Diesel Rondo still in the mix

Kia Australia is still crunching the numbers for a business case to support the importation of a diesel Rondo.

The company's compact seven-seat people-mover (more here) is crying out for the sort of easy performance a diesel variant would offer -- although not at the sort of price premium Kia is charging for the diesel Soul over its petrol sibling (more here).

According to Jonathan Fletcher, Kia's National Public Relations Manager, the business case is not easily pinned down, since the whole economy is changing with every passing week.

"We're still trying to get it [the diesel Rondo]," Fletcher told the Carsales Network during the media launch for the Soul last week. "We're aiming for a Q3 launch -- or the second half of this year."

But the prospects for the diesel Rondo have been thrown into confusion by the way the market has changed since the petrol model range was introduced last year and any argument in favour of diesel variants will be contingent on "sales projections".

South Korea's unit of currency, the Won, hasn't shared the freefall against other major units of currency that the Aussie dollar has, so, with the Rondo range starting at a price substantially higher than the Soul, a diesel variant would be more expensive again and would be (based on the premium for the diesel Soul) approaching cars such as the Peugeot 308 Touring diesel variants at just above $30,000. That's why Fletcher admits that he can't say for sure whether the car will make it here.

One thing he was able to confirm for us is that the 2.7-litre V6 petrol variants with all-wheel drive definitely won't be coming here -- and that's not altogether surprising. That car will definitely be too expensive by the time it's landed here.