In the lap of luxury
My tester was the top of the line V6 EX Luxury 7, which if I hadn't already driven the vehicle prior to reading that, I probably would have laughed out loud. After all, isn't the Kia brand widely looked upon as an economy range of vehicles?
Well, I certainly got a surprise! Leather faced seating throughout, Power and Heated Seats, Power Windows, Cruise Control, Steering Wheel Audio Controls, A/C, AM/FM/CD with Equalizer, Keyless Entry with Alarm, Power Sunroof etc. That's before we even get to things like 4 Wheel Disc Anti-Lock brakes, 6 Airbags, Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control.
Then, of course, I have to mention the wonderful 2.7L V6 power plant which my tester boasted. Ok, fair enough, its 182hp output is not exactly anything to make me jump about with unbridled excitement, but believe me, the word wonderful does fit in here, because it has to be one of the smoothest V6's that I have ever driven. Obviously, it's not a street racing machine (well, unless you live in Ontario where we now have grandfathers in Oldsmobile's being charged under that label), but it performs very well if you take into consideration what the vehicle is designed to do. It is also quite frugal on fuel, which is a very good thing nowadays! (11L/100kms City, 7.7L/100kms Highway).
A room with a view
The Rondo sits slightly higher than a normal car, which makes getting in and out of the vehicle a breeze. Once situated in the front driver's seat, it also allows for a good view of the road ahead, almost part SUV in feel. The controls nicely fall to hand, and appear to be of good quality. The dash has also been well designed and follows the now common look with aluminum accents.
One thing that I will add regarding the Rondo, is that Kia has used some very nice materials for the interior of the vehicle, and the soft rubbery feel of the dash puts some other more expensive cars to shame.
There you go, I finally made a small mention of money, and this is where the Kia Rondo V6 Ex plays its ultimate trump card, because my tester, with all that I have mentioned above, comes in at just $26,095!
That's a lot of car for that kind of money. Well at least it is in my book it is! In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it was one of the best value vehicles that I have driven this year, and therefore, I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on the Kia brand from now on!
photo:Kevin Corrigan
My tester was the top of the line V6 EX Luxury 7, which if I hadn't already driven the vehicle prior to reading that, I probably would have laughed out loud. After all, isn't the Kia brand widely looked upon as an economy range of vehicles?
Well, I certainly got a surprise! Leather faced seating throughout, Power and Heated Seats, Power Windows, Cruise Control, Steering Wheel Audio Controls, A/C, AM/FM/CD with Equalizer, Keyless Entry with Alarm, Power Sunroof etc. That's before we even get to things like 4 Wheel Disc Anti-Lock brakes, 6 Airbags, Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control.
Then, of course, I have to mention the wonderful 2.7L V6 power plant which my tester boasted. Ok, fair enough, its 182hp output is not exactly anything to make me jump about with unbridled excitement, but believe me, the word wonderful does fit in here, because it has to be one of the smoothest V6's that I have ever driven. Obviously, it's not a street racing machine (well, unless you live in Ontario where we now have grandfathers in Oldsmobile's being charged under that label), but it performs very well if you take into consideration what the vehicle is designed to do. It is also quite frugal on fuel, which is a very good thing nowadays! (11L/100kms City, 7.7L/100kms Highway).
 |
| I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on the Kia brand from now on! |
A room with a view
The Rondo sits slightly higher than a normal car, which makes getting in and out of the vehicle a breeze. Once situated in the front driver's seat, it also allows for a good view of the road ahead, almost part SUV in feel. The controls nicely fall to hand, and appear to be of good quality. The dash has also been well designed and follows the now common look with aluminum accents.
One thing that I will add regarding the Rondo, is that Kia has used some very nice materials for the interior of the vehicle, and the soft rubbery feel of the dash puts some other more expensive cars to shame.
There you go, I finally made a small mention of money, and this is where the Kia Rondo V6 Ex plays its ultimate trump card, because my tester, with all that I have mentioned above, comes in at just $26,095!
That's a lot of car for that kind of money. Well at least it is in my book it is! In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it was one of the best value vehicles that I have driven this year, and therefore, I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on the Kia brand from now on!
photo:Kevin Corrigan
Article Gallery