News

• Type: Mid-size four-door hatchback
• Price range: $19,995-$26,095
• Engine: 2.4-litre inline-four, DOHC; 2.7-litre V-6, DOHC
• Horsepower/torque:
• 162 hp/164 lb-ft for the I-4
• 182 hp/182 lb-ft for the V-6
• Transmission: four-speed automatic and five-speed automatic
• Drive: Front-wheel-drive
• Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 11.0 city/7.5 highway for I-4; 11.8 city/7.9 highway for V-6; regular gas for both
• Alternatives: Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Dodge Caliber, Toyota Matrix, Mazda5

Like

• Loads of room inside
• Nice view out the big glass areas
• Materials, fit and finish appear to be very good
• A lot of stuff for the money

Don't like

• Kia's quality history is still well below average
• Numb steering
• Indifferent road manners
• Flat seats
• Slippery steering wheel

Family car buyers have limited choices if they are looking for a mid-size multipurpose vehicle (MPV).

Call them small minivans but they really are nothing more than a different take on the traditional station wagon, which itself has always been just a variation of the family sedan.

Europeans, of course, love their very sensible MPVs — love them for their versatility and fuel efficiency. Dozens of versions are sold there, making the MPV segment among the fastest growing in Europe.

Here, though, it's a short list. The seven-year-old, retro-styled Chrysler PT Cruiser is the oldest of the bunch (and reportedly won't survive to the 2009 model year). The sporty Mazda5 plays there, too, as does the Chevrolet HHR, Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Patriot, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe and Kia Rondo.

But of all those, only the Mazda5 and the Rondo can be bought with up to three rows of seating.

The Rondo's optional pair of folding seats in the cargo area allows room for as many as seven despite a footprint slightly smaller than the South Korean maker's mid-size Magentis sedan on which it is based.

Where the Mazda5 and the Rondo differ most profoundly is in the doors.

The Rondo does without sliding doors, an effective ploy that disguises its true purpose as family hauler.

No sliding doors means it is not officially a minivan and that is a plus for the image-conscious.

Nonetheless, the upright stance and large "greenhouse" (what car makers call the glassed-in area) give away the raw practicality of the thing. This car is, in effect, a Magentis crossed with a traditional London taxicab.

In Canada, the Rondo comes with a choice of engines: a 2.4-litre four-cylinder or a 2.7-litre V-6, both running on gasoline and mated to automatic transmissions.

The four-cylinder Rondo is thrifty enough at the pump, rating 11 litres/100 km in the city and 7.5 on the highway. The V-6 is heavier and more powerful and comes in at 11.8 city/7.9 highway. Those are tested numbers — fuel economy will probably be different in the real world.

And that is what we're going to find out.

For the next few months, we plan to live with a Rondo, using it for the usual suburban chores and testing its reliability.

After a couple of weeks on the job, so far so good.

What the Rondo represents is a nice alternative to the status quo. It seems well screwed together, and moves with that quiet, detached fluidity that has long been the hallmark of Toyotas.

No, it does not come with power doors or a power tailgate or a DVD player in the back seat, though Kia does claim 32 seating configurations. In fact, the back seats slide and fold easily enough to allow your brood to clamber into an almost-spacious third row. And it's easy to park.

Kia types say the Mazda5 is the Rondo's closest competitor, though Chrysler's new minivans also offer a compelling alternative.

Compared to the Mazda5, the Rondo has more shoulder and legroom in all three rows. Kia also claims more headroom in the first and second rows and more overall interior volume.

The Rondo also has several storage units, including a hanger for a purse. The five-seat model has eight cup holders and the seven-seater 10. Front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control and antilock brakes are standard.

Okay, those are the basics. In future instalments, look for updates on how this Rondo has performed and what Kia plans to do to woo buyers — buyers for whom the traditional family sedan just does not do the job any longer.