There’s progress in the $21,695 base Rondo, the LX, as well.
The
visual appeal of the improved quality material topping the dash takes
this Rondo beyond the old. The interior hush at highway speeds, the
solid crunch of the doors closing, both impress the ear. Even the
stitching in the LX’s cloth door panels appears to be the stuff of
pricier cars.
Whether at the top of the range or the bottom, the
new car is a rich ride at a reasonable price. And the lumpy looks of the
earlier Rondo are gone: the new Rondo is lower and wider than the
category stalwart, Mazda5, with crisp lines and artfully shaped side
glass.
As with its predecessor, the 2014 Rondo is sold with
seating for five or seven. The $21,695 model is a five-seater with a
manual transmission. All seven-seaters are automatics; the LX with seven
sells for $25,195 and this is the model Kia Canada anticipates to
account for 37 per cent of sales.
Our six hours of drive time – on
a route meandering between Galveston and Houston – are split between an
EX seven-seater, $28,195, and the top-of-the-line EX Luxury, also for
seven (but note that only the driver scores the ventilating seat).
All
models drive much the same. The differences within the $8,000-plus
price range covering all those Rondos with automatics are in their
multitudes of features, rather than performance. The same engine,
automatic transmission and suspension are used throughout.
The
four-cylinder is smaller than before – the V-6 is no longer available –
but Kia makes the point the new engine’s direct gas injection gives it
almost as much power as the previous one while improving fuel
consumption. The new six-speed automatic also contributes to fuel
efficiency and near-silent operation at cruising speed.
Too bad
acceleration is slow and the engine screams in protest when you squeeze
the gas pedal. Rondo is right for those of us who are content with slow
and steady cruising, but the lack of throttle response will eliminate it
from some shopping lists.
Really, with this car, it’s all about
accommodations. Start with the front: we were as impressed with the
cloth-covered seats and all-black base interior in the $21,695 LX, in
which we rode from the Houston airport to Galveston, as with the leather
and two-tone trim of the EX Luxury on the drive out of Galveston the
next day.
Kia’s target for seat comfort was the Volkswagen Tiguan,
a compliment to VW’s generally superior seating. The Rondo’s front
seats are indeed more supportive than most – though those occupying the
passenger side in the EX Luxury will resent the fact the driver’s seat
has power adjustment including lumbar support, heating and ventilating,
while they’re stuck with limited manual adjustment and heat.
Rear
passenger comfort depends on whether two or three rows of seats are in
place. With just one row in place, in the five-seater configuration,
there’s adequate room for three although foot room is pinched under the
front seats.
With the rear bench pulled up out of the cargo floor
for seating for seven, things get tighter. The normal back seat needs to
slide forward to provide usable leg-room for the pull-up two-seater.
The reality is the Rondo’s compact exterior dimensions compromise
legroom throughout the vehicle when seven persons squeeze in. The
fold-up back bench is for kids, the smaller the better for all
concerned. Access is challenging for adults, and facilitated only on the
curb side.
Kia brags about storage spaces. There are 14: the
underfloor trays ahead of the rear seats are the best example of the
unexpected. Count the features as well, a major selling point for all
Kia and Hyundai models. The base Rondo comes with air conditioning,
keyless entry, power windows, heated front seats and six-speaker audio
with voice recognition and Bluetooth. USB and iPod connections are
provided.
The $26,995 EX adds such niceties as a heated steering
wheel, automatic climate control, leather upholstery and rear-door
pull-up mesh curtains of the sort associated with German luxury cars. A
rear-view camera is provided, with an eight-inch navigation screen. The
$32,195 EX Luxury heats the rear seats as well as the front, takes care
of the navigation, replaces the hand brake handle with electronic
control, ventilates the driver. There’s more: panoramic sunroof, front
and rear parking warning, but let’s leave the full recital for Kia
salespeople.
A provocative notion comes to mind as a result of
driving a Mercedes-Benz B200 almost daily in Toronto and stepping in to a
Rondo in Houston, how these two angular-but-boxy hatchbacks really are
eerily similar despite being perceived as different.
As premium
brands like Benz and one-time economy car specialists like Kia
increasingly bring to market models that are a close match in price,
shape and purpose, cross-shopping is becoming a sprawling bazaar,
unimaginable even five years ago.
This is not to say that Kia is
set to duke it out with German luxury makers. But recognize it’s getting
closer. The 2014 Rondo cannot challenge the current Benz B250, falling
far short in power, but its performance is on par with the original
B-Class (2008-2012) with the base model engine that I purchased for EX
Luxury money. The Kia’s interior is richer, more attractive. The
warranty is superior, at five years against three years for the Benz.
The
new Rondo looks as stylish as any European – as have all Kias
introduced since design chief Peter Schreyer was hired away from
Volkswagen in 2006. He’d been head of design at Audi as it began its
rise.
Kia’s rise is under way. The question now, is how much further it can become.
Courtesy of theglobeandmail.com
