Kia Rondo On Sale Now; Prices Announced

It seems like just last week we saw the public debut of Kia’s new compact people-hauling mini-minivan the Rondo, and today we have a full list of prices for you. Wait a second, the L.A. Auto Show was last week, and the Rondo is already making its way to dealers. 

The Rondo lineup starts with a base model called — appropriately enough — Base, for $16,995, and runs up to $20,795 for the top-of-the-line EX with a V-6 engine. The Base’s standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, side curtain airbags and electronic stability control, but air conditioning is a $900 option. Obviously, you won’t find many base Rondos without A/C on the lot, so think of the starting price as $17,895. None of the prices include the $600 destination charge. Keep reading for the rest of the lineup’s prices. 

Related: 2007 Kia Rondo at the L.A. Auto Show

Comments

Wow, hard to believe anybody even offers a vehicle without air conditioning standard. Even if you don't live in a hot climate it's still helpful for window defogging.

Kia is making progress. I like the looks of the Rondo. I hope it sells well. I owned an Elantra a few years back. Excellent design and engineering went into the car. The secret to it's low price??? IMO low quality parts. Things seem to wear out faster than the same items did on previous cars I've owned.

I drove one of these briefly last week - an I-4 LX 5 seater. It's not bad, particularly considering its low price. Engine power seemed adequete, and reasonably smooth. The styling is rather bland, but the interior design seems quite thoughtful. For someone who hasn't got room for a full size minivan or SUV, or can't afford one, this might be just the ticket.

Graham,
You can count yourself as someone that beat the entire Cars.com staff by driving the Rondo before we did.
Congrats.

Dave, I drove and reviewed the Kia Rondo last month. Okay, it was the 28th, but that was last month.

I'll second the very competent but bland summary.

I also input the pricing into my database a few days ago, and was surprised to find out that the Rondo is actually a grand or so more expensive than the Mazda5 when both are similarly equipped.

Does the Rondo share engines with any other Kia or Hyundai model?

i test drove the LX-V6 last week....good power coming from that little engine....i think it shares the same V6 with the Optima and the Sportage. smooth 5spd auto with the "sport shift" option. they call this car the Carens in europe...i guess it's been around since 2001....overall good little car. great price for what you get with it....and I don't think the Mazda 5 comes with the safety features the rondo comes with. my wife is convinced the EX-V6 is the car for her.

Troy - Rondo shares engines, both the 2.4l I-4 and 2.7l V6, with the Magentis (Optima in the U.S.). Platform is a modified Magentis chassis.

I envy you guys south of the border - we're still waiting for our first Rondo here in the 'Great White North'

previous comment:

"....and I don't think the Mazda 5 comes with the safety features the rondo comes with. "

the Mazda 5 comes with front seat side airbags and full-length head-protecting side curtain airbags are standard.

"The Mazda5 minivan has been awarded a maximum six-star rating in the 2005 Japan New Car Assessment Program (J-NCAP) crashworthiness test of safety features for the driver and front passenger seats."

It's a very safe vehicle and way more fun to drive.

i test drove the kia rondo and the mazda 5. quality is the same, and i'd give a slight nod to the kia's interior as it is more suited for luxury than sport. looks goes to the mazda. but for someone who wants a little more spice, in terms of handling and 4 cyl dynamics, the mazda 5 is a better car hands down. i also agree that there wasn't much of a price diff. bet. the two when it came to equip. and options. not enough for me that is. in the end the 5 got my nod, although the rondo is a good car.

Bought a red Rondo v6 LX 3 1/2 months ago. I have had no absolutely no problems with it. I have the 7 passenger version. I use it for work as a replacement for a much larger Ram 1500 van. I was totally surprised with its interior space.
The seats fold two ways to allow for carrying lots of stuff. Using them open but not down gives a plastic surface that can take a pounding but not show it. Great for full grocery bags that you do not want to roll around on the floor. This little car can hold several 10' downspouts and still close the hatch. I would recommend using cloth covering up the ends to avoid scratching up the interior. I get sticker 27 mpg on window highway going 65 mph.
Stick with the gray interior, the beige shows shoe scuff marks way too easily.
Power wise the v6 is really zippy. 5 speed auto has a low first gear that will easily peel off rubber if ETS is turned off and you have a heavy foot. You may need to be careful in city traffic as it is quick and a ticket is possible.
Handles well. Not heavy like a big van, so you do feel some of the road bumps. If I were buying another I would go for the EX for the radio controls and and the fog lights.

Your blog is so great, and can i buy some ad from you blog? If so, just email me and tell me the ad type and charge? Thanks so much.

It's so lucky for me to find your blog! So shocking and great!