Kia Rondo, 2008: The Weekly Driver

One of the tangible but often unwritten tests of a new vehicle is its initial comfort. In short, does a car suit a driver without a lengthy technological learning curve? Maybe that makes me a simpleton, but there's something to be said for an efficient, straightforward, no-nonsense car that doesn't require intense reading to operate. And that's an appropriate description of the 2008 Kia Rondo.

It's nothing new that a good share of drivers still scoff at car manufacturers from Korea. But all of misgivings should now be considered history. Kia offers affordable, safe vehicles with the car industry’s best warranty.

I recently drove the Kia Rondo for a week while visiting Missouri, logging more than 1,000 miles. There's nothing too severe about driving in Missouri. With the exception of a few days of steady rain, the Rondo, Kia's full-sized wagon, didn't face anything extreme.

But during my week with the vehicle it served its purpose and provided good, steady transportation across wide open highways, back country roads and in around-town situations

The Rondo is one of most reasonably priced wagons on the market and it's a solid alternative to a minivan or small sport utility vehicle. It's a wagon, for sure, but the second-year vehicle drives more like a car.

The Rondo's direct competitor is the Mazda5 wagon, but it's not too different than other car-based crossovers like the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe. But the Rondo has car doors and it's not a disparaging comment to describe it is a modern-day, streamlined station wagon with an option feature to seat seven.

The Los Angeles Times is often critical in its car reviews and it's hard to argue with the criticisms. But it described the Rondo ideally:

"It's about satisfying the automotive nesting instinct people feel when they've got kids -- their own and their friends' who need to get around with a minimum of fuss and maximum of thrift. Secure, well-constructed, nimble and versatile as a blue blazer, the Rondo does all that and leaves money left over for piano lessons."

The Rondo comes in two trims, the LX and EX, both available with the standard inline four-cylinder engine or an optional V6. I drove the six-cylinder, with an automatic transportation for my week in Missouri.

The Rondo will never be mistaken for a speedster, but I never felt restricted when needing to accelerate. I spent several hours a day in the car and as a 6-foot, 185-pound driver, there was plenty of head and legroom.

One of the criticisms of the Rondo is its exterior design. In short, it's non-descript -- no keen lines or particular innovation. There's nothing that makes the Rondo stand out in a crowd. And that's necessarily a bad thing. Some drivers need flash in their cars, others don't.

What the Kia Rondo provides is solid, safe transportation as a full-size wagon with an option to seat seven and at an attractive price point. That's plenty, it seems, to attract attention for reasons other than cosmetics.

Safety Features -- Dual front, front seat side air bags and side curtain air bags.

Warranty -- Bumper to bumper, 5 years/60,000 miles; Limited powertrain, 10 years/100,000 miles; Corrosion, 5 years/100,000 miles; Roadside assistance, 5 years/60,000 miles.

Gas Mileage Estimates -- 19 mpg (city), 26 mpg (hwy).

Price Range -- $16,395-$20,195.

Kia's Sedona racks up awards

One of the best minivans on the market is a best-kept secret. It's the Kia Sedona.

The styling of the Sedona from the rear resembles that of a compact crossover sport utility vehicle.

What makes this minivan such a "best" is all the awards it's been stacking up for safety and quality. It's also well priced and well powered.

The Sedona gets high ratings on crash-test safety from the U.S. government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It's also reliable in quality with a top showing in the Strategic Vision Total Quality Index survey of owners.

There are no safety options on the Sedona. It's standard equipped with nearly every safety technology on the market. This minivan comes with six airbags, electronic stability control, active head restraints, traction control, brake assist, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution.

The 2008 Sedona is a front-wheel drive, three-row minivan that seats up to seven passengers. A convenient fold-flat to the floor split-fold third row allows for ample cargo carrying capability.

The Sedona is offered in short wheelbase and long wheelbase models in LX and uplevel EX trims. The SWB Sedona has a wheelbase of 114 inches and overall length of 189 inches, while the LWB model is 202 inches in length and has a longer wheelbase of about 119 inches.

Base prices for the 2008 Sedona start at $20,695. The EX test vehicle was luxury oriented with a starting price of $26,195 and premium options that brought the price to $32,220, including the $725 destination charge.

Kia goes head-to-head with the better-known minivan products -- such as the Chrysler Town & Country and the Toyota Sienna -- with upscale options that put the Sedona in a notable high-end class for comfort and convenience.

For example, the EX test vehicle was equipped with a $2,400 Luxury Package of heated front leather seats, power adjustable pedals, triple-zone climate controls, power sunroof, backup warning system and steering wheel-mounted sound system controls.

A $200 Power Package added convenience for the driver with a power liftgate and power sliding dual doors. A $1,700 Premium Entertainment Package featured an 8-inch screen and DVD player and Infinity Surround Sound System. I did not enjoy this optional audio quality. It was difficult to find a pleasing sound. Most of the time the music sounded like it was coming from a tin box, even though I played with the bass, treble, fade and middle adjustments.

The 2008 Kia Sedona is standard equipped with nearly every safety technology on the market

Stepping on the accelerator of the Sedona was a pleasure. This minivan didn't lumber along under its 4,387-pound girth. It's got some punch under the hood.

The 24-valve V-6 engine with a 3.8-liter displacement generates a horsepower rating of 250 at 6,000 rpm and good torque of 253 pounds-feet at 3,500 rpm. Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission the V-6 Sedona is EPA-rated at 16 miles per gallon city and 23 mpg highway, which is equivalent to that of a full-size sedan.

The styling of the Sedona from the rear resembles that of a compact crossover sport utility vehicle, but up front the Sedona is very class typical of the minivan segment with smooth lines and a large glass area.

The suspension is a four-wheel independent system with MacPherson struts up front and multi-link with coil springs and stabilizer bar in the rear set-up. Sixteen-inch wheels are standard on the Sedona; the uplevel long wheelbase EX trim gets 17-inch alloy wheels.

Kia backs up the Sedona with a 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. Shoppers would do well to add the Sedona to the top three vehicles to cross-shop when looking for a minivan.

Connie Keane MOTOR MATTERS

For The Money, You Can't Beat The Kia Optima

The Optima has many appealing virtues for a very low price.

In the wake of higher fuel prices, family sedans are now in greater demand than has been the case in years. It is fuel economy that is driving their resurgence, but at the same time people are rediscovering their ride, handling and comfort.

For buyers who have been out of the sedan market for a while, there are many new players to consider. Manufacturers that might not have demanded attention a few years ago now do.

Among them is Kia, maker of the Optima sedan.

A week spent with a four-cylinder EX model, loaned to us by Kia, proved that the Optima has many appealing virtues.

For its price it is surprisingly roomy, rides nicely, handles quite competently, is nicely assembled and, in our tests, managed to score fuel economy results in the mid-20 mpg range when equipped with the four-cylinder engine.

Two models, two engines and two transmissions are offered. Base Optima buyers end up with the nicely equipped LX model, whose standard features include air conditioning, heated power mirrors, power windows and power locks. Standard safety equipment includes dual front, front side and side curtain air bags, along with active head restraints.

The base engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder motor with the driver's choice of a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. Buying the LX with the automatic also adds a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control and remote keyless entry to the list of standard features.

The LX is also offered with a 2.7-liter V-6. This engine comes only with the automatic transmission.

EX buyers also choose between the inline four-cylinder engine and the V-6.

However, EX buyers have no choice when it comes to transmissions. The automatic is the only unit offered. The EX model also has standard leather upholstery, an eight-way power driver's seat, fog lights, alloy wheels and automatic climate control. All Optimas are front-wheel-drive vehicles.

"Most people buy the LX," reports Dan Leonard, general manager of Crowley Kia in Bristol. "We sell a mix of fours and V-6s, but right now, the car is in short supply."

The EX, which we drove, has two options packages.

One included power-adjustable pedals, a power passenger's seat and heated front seats. The other consisted of electronic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes and brake assist. This final feature recognizes when the driver is stopping for an emergency and applies full braking pressure, right up to the engagement of the anti-lock feature.

"Buyers who want the EX often go for all the options," Leonard said. "They want the leather, the sunroof. LX buyers are happy with the standard features - the power windows and mirrors. They sometimes fuss over the color, though."

As appealing as the long list of standard features on the Optima may be, it is the solid performance in daily driving that makes the Optima one of the best buys in its class. The car accelerates with competence, rides nicely over most surfaces and handles quite well.

Acceleration is an interesting aspect of the Optima's performance. Having had the chance to review a V-6 version and now a four-cylinder model, the performance numbers have turned out to be surprisingly similar.

That, despite a 23 horsepower spread in the ratings. Our zero-to-60 time with the four was 8.7 seconds. With the V-6 it was 8.3. Most drivers would feel little difference based on acceleration and power. Rather, the V-6 comes across as the more refined engine of the two.

Regardless, the transmission does a generally fine job of shifting, though some downshifts can be just a little late in coming.

The ride is smooth and handling is good. The Optima is no sports sedan, nor does it pretend to be one. Still, it is competent and, with the optional stability control, quite secure in simulated emergency maneuvers.

The leather upholstery helps make the Optima EX feel a bit more luxurious than its price suggests it should be. Front-seat room and comfort are good. The back seat accommodates two adults and the trunk is reasonably roomy. The back seat is split and folds, with release levers in the trunk for added security.

One aspect of the Optima, and all Kias for that matter, that generates buyer enthusiasm is the warranty. In addition to a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, the drivetrain is covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Price, performance and warranty protection make up a package that many buyers find appealing.

"Most buyers are people who have also looked at the Accord and Camry, and come to the Kia because it costs $7,000 less," Leonard said. "The buyers love it. You can't beat the car for the money. They love the ride and handling and the safety with six air bags."

PAULA SAYS...

Even a brief drive in the Kia Optima should serve as a reality check. This midsize family sedan turns in a perfectly acceptable performance for a price that undercuts many compact cars. The Optima is comfortable, drives nicely, has all the pep anyone needs with the four-cylinder engine - and has the safety and convenience features people want.

Granted, the review car was the top-of-the-line EX with options that pushed the sticker price to just over $21,400. But the important extra - the electronic stability package with its anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control and brake assist - is also offered on the base model for the same $600 it costs on the EX.

The price for an LX model with the automatic transmission and this package of safety equipment would be less than $19,000.

As for other aspects of the Optima, the power seat, another EX exclusive, manages to lift a shorter driver up to the point that visibility ahead is quite good.

With the seat moved to its highest position, the view to the left at intersections is only partially blocked by the outside rearview mirror. The power-adjustable pedals and tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel also help fit the car to the driver.

By JIM MACPHERSON

First Look: Kia's new Borrego SUV may find market

Despite what you've heard, timing isn't everything.

Take Kia's all new 2009 Borrego midsize SUV. The company has been taking a lot of flak for introducing this model when SUV sales are tanking in response to high gasoline prices.

But this product was designed before the gas crisis hit, and the company is counting on the families who still need the passenger capacity, traction and other features that SUVs have.

Timing aside, Kia's got one thing going for it: Borrego is good.

The Borrego, by the way, is a true SUV in the sense that it has body on frame construction. It's not a crossover, which is built on a car platform, which makes for a smoother ride, better economy and more style.

But the Borrego, which carries prices that start just under $27,000, rides as well as many of those crossovers. And it's one of the quietest vehicles out there whether you're talking about crossovers or SUVS. It's nice-looking, but in a conventional, rugged looking way. This is not what you'd call a style leader.

But no matter. It's got plenty of assets. It's got a low door sill for easy entry and exit, and you feel as though you're sitting in a nicely equipped entry level luxury car.

Moreover, Borrego is fun to drive. It feels comparatively light on its feet, not at all cumbersome, and is so well-built that it feels "all of a piece"-- not creaky, squeaky or trucky.

Inside, it's well-appointed and well equipped, too.

The dashboard and console are utter simplicity itself, while still managing to look classy. The knobs and controls are logically placed and the navigation screen is large, well-organized and easy to operate.

As usual, it's the little things that count.

All of your hookups for iPods and other MP3 devices are right there on the console, and glory be, they light up at night -- no groping around.

Why can't all carmakers follow Kia's lead on this? I've tried to attach iPods in the most awkward of places in cars I've driven: under seats, under instrument panels, in glove boxes, in consoles and heaven knows where else.

Standard equipment is generous. There are three rows of seats for seven adults, hill assist control, downhill brake control and the usual full complement of safety equipment offered as standard equipment. There also are such available options as rear camera display, parking assist and the voice activated navigation system.

Borrego offers two-wheel and four-wheel versions, and you can get a 3.8-liter, 276-horsepower V-6 as well as Kia's first-ever 4.6-liter V-8 engine. And best of all, these engines run on regular unleaded gasoline.

Gas mileage is rated at 15 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway for the V-8 with two-wheel drive, and 15/20 for the four-wheel-drive model.

The V-6 gets 17/21 with two-wheel drive and 16/21 with the four-wheel-drive model.

Borrego features a full-time Torque-on-Demand system from BorgWarner for its four-wheel-drive models.

The system uses electronic sensors to monitor road conditions and distribute power to the appropriate wheels.

Any problems or issues? Nary a one.

Some writers have complained that the ride feels bouncy, but I never noticed that, and I went over some pretty awful Pittsburgh surfaces.

Other standard features include air conditioning; power door locks, windows and mirrors, keyless entry, cruise control; an AM/FM/CD/MP3, six-speaker audio system, and full-length side curtain air bags for all three rows.

Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Kia Amanti Tops Strategic Vision SmartGreenIndexSM

Award-winning full-size sedan honored in new study

# Amanti spotlighted for quality, fuel efficiency and overall value
# Six Kia vehicles recognized as SmartGreenSM

IRVINE, Calif., September 29, 2008 - Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the Kia Amanti topped the large car segment in the newest Strategic Vision automotive metric, the SmartGreenIndexSM (SGISM). The SGI reflects the relationships between perceived quality plus overall value and issues including fuel economy and environmental friendliness.

In addition to Amanti, according to the new SGI, Spectra compact, Rondo CUV, Sportage compact SUV, Sorento midsize SUV and Sedona minivan also scored highly in their respective segments. These placements further express consumers are taking note of Kia's efforts in providing stylish, comfortable and economically-friendly vehicles.

"Seeing Amanti at the top of the SmartGreenIndex is a testament to our continuing consumer satisfaction," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. "We also are very proud of the other Kia vehicles recognized by Strategic Vision and consumers, further exemplifying Kia as a consumer-minded manufacturer committed to offering quality, fuel-efficient vehicles to smart, discerning customers."

Strategic Vision calculated the SGI from 44,320 buyer responses who purchased 2008 or 2009 models from September 2007 to March 2008. SmartGreen is based on actual customer experiences and is weighted according to those aspects which best predict customer advocacy, overall satisfaction, future brand choices and loyalty, which ultimately result in increased model and brand sales.

Already a recipient of a J.D. Power and Associates APEAL Award in 2005 and recently awarded a "Good" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in side impact crash tests, Amanti offers outstanding safety features, luxury and overall convenience in the full-size sedan segment, coming standard with amenities including: eight airbags; leather, chrome and wood accents; and a 3.8-liter all-aluminum DOHC V6 engine which generates 264 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record U.S. sales. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise."

Borrego takes on rough path

Kia has added a third SUV to its lineup for 2009, this one even more capable than its other two models for the kind of serious off-road driving that spawned the creation of sport utilities in the first place.

Long before SUVs were heartily embraced by soccer moms as the favored replacements for minivans and station wagons, those of us who like to go where no mere car has gone before had been buying sport utilities as our weekend getaway vehicles.

My first, which I purchased "gently used" in 1973 while I was editor of a weekly newspaper in the Cumberland Mountains of upper east Tennessee, was a 1965 Jeep Wagoneer, which came with a Buick V-6 engine and a great four-wheel-drive system.

The Cumberlands, part of the Appalachian chain that runs from Maine to north Alabama, offer some great off-road-driving opportunities, and for that, a Jeep-type vehicle was just the ticket.

Today, there are plenty of SUVs on the market, but their numbers are dwindling as consumers increasingly turn to the so-called CUVs, or crossover utility vehicles, which offer marginal off-road capabilities at best, but are as good as or better than station wagons or minivans at hauling the kids and their soccer gear around town.

With gasoline prices spiking and car buyers pulling even further back on SUV purchases this year, I have to applaud South Korea's Kia for going ahead this fall with the launch of its all-new Borrego. This is a midsize SUV that isn't a crossover, but a traditional truck-based, body-on-frame vehicle that is rugged enough to tackle tough off-road trails such as those I once explored in the Cumberlands.

The Borrego's name is quite fitting for a vehicle that is so off-road capable. It's taken from the name of one of my all-time favorite places for four-wheeling -- the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park near Palm Springs, Calif.

Kia began development of the Borrego about four years ago when gasoline was about half the price it is now, and no one was worrying much about fuel economy.

But some other automakers probably would have pulled the plug on the Borrego this year if it had been their vehicle. Kia, though, doesn't have much to lose and plenty to gain with the launch of the Borrego.

That's because even with its traditional SUV chassis, the Borrego's EPA fuel-economy ratings are as good as those of some of the popular crossovers -- 16 miles per gallon city/21 highway with the base 3.3-liter V-6 engine and four-wheel drive (17/22 with two-wheel drive).

Another bold move is the introduction of a 4.6-liter V-8 as the optional engine in the Borrego, borrowed from the new Hyundai Genesis luxury sedan. This is the first V-8 in either a Kia or Hyundai vehicle, and some would argue that it's a little late coming, especially now that consumers seem to be abandoning V-8s in record numbers in favor of less powerful, more efficient four- and six-cylinder engines.

The Borrego accomplishes two goals for Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai. It gives the company its most powerful and best-equipped vehicle yet, and it shows consumers that the brand once known mostly for value and economy can field a credible entry in a near-premium vehicle segment.

The vehicle seats up to seven people, and it has a roomy and comfortable interior that looks more like that of a luxury sedan than an off-road-capable SUV.

Yet when equipped with the optional four-wheel drive, the Borrego is just as home on the range as it is on the freeway.

Of course, it comes with a two-speed transfer case with low range gearing, a necessity on steep mountain trails and in deep sand, such as one might find while driving north on the beach at South Padre Island.

Base prices range from $26,245 for the entry two-wheel-drive LX model with V-6 engine, to $30,995 for the uplevel, two-wheel-drive, V-8 powered EX version.

The V-8 LX model with four-wheel drive is the same price as the EX V-8; the V-6 version of the EX with two-wheel drive is $27,995.

Four-wheel drive can be added to the LX V-6 for $2,050 and to the EX V-6 or V-8 for an additional $2,000.

The V-6 is rated at 276 horsepower and is connected to a five-speed automatic transmission. This engine produces EPA mileage of 17 city/22 highway with two-wheel drive, and 16/21 with four-wheel drive.

With the V-8, there is 337 horsepower and 323 foot-pounds of torque. Standard is a six-speed automatic. EPA ratings are 15/22 with two-wheel drive and 15/20 with four-wheel drive.

The Borrego, which is sold as the Mohave in markets outside North America, was designed with occupant safety in mind. It has earned the highest five-star crash safety ratings from the U.S. government for all seating positions.

"Borrego is Kia's newest vehicle, and it is a prime example of our commitment and dedication to providing the best and most up-to-date standard safety features in vehicles for consumers," Byung-Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America, said in announcing pricing for the vehicle, which went on sale in August.

Among its standard safety features are advanced front air bags, front seat-mounted side air bags, side-curtain air bags for all three rows of seats, a driver's knee air bag (V-8 models only), four-wheel antilock disc brakes, electronic stability control and traction control, a tire-pressure monitoring system, electronic brake-force distribution and electronic brake assist.

For those with boats, horse trailers or small travel trailers, towing capacity is 5,000 pounds for the V-6 models and 7,500 pounds for the V-8.

Standard amenities include air conditioning, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 six-speaker audio system with USB and auxiliary input jack, power windows/mirrors/door locks with remote and Sirius satellite radio.

Kia says the Borrego has more interior space than the Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee or the redesigned 2009 Honda Pilot.

G. Chambers Williams III

Kia introduces Soul compact in Seoul

Kia plans to sell 18,000 units of the new model, called Soul, by the end of the year, and will boost annual sales to 136,000 units from next year, the Seoul-based automaker said in a statement. Exports to Europe and the U.S. will begin in the first half of 2009, it said.

Chairman Chung Mong Koo is betting on new small autos to improve profitability at Kia after operating losses in the past two years. Kia this year began selling a revamped Morning minicar and Forte small car as consumers demand more fuel-efficient vehicles to cope with a 5.2 percent increase in South Korea's gasoline prices since December.

The Soul is fitted with a 1.6-liter or 2-liter engine, both on petrol and diesel variants. It will sell for between 14 million won ($12,300) and 20.8 million won, the statement said.

Kia spent 190 billion won in the past two-and-a-half years to develop the model, it said. The automaker hired former Volkswagen's head designer Peter Schreyer as Chief Design Officer in 2006 to overhaul its lineup.

"Kia's strength in small cars would help it weather a setback in global auto demand,'' said Cho Soo Hong, a Seoul- based analyst at Hyundai Securities Co., which isn't related to Hyundai Motor Co., Kia's parent company.

With the introduction of four new or revamped models this year, Kia's local market share rose to 25.4 percent in the first eight months of this year, compared with 22 percent a year earlier, according to Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Kia's domestic sales rose 16 percent from a year earlier in that period, the most among South Korea's five carmakers. Overall sales including exports gained 6.6 percent.

By Seonjin Cha
Bloomberg News