2007 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Testing and Finalists
Yet another contender in the race for space
By Todd Lassa
Saturn contemplated selling a U.S. version of the Opel Zafira minivan here several years ago, but dropped the idea. Mazda introduced its four-cylinder 5 here last year, and it made the first cut in our Car of the Year competition. Now Kia has decided its European-style minivan, the Carens, is ready for the U.S. market, where it's called the Rondo.
Based on the impressive Optima midsize sedan, the Rondo is much smaller than Dodge Caravans and Honda Odysseys and such and, like the first Odyssey, has four conventional doors.
When the optional third row is up, cargo area is virtually eliminated, and you've got two fairly tight seats. Still, for smaller and/or younger families that use the third row occasionally, the Rondo offers maneuverability and fuel mileage that conventional minivans dream of.
Our preproduction test car had good road manners with a smooth ride, but just a bit of excessive road noise. Dynamically, it's inferior to the Mazda5, and it needs about a second more for 0-to-60 mph, although the Kia easily keeps up with the smaller Dodge Caliber. It's also a couple-grand less than the Mazda. The comfy seats and their flexibility--second and third rows fold flat--are the standout features of the Rondo. The dashboard may be odd-looking, but it consists of quality materials, another example of the new Kia/Hyundai juggernaut catching up with well-established brands.
We like this segment of minivan, and we find the Rondo better suited for its purpose than the Mazda5. The Rondo doesn't feel as refined and advanced as some other new Hyundai/Kia models, including its platform-sibling, the Optima. But it jumps to the top of a minute (so far) class and represents great sensibility in a class where sensibility is the most important quality.
| 2007 Kia Rondo |
| Base price range | $18,000-$20,000 (est) |
| Price as tested | $20,000 (est, EX V-6) |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, FWD, 5- or 7-pass, 4-door minivan |
| Engine | 2.7L/182-hp/182-lb-ft DOHC 24 valve V-6 |
| Transmission | 5-speed automatic |
| Curb weight (f/r dist) | 3640 lb (59/41%) |
| Wheelbase | 106.3 in |
| Length x width x height | 179.0 x 70.9 x 65.0 in |
| 0-60 mph | 9.5 sec |
| Quarter mile | 17.7 sec @ 81 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 124 ft |
| 600-foot slalom | 63.2 mph, avg |
| Lateral acceleration | 0.72 g, avg |
| MT figure eight | 29.0 sec @ 0.55 g, avg |
| EPA city/hwy fuel econ | 20/27 mpg |
| Sum Up | The right-sized, right-priced minivan for many americans. |
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