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2014 Kia Rondo

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Remember the Rondo?

Well, there’s a new one on the way. This time based on the all new European Ceed. And again it will seat 7.
A much more modern car than the old Rondo I drove for a few days years ago.

And by the way, it might be time to retire the “Rondo” name. It has “cheap Kia” written all over it.
This next one deserves much better….

Conversation 8 comments

  1. I had one as a rental for a week, and it drove pretty well, was comfortable, had all the options would would expect, and was zippy around town while getting mid-20s, and got over 30 on the hwy. It was roomy enough for a family of four and all their gear. The only crime was that its styling was boring. I don't care the name, but when I think "cheap Kia" I don't think of the Rondo I drove, I think Spectra, early Rios, first gen Optimas with bizarre grills, etc.

  2. Totally agree that the Kia "Rondo" was another horrible, chintzy sounding name for had been a very mediocre car that had been killed off.

    If true that Kia intends to revive it, this proves how stupidly arrogant they are when you consider that they settled on "Quoris" as the name for their so-called premium export vehicle.

    Some how after making all the right moves to become a better car company, the folks at Kia must now think stupid, ugly car names are a desired attribute.

    Talk about a company on a path to reverse engineering success.

  3. Further evidence that Kia will soon have (arguably) the best looking lineup of vehicles of ANY manufacturer – Regardless of Price.

  4. I don't know about changing the name. I'm a believer that the name is associated with the car, not vice versa. And "Rondo" does have some name recognition. Five years ago, the name "Malibu" was synonymous with a crappy third-world looking car. Today, the integrity of the name is greatly improved because the product is much better. There is some value in maintaining name recognition, but Kia will have to decide whether the name recognition (good or bad) is enough worth keeping.

  5. WoW! So they aren't out of the MPV market in the US after all! The competition from Ford is getting fierce. Also, look at the Optima! They kept the name, although they dumped the Spectra's (and Sephia's) name. I didn't see as many Fortes as I should have either.

  6. I liked the Rondo, despite its awkward (ugly?) styling. Very comfortable, very practical. Huge amount of space in a relatively compact package. Kia has always had a hard time naming cars. Rondo has a positive image among the people who drove it, at least.

  8. Kia's use of musical terms for car names has been haphazard at best.. if only Hyundai hadn't claimed Sonata first, then Rondo, Soul and Forte would make more sense as a set.

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