-wheel suspension technology to make better use of the often wasted underfloor area.

Traditional McPherson struts up front and a low, compact traverse mounted multi-link rear end provide a reasonably limber ride with stroke dependent shock absorbers offering varying dampening rates determined by the vehicle’s laden mass. This translates to a comfortable ride no matter the on board population and even offers surprisingly decent handling.

A good turn-in rate with reasonable response and feedback means the vehicle’s dynamics are rather obliging and offer enough involvement that as a driver you don’t feel like an additional passenger along for the ride, a nasty trait common to many people movers. In fact driving the Rondo7 is actually rather enjoyable all things considered.

Under the bonnet KIA’s 2.0-litre, in-line CVVT four-cylinder, petrol engine produces a modest 106kW at 6000rpm and a rather weak 189Nm of torque at 4250 revs. Whilst it is a great little engine in its own right, it does suffer under load and struggles to maintain pace when fully loaded, especially at highway speeds or up steep inclines – a shame we don’t see the diesel model here in Australia.

The LX (base model) variant is available in both five-speed manual or four-speed auto guise, whilst upper spec models are available in auto only. The automatic has a large gap between third and fourth, primarily to save fuel, but this can make for a large kick back when overtaking which upsets an otherwise smooth flowing box of cogs.

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