Kia mini MPV concept

By Anthony Crawford | February 07th, 2009

Believe it or not, there are people out there who still won’t consider a Kia or Hyundai branded vehicle, despite the fact that half their street probably drives one of these cars.

That’s too bad for them, as these two Korean sibling brands offer superb value for money, and give little if anything away to their Japanese competitors, when it comes to quality and reliability.

They’re innovative too, take the Kia Rondo7 I’ve been driving for the past three months. Seven comfortable seats in a compact package that drives like car and leaves you wanting for nothing, except a little more torque and some darker window tint.

Moreover, there is nothing that comes remotely close to the Rondo7, when you consider its all round flexibility, features and price.

MPV stands for “multi-purpose vehicle” and Kia Motors are about to release a minivan concept at the Geneva International Motor Show in March that is set to blow the doors off its competition.

Kia are calling it a “Million Possibilities Vehicle” with styling cues from the Kia Koup and Kia Soul concepts.

Think Citroen C4 Picasso size, and the show car has a glass roof and is said to provide class-leading interior space.

This is the only photo Kia has released, and from where I sit, they best go directly into production or supply may not keep up with demand.

Tim

The rear of this concept looks 95% like the new Audi Q5!
phillip

“Think Citroen C3 Picasso size”.

I think you’ll find that the Picasso is actually based on the C4.

I can only hope that this article is written tongue-in-cheek, as the reason “there are people out there who still won’t consider a KIA or Hyundai branded vehicle” is not only because the kis/hyundai badges brand you as a massive tight-arse, but that these cars are dynamically and style-wise 5 years behind the competition. As well as they may well be built (kudos to them!), have you seen how cheap looking the interiors on these things are?
bruster

I agree with the article, i think Hyundai and Kia offer great cars these days. The handling is ok too, i mean no match for Focus or MAZDA3 but very close.

As far as quality goes, i drove an I30 and tell you it beats Toyota corolla hands down.

Now i buy cars on lease so i need a car that holds its value well and at the moment for Kia and Hyundai that is the only thing they need to convince me to buy one of their products.

if i didnt lease and kept my car for 5 years or more…Hyundai or Kia would be at the top of my list.

My wife is die to buy a car soon, we will be visiting Hyundai and Kia…. For those you prefer the tried and tested brand no problems but you pay a premium and less features.

cheers
Bru
http://skyline The Salesman

Peter Schreyer is responsible for Kia’s new design language. Peter created the TT sports car while he was still at Audi as well as the A4 Avant and A3. He also spent time at VW. Peters design philosophy is “the simplicity of the straight line”
It is not surprising that we see this influence in Kia. Peter said that he sees Kia as a blank canvass. The new Cerato IMO drives better than anything the Germans or Japanese have released in recent times. And yes i have driven them all. If you have seen the new Cerato ad it clearly and cleverly gives the Germans and the Japanese the message, you are on notice, Kia is coming to challenge you. I cant wait. We have five new products coming out this year alone.
Sam

Looks like a neat package. As recently as 2 years ago I wouldn’t have considered a Kia. Its amazing how fast they are catching the competition. I hope the Kia Soul is as good as im hoping it will be.
Realcars

Fair dinkum Phillip your head is that far up your Rs it’s not funny.

Horses for courses mate.Compare apples with apples for interiors etc.

U obviously worry too much about what other people think.
http://www.caradvice.com.au Anthony

Phillip,

My reference to C3 Picasso stands fast, just Google it and you will see hundreds of pics of the vehicle.
http://www.caradvice.com.au Anthony

Phillip, I’m also not sure what you mean by “cheap interiors” I’ve been driving a Kia Rondo7 on a long term test and frankly, I find the interior as good if not better than several Japanese models.

Best you pop down to your local Kia dealer and have a good look through the Rondo and then report back your findings.

Don’t forget to take your iPod and listen to it on what could rate as one of the best standard kit sound systems found in a vehicle with seven seats, a truck load of features and for a price as low as $24,990.
Reckless1

Phillip, you’re a “insert appropriate adjective here” (not from the complimentary part of the dictionary).

“brand you as a massive tight…..”

I didn’t think there were idiots around anymore who care what other people think – obviously Phillip is very insecure in himself.

I nearly bought the Sorento 18 months ago, the only idiot in that equation was the dealer who didn’t want to sell it at fleet for some odd reason. Plus the turbo lag off idle was too much for my liking.

Personally I think reviewing all the options and buying the best irrespective of make, brands you as a person of massive intelligence amidst a pack of Phillips.
Alex

Well Phillip, you look a bit of a fool don’t you?

Looks good but I don’t trust the front. I’ll have to see it first. The thing that Kia won’t have done here though is make it desirable.
I know it sounds odd to think an MPV might ever be desirable but I think Citroen did it. I am about 90% sure that I will buy a C3 Picasso, just because I want one! I have no family and no need for one but I think it looks great and I love it. The badge does have a lot to do with this – Kia make good cars these days but one must still feel slightly inadequate when they tell people that they drive a Kia. It’s also just to do with the fact that Kia never really had a reputation for anything good except price. Citroen had their quirks. Kia had their engines blow up. I’m not one to keep bringing that back up but evidence on this website shows that many still do and that is a shame. I hope in the next few years Kia get a more widely known reputation for good quality, good looks and a capable drive. They are on the way there, just as long as the front looks good…
Captain Mainwaring

Alex, the only Kia engines that blew up regularly were the hopeless Rover 2.5 V6s that were in the first Carnivals. Since then the engines all come from the Hyundai/Kia group and they are OK. Good luck with your C3 Picasso (when it finally arrives). It might look funky but can’t see it being more dependable long-term than a Kia.
RD

My god Phillip you have noooooo idea what you’re talking about do you?

5 years behind the times stylewise? WTF??

Go to your local Hyundai dealer and sit in an i30. Go to your local Kia dealer and sit in a new Cerato. Then come back with an unbiased opinion. If you can.
Alex

Captain Mainwaring, I know that. A lot of other people don’t though. It comes up in stories about the Cerato, the Rio, the Rondo. It doesn’t matter which one, people associate Kia with engines problems. I just want to make it clear though that I don’t think Kias are unreliable, quite the opposite and I don’t stereotype them for one problem.
As for the Citroen, I don’t really have a problem with unreliable cars. To me, when they don’t turn on, it’s just a sick day so I’ll use a different car. Besides, there is no reason to think it will be. My current C4 once went a year without me touching and worked on a -2 degree winter morning.
John of Perth

Might be stretching a long bow especially in Phillip’s view, but my wife test drove a Volvo XC90 before she decided she preferred the Hyundai Santa Fe Elite CRDi- there may be some justification don’t you think on saving over 30k between the two, other than being tight-arsed! It’s not all badge cred.

There is virtually no difference in the build quality between the Koreans and the Japanese and Toyota must be ruing its decision to offer hybrid instead of diesel in its range such as RX330, Kluger etc.
phillip

Ok Anthony I stand corrected on the C3 Picasso. I didn’t realise that Citroën were also working on a C3 variant.

To the rest of the angry mob, do you realise that your pitchfork waving makes you look at best defensive, at worst a little insane? A Kia or Hyundai might be very capable, but the best compliment you could make about the styling of these cars is that they are derivative. The Cerato honestly doesn’t look that bad, and hopefully for Kia this is the direction they will go in for their future models, but remember that Kia Australia are still selling the god-awful Rio, showing that their “best value” (read “cheapest!”) motto is still their number 1 selling point.

Huyundai is slightly better, although as a brand it still hasn’t totally shaken off its reputation from the 80s and 90s when it built cars that were just cheap transport. I believe their cars now are extremely well put together and reliable, but put an i20 or i30 next to a Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2 or Peugeot 207 and you can see that it terms of style, Hyundai is more of a follower than a leader.

Back to Kia: who would actually want to own a Rondo? It sounds like the name of a biscuit, and is among Ssangyongs and the Toyota Kluger for the prize of the most ridiculously named vehicle offered in Australia. In terms of the type of car it is, it’s the equivalent of fat pants. You buy this car because you’ve just had a few kids, you’re constantly tired, you’re tight on cash, you’ve packed on the kilos, your passport has well and truly expired and the most exciting time of the week for you is when your favourite tv show comes on. You buy it for utility: it’s cheap and you know the kids will just destroy it so it’s better not to have anything too nice.

So you can accuse me of bias or having my head up my arse, but really, I’m not unlike anyone else. I’m sure you all have your favourite football team or political party which you support, often ignoring their short-comings. Choosing a car also is also not always a rational decision. I know I should probably look at a Hyundai i30 when I next choose a car, as it would probably give me years of trouble-free motoring. But just as I wouldn’t buy a suit for a job interview at Kmart, when shopping for a car I’d be willing to spend a few $k more for something that doesn’t scream “cheap!”.
Chucky

What some people don’t seem to realise is that Korea is a very technologically advanced country with a rapidly increasing economy. Their cars are starting to improve in quality drastically because the country itself has improved drastically.

What I’m getting at is that Korean made cars will only continue to get better and better and pose a real threat to Japanese made cars in terms of quality. GM’s decision to take over Daewoo might have seemed silly at the time, but it won’t seem so silly when they start producing cars out of the Daewoo factories that are of a higher quality than what Holden produces here in Australia.
Realcars

Phillip sounds like u have something against families and kids?

Did u drop from the sky?LOL.

Derivatives, well everyone copies the Euros even the Japs so big deal.Besides there is only so many ways you can make a design look different and they all look similar as they follow the same styling trends popular at the time.

Remember the big fin era?LOL.
Wheelnut

If only there were more photos of the Kia MPV – because going from the above pic it looks rather funky and modern which is more than I can say for some other people movers on the road..
As the New Kia Cerato and Kia Coupe have shown the Koreans have finally discovered style which can only add to their popularity in the coming years.. nice one Kia/Hyundai
Dan

Agreed, there is heaps of improvement in Kia recently, even more so in Hyandai. I still agree with Philip though, they’re a cheap brand, in all aspects. Most people who own them are rather tight. But then again, they rather drive a brand new cheap vehicle than an old rusty bomb, so that’s understandable.
Dan

Mate, difference here is, I can afford to spend that money. The average Kia driver has trouble barely scraping in enough cash to buy their cheap Kia. Badge snobbery? Perhaps. For example I like expensive deodorants and collognes. I don’t buy any $5.95 ones at coles. Anything wrong with that? If I was to choose between being poor and broke, and a ‘badge snob’ like what you are calling me, I’m happy where I am thank you very much
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

hahha Realcars nicely said.

Cheap brandnew vehicle whats wrong with that! hey…….seems to be working for them !

quote
“The news comes as Kia Motor America Inc. of Irvine and Fountain Valley, Calif.-based Hyundai Motor America Inc. they saw their auto sales grow in January.
Hyundai said this week it saw a 14 percent increase in auto sales from the year-earlier period. Kia Motor America said it sold 22,096 vehicles in January.”

I bet Toyota would have loved that, seeing Toyota’s North American sales declined by 235,000 vehicles, and it saw 73,000 fewer vehicle sales in Europe.
Wheelnut

Quote [Dan] Why would I hate families? I’monly being realkistic here mate. Having families doesn’t mean you have to be poor. If you plan well for it, and do the right thing, perhaps you can afford something much nicer than a Kia as your family car, who knows…

Yeah they could be able to pick up an 07 Toyota Yaris with relatively low Kms and has been fixed as it was one of the 1.4m that Toyota recalled just recently.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Here we go again Dan telling us all how much money hes got.

Anyone got the Kia Forum address,Im sure they would love this link from Dan.quote “The average Kia driver has trouble barely scraping in enough cash to buy their cheap Kia. ”

This thread is going to be fun……Ill have to go get a wine make some pop corn and pull up a comfy chair for the rest of the arvo,Im already in fits of laughter from Dans pretentious comments.
Wheelnut

Dan – a friend of mine had an unplanned baby as well she wanted a new Fiesta but was told she’d have to wait 2-3 months for one with all the options etc she wanted so she had to settle for a Yaris..
Dan

Yes Bavaria, because you just know you are successful when you are driving a Kia lol!

There’s a Kia forum??? wow

Wheelnut, Kia does recalls also mate.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Success isnt determined by what you drive,you should know that by driving a 80k Camry.

I guess if theres a Toyota forum there would be a Kia one.
Wheelnut

Dan: its true Kia have had recalls as have most car co’s. However; there’s a differnece – the Yaris recall is more of a shock not only because of the huge number of cars involved but more because of Toyotas reputation for supposed reliability and superior build quality… whereas Kia have never made such claims.
http://caradvice.com.au anthony

Dan,

As I said, nothing comes close to a Kia Rondo7 when it comes to features, price and reliability, nothing!

And to settle your argument that the not so well off, drive Kia branded cars, poppycock. I have a mate who practices a little dentistry when he’s not buying blocks of flats in Sydney, who buys a NEW Ferrari Spider every time there is model change, and guess what his other beach/family runabout/daily drive is – yep, a Kia Rondo7.
Wheelnut

Dan: Success and what you drive has nothing to do with it…
I worked for Harvey Norman and my Boss Gerry Harvey who is one of the richest men in Australia drives an XD Ford Falcon sedan.. It was practical reliable and most suitable to his needs he wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

Mind you he didn’t make his millions by writig chewques for $80k Camrys and the like.
Dan

“its true Kia have had recalls as have most car co’s. However; there’s a differnece – the Yaris recall is more of a shock not only because of the huge number of cars involved but more because of Toyotas reputation for supposed reliability and superior build quality… whereas Kia have never made such claims.”

That would be a valid point except the huge number of cars recalled relates to the fact that toyota sells a huge amount of cars more than Kia does in the first place. Kia’s got nothing on toyota in terms of recalls. Logic, you should try some

Besides, why are we talking about toyotas here?? It’s a Kia article…

Realcars, I don’t know of one wealthy and successful person who drives a Kia. Not one. If you are trying to suggest that it is the type of a car you would buy to spoil yourself, you should get your head checked (or perhaps gain some taste / higher standards lol!) I’m only in my mid twenties, so I can’t afford an Aston Martin like my 40yo neighbour down the street does. But I would like measure my level of success by the amount of toys I can responsibly afford to buy, so I aim to be able to buy an exotic or something one day…
Wheelnut

Quote [You Know Who] Besides, why are we talking about toyotas here?? It’s a Kia article…

Yes Dan; its a Kia article – but why should this article be any different?

On most other articles be it about AMG; Alfa Romeo; Aerial; Audi; BMW; Bugatti; Buick; Citroen; Chrysler; Dodge; De Soto; Studebaker; Elfin; Ford; Ferrari; Lamborghini; Zonda; Lotus Gumbert; Jeep; Hummer; Holden HSV; Honda; FPV; Lancia; Peugeot; Pontiac; Nissn; Mazda; Triumph; Tucker; Mini; McLaren Volvo; Volkswagen; Renault; Mitsubishi etc…

We always end up talking about Toyota because you or one of the other 8-10 Toyota fans on this site make an appearance and go on about Toyota supposed superiority etc to – either becaues Toyota is all you know about in relation to cars and want to be involved or by talking avbout Toyotas supposed superiority helps make you feel somewhat superior as well….
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Absolutely Realcars…..

What Wheelnut was trying to get across to you ,you still didn’t understand did you ?

Hyundai are after Toyotas market and seems they are making ground,whilst Toyota are losing it,along with its credibility, stability and money .

Dan just because you don’t know of someone that drives a Kia that’s successful doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I bet they own their car which is probably something you dont! Leasing Toys doesn’t make you wealthy,just means your after a tax deduction!
Wheelnut

Quote [Dan]: Realcars; I don’t know of one successful or wealthy person who drives a Kia.. not one.”

Dan – I refer you back to my Comment about Gerry Harvey driving and XD Falcon.. Gerry Harvey a man who if he wanted to would beable to buy an IS 250 ore even an IS-F but because he chooses do drive around in a car that is 10+ years old does that make him less successful than say YOU?
realcars

Think I’ll change my tag to “Awaiting Moderation”LOL.

I have a sibling that earns over 250k a year and drives a Kia Grand Carnival.

Doesn’t seem to be too concerned with image.
Wheelnut

Dan by saying that Kia has got nothing on Toyota in terms of recalls; are you saying that Toyota has had a lot more recalls that they simply haven’t made any public announcements about – inorder to try and maintain their reputation?
Blue

I’ve been ranting about the quality of KIA and Hyundai for a while now.. A mate bought a new imprezza last year.. had it back to the dealer four times for rattles, windows not working, and more… I took him to drive an i30 CRDi… and he was so impressed… the Subaru is getting the flick !!! He is buying the CRDi i30.
Dan

No doubt, they are geting better and better. If I was on low budget, I’d definately consider one. I wouldn’t, say 5 years ago, but things slowly change. It’s good for everyone. If japs are slipping in their game, that will be a good wake up call. At the end of the day, the consumer is the one who benefits. And thats a good thing!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Quote “If I was on low budget, I’d definitely consider one.”{I corrected your spelling

You mean if you wanted to own your car you would get one instead of the lease company owning it !

The wheels on this remind of the ones that use to be on the Carla Zampatti Laser years ago…………..before your time Dan!
Captain Mainwaring

We car nuts are all so far up our own rectums that we can’t see the wood from the trees.
15 years ago my home entertainment had to be from Sony, and my cars from Honda. Now I’m not so sure. I now have a dishwasher and home audio from LG and they’ve been the best I’ve ever had. When (if) my 15 year old Sony TV blows up, it’s replacement will almost certainly be an LG, so why would I not consider a Hyundai/Kia for my next car?
Tim

Jesus, a Kia artice turns into a Toyota bashing article once again.

And what a ridiculous thing to say about Kia drivers “scraping through”. People dont need to drive $50K cars, nor do they need to impress anyone – some of you guys care WAY to much about what other people on the road will think of you when they see you in a Kia/Hyundai. Fact is, Hyundai and Kia have been on a huge rise, and they build some dam fine vehicles!

My point is, you can’t judge anyone by what they drive. For example, my girlfriend/her parents own a previous gen Kia Rio, yet they also own an ’08 Pajero
+ company car. They dont need 2 good private cars – infact most of us dont need one. Something cheap and reliable which will get them to shops/work and most importantly – they dont care about their “image”.
Wheelnut

Tim – the reason this like most articles on this site turn into a Toyota Bashing Bonanza is because a Toyota fan comes on and degrades or criticises it because the car doesn’t wear a Toyota badge then go on as to how they believe the Toyota is so much superior to it and all other cars.

If its not a Toyota they don’t particularly care about it let alone test-drive it and therefore; feel as though they are entilted to make such inane narrow-minded ill-informed comments

It’s as if, if they don’t know about it; didn’t hear about it or read about it.. then it didn’t happen can’t happen or won’t happen – as simple as that.

On Topic: I believe Kia make some of the best value for money cars in their class.. and as times get even tougher and more uncertain value for money is going to be even more important
Robj

Well you get what you pay for. These vehicles are still well behind the premium japanese brands Honda, Mazda, Suzuki (& don’t even compare further up). I’ve looked at the new vehicles released and cannot see why I’d buy one. Only if your a non demanding customer whom just wants cheap transport and nothing more. I guess there is a big market for that. (I drive a Subaru Liberty now so what Kia/Hyandai vehicle should I consider, please be serious..)
realcars

Robj,is that the Liberty with the four speed auto?
realcars

Mazda,Honda premium brand depends on the model.

Suzuki are good cars but not “premium”

Liberty is getting up there in price and with AWD has no direct competitor really and is comparatively under engined/trans for the price but is a “nice” car but nothing extraordinary.

Amazes me how people justify their purchase.
Alex

Why does all this Camry/Lexus stuff keep coming up? I hate Toyota and I don’t like Lexus but come one people, the Lexus may look a lot like the Toyota, it may even share some parts but the Lexus is still a very different car. It’s built about 50 times better than the Toyota and it is powered by a much smoother engine. I don’t know if it’s worth an extra $60,000, but it’s not as if they rebadged a Camry and sold it or more.
Mac

Talking about Lexus – god knows how on a Kia MPV discussion – the last time I travelled around with Gerry Harvey it was in his Lexus LS. He is quite a fan of Lexus.
Garry

I drive two Hyundai’s even with two very good incomes and no kids I buy Hyundai because they are very good cars to drive and the 4 in total i have owned have never caused the slighest bit of trouble and yes I did own an excel from the late 90′s.So people dont buy the big H because there cheap they drive them because of the quality of car there getting now.Yes Phillip your stupid.
CarAdvice Reader

Is there an article on the caradvice website, that doesn’t have the two toolies (Wheelnut,Bavarian Missile) bringin up Toyotas? Wheelnut, you seem to be the only toyota-phile left on this site…
Caradvice isn’t it time to been these two fools!!

As for Kia, Love the look!!
If i was in the market for a people mover, i’d definitely consider one!!
phillip

Well Garry at least I know the difference between ‘there’ and ‘they’re’ and ‘your’ and ‘you’re’.
Dadd

Dan
I am in total awe of your wealth, intelect and modesty – many people in your position (immense wealth, professional success) would be so far up themselves it wouldn’t be funny.

Given the above I wonder why you would even read a Kia article let alone waste your valuable time posting – surely your time would be better spent reading the Lexus versus M3 article. Perhaps you would be the massive tight ar*e who would buy the Lexus because its $20k cheaper – although I suppose the Toyota heritage of the Lexus does tend to keep you in touch with the common man.

Anyway have a nice day, give that jet ski a workout and ,if time permits, get over yourself.
http://skyline The Salesman

Wow, looks like i missed out on allot.
Dan, i guess you measure success differently to us mere humans. Kia and Hyundai are not the best car makers in the world. But they make the best argument for value and they have put Japan and Germany on quality and style notice. Consumers won’t let you get away with making an inferior product, so how do you explain their recent influx in sales?
KM

Salesman,

Further to your comment “The new Cerato IMO drives better than anything the Germans or Japanese have released in recent times.” let me just say, I completely dis-agree. I’m currently driving a diesel Sorento & have driven the new cerato/rondo/carnival/carnival diesel/Sportage/rio/magentis… Let me tell you, KIA is a rapidly growing brand indeed and is up there with the “bang for bucks” term… However, the cars do not drive anywhere near like the German rivals. They are closer to the Jap rivals BUT definately no where near as good as a VW golf or Passat for example… I owned a golf for several years & no Jap or Korean manufacturers can match the engineering & driving comfort of a german car…
But i do have to some this up by saying the Koreans are coming real hard & alot of the Jap manufacturers should beware. As i said previously the Sorento which i am driving at the moment, is a great car which is considerately well priced compared to other vehicles in its class.

Cheers
http://skyline The Salesman

KM,
As i said…..IMO. But thanks for your ramble
http://skyline The Salesman

Correct Dan, their is almost a perfect storm turning consumers toward more economical brands.
ComradeVodka

To be honest, I don’t even see why CarAdvice bothers to keep the user posting available, as pretty much every bloody article they write gets trashed by people arguing about the same old crap, get the f*ck over it arse holes, no one wants to hear your bullsh*t on every damn article, use the user posts for what they are properly meant for, f*ck me, it isn’t hard.