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2009 Kia Rondo
Bigger isn’t always better
By: Rod Zervakos
In a day and age of “bigger is better” it’s nice to see a company doing it’s best to buck the system. Kia recently introduces its Rondo to the buying public and it will be interesting to see how well it fares in the small SUV/CUV market.
In the world of aesthetics the Rondo, in my opinion, ranks right up there with the Pontiac Aztec and Quasimodo. Spending a full week in one has been a humbling experience but strangely gratifying at the same time. The “cute Ute” is smaller than your average minivan but about the size of your average full size sedan.
It has three rows of seating so fitting seven passengers inside is possible, although the last row is better left for Barnum and Bailey contortionists or human origami. With the last row of seats up you have virtually no space for anything other than air, but the whole point is that if you need to haul around more than five people you don’t necessarily need a 7 ton, 9 miles to the gallon earth mover to do it. The good news is that for my family of four, the Rondo was a perfect fit. Easy for my 7 and 5 and a half year old to get in and out of with plenty of room for carrying all the soccer gear including a cooler for the hot Phoenix sun.
The test vehicle was fitted with the 182 hp 2.7 liter V6 and for poking around town and 
moderate speed highway driving, the Rondo never felt like it was underpowered. Making lane changes can sometimes be dicey when you are dealing with an anemic, underpowered slug and therefore something that is constantly on your mind, but that wasn’t the case here as the Rondo was actually pretty lively. I did however notice that the throttle tip in was a little too aggressive.
Even the slightest engagement resulted in the vehicle leaping forward as though you were trying to cut the perfect light at the local drag strip. With time I was able to refine my inputs to negate the sensitivity, but for fist time drivers it can be a bit embarrassing. The two other aspects of the Rondo that bothered me were the brakes and the steering. The steering was way to light for my tastes and I often felt like I was over correcting or sawing at the wheel just to keep it in a straight line.
The brakes were solid for the most part but they pulsed in a way that reminded me of a regenerative system from a hybrid. Anyway, the ride in general was pleasant and interior noise volumes were certainly 
acceptable for a vehicle that doesn’t break the $20k mark.
All in all I have to say that my time with the little Rondo was pleasant and Kia has earned my respect and has proven in many ways that is has the artillery to keep up with the big names in the industry. They have also proven that Bigger isn’t necessarily always better.
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