Kia Rondo Makes North American Debut

Based on some information found on the Kia Canada website, Kia appears to have another minivan in the works. Dubbed the Kia Rondo, this new compact minivan is based on the Kia Optima midsize sedan. It follows the same compact minivan form factor as the Mazda5, which in turn personifies the popular class of small people-movers found throughout Europe and Asia -- in fact, the Rondo will be sold as the Kia Carens in other parts of the world.

As these photos attest, the Rondo opts for a traditional set of four hinged doors rather than sliding ones. Kia plans to offer both 5- and 7-passenger models, although we can expect the third row to be a bit cramped for adults. While one can argue whether the Rondo is a minivan, a tall wagon or a crossover, it's beyond debate that Kia is now aggressively entering the North American people-mover market with both small (Rondo) and king-sized (Sedona) product offerings.

The Kia Canada website lists the Rondo as arriving in the Canadian market in December 2006, but no word yet on when the Rondo may be available in the states. My guess is that it will arrive sometime in early 2007.

I've updated the 2007 Kia Minivans Preview and placed a few images of the new vehicle in our 2007 Kia Rondo Photo Gallery. See links below for more information.

• 2007 Kia Rondo [photo gallery]
• What New for 2007: Kia Minivans [preview]
• 2006 Mazda5 Touring Road Test [review]
• 2006 Kia Sedona EX [review]

^{photo: © Jeff James}