Kia Rondo7 Long Term update
December 7, 2008 by Anthony Crawford
- Anthony Crawford
By my reckoning, I count 115 Kia dealers around this vast country of ours, give or take a few. By comparison, there are more than 200 Toyota dealers in Australia, but I doubt that’s worrying Kia Motors Australia.
If the level of interest we experience each week, while driving the Rondo7 is any gauge, then it’s Toyota who might be worried.
You have to remember, Kia is wholly owned by Hyundai, who many in the industry see as as the new volume competitor to Toyota.
My parents, who own a couple of quality used cars, are absolutely sold on this seven-seat people mover and fully expect to be driving one within six months or sooner, should Kia choose to drop a diesel engine under the bonnet.
They’re sold on a whole range of things, such as the additional ride height and the ease of entry/exit that comes with that feature. Then there’s the simple switchgear layout and ease of managing both the HVAC and audio functions either from the console or steering wheel mounted controls on the EX and EX-L variants.
They haven’t yet ridden in the third-row seating and may never do so, but the fact that they can carry two other couples to a restaurant or a movie, without the need to take two cars, is reason enough for them to opt for this style of vehicle over the traditional sedan.
While there’s no question in my mind that the Rondo7 could benefit from a little more grunt by way of a more powerful petrol engine or better still via diesel power, with several more weeks behind the wheel, that aspect has become less of a priority.
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I think the best thing about cars like this is best described as cheap and cheerful. There’s something really lovely about paying so little and getting so much which is what you seem to be experiencing Anthony. I have one of the very few current BMWs that comes with almost everything you would want as standard, but it’s not very satisfying to get a sunroof and xenon headlamps as standard when you are paying the best part of seventy thousand pounds for it and that is why I actually enjoyed driving my base Citroen C4 home more than my BMW, simply because I didn’t know what to expect and I got so much for my money!
Another lovely thing about all interiors that aren’t German is that although they are not always the best of quality, you keep finding little hidy-holes every time you look around the car where as German interiors are very what-you-see-is-what-you-get and if you want to see more, then you’re going to have to pay for it.
I’m glad you are enjoying your car Anthony and it looks as if it deserves it. This is the best way to review a car like this because (and I’m not saying it is) it could be awful to drive but it’s only when you use it for what it was built for that you can really enjoy it. Practicality can be a major plus in any sort of car but when you buy something so cheap and get so much, I think that is the most enjoyable sort of car ownership. Unless it’s a Ferrari.
that is a very goo for that priced car also those rear doors look massive.
Well your selling me and I only cart myself around lol.
Huh ?
Apart from a poor engine and lousy transmission it’s brilliant ??
I read another review where the pram wouldn’t fit in the back either.
It is cheap’n'cheerful if you need seven seats, but carting 6 adults off for a night out would surely be outside this car’s design purpose, and a miserable experience to boot.
Not a poor engine or transmission – just saying it could be improved, like with any car on earth.
Not sure what size pram they were talking about – must be a three seat job.
6 adults, no problem, as long as you are not expecting to travel in Rolls Royce Phantom style comfort but then again, with that sort of money, I could buy 31 Kia Rondo7’s and start a family car rental business.
People across the road have had a Rondo for a couple of months now and very happy with it. Criticisms in relation to performance of this size car and engine can be made of dozens of other models on the market many costing far more.
Price u pay for 8/100klm economy in a car this spacious and practical.
Strangely enough some people don’t care if they can’t overtake everyone else on the upside of Mooney Mooney.
If u want performance buy a Grand Carnival and no one will pass u.LOL
Quality of the car is in the detail and while on the topic of Kia my Grand Carnival has perfectly engraved tiny jack symbols at each jack point which I found fascinating. Also the oil filter or paper element is located next to the rocker covers at the top of the engine and is easily changed by unsrewing a plastic cap from a filter housing and removing the paper only element. Brilliant!Is called an eco filter as no metal can is required.
Audio is excellent in the Grand Carnival as well.
i hired a grand carnival for a week.
i WAS impressed!
we got in it, drove off expecting no power…. holy bejeebus!! the thing was a tyre shredder, 190 odd kw i think? most backward hat p plate ricers and commodore drivers never knew what hit them!!
BRILLIANT car!
rondo is getting rave reviews everywhere!
Fantastic Anthony. These reviews really interest clients considering the Rondo as their next purchase. It adds value when it is an unbiest opinion of the product that is written by someone not employed by Kia.
Nice update.
Does anyone know when or if Kia plan to release a diesel or a V6 option here in Australia? They’ve got the diesel in NZ for about NZ$40k driveaway. I’ve looked at a few 2009 calendars for new model releases in Australia but none of them mention anything about a new engine/transmission for the Rondo7.
Perhaps a better question is this… is the current engine/transmission combination adequate for keeping up with traffic sitting at 110km/h on the freeway on a slight incline?
I WANT to buy one of these with their maximum luxury pack and all options, BUT I refuse to buy any car, including this one, that does not have a proper factory or dealer fitted “integrated” cruise control.
The up-market version of the Rondo in the USA and other markets is fitted with cruise control, the wiring loom is pre-wired for it as is the steering wheel, but STUPID Kia Australia has specified to the factory in Korea that Australians are not worthy of cruise control (which probably only costs them $35 extra to fit once the wiring, etc. are there); – and instead we are supposed to pay $770 for an outside accessory supplier to install an inferior after-market device (that does not even connect to the steering wheel).
Dumb, dumb, dumb. I was ready to buy, but now will not do so.