Next Kia Rondo revealed

Two days after revealing the first images of its volume-selling new Cerato sedan ahead of its Los Angeles Auto Show world debut in November, Kia has now produced the first two pictures – once again computer-generated – of its next-generation Rondo.

The replacement for Australia’s cheapest people mover (Kia’s current Rondo 7 is priced from $25,990) emerges ahead of its Paris Motor Show premiere in September as a low-slung, five-door wagon with swept-back headlights, a narrow glasshouse and Ford B-Max style rear-end.

Indeed, Kia describes the all-new Rondo – which goes on sale here early next year - as a lower, sleeker compact MPV that “promises stylish spacious practicality”.

Designed with the theme ‘responsive space’, Kia also says the new Rondo – which is known as the Carens in Europe – will ride on a longer wheelbase and larger wheels up to 18-inch in diameter.

“The new Rondo will combine sporty looks with spacious functionality and an emotional appeal that is becoming a regular feature of Kia products,” said the PR blurb attached to these images, in which the “chrome beltline accent” Kia refers to is not apparent.

The redesigned Rondo and Cerato – which is also due in Australian showrooms in the first quarter of 2013 - are the latest Kia models to wear the Korean brand’s distinctive styling language, created under chief designer Peter Schreyer.

The last to do so will be Kia’s next Carnival, which is due to emerge by the end of next year and is expected to feature design cues from the edgy KV7 concept that debuted at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show.

While the aged Carnival remains Australia’s best-selling people-mover, the smaller four-year-old Rondo (launched here in April 2008) is significantly less popular, despite its bargain-basement starting price and the efficiencies of its well-packaged seven-seat interior and 2.0-litre engine.

So far this year the Rondo has attracted just 183 buyers – one-third less than in the first half of 2011 – for a tiny 3.4 per cent slice of the mainstream people-mover segment, which has grown by almost 10 per cent in 2012.

It continues to be dominated by larger circa-$40,000 passenger-carriers like the Carnival (1821), Hyundai iMax (987), Honda Odyssey (874) and Dodge Journey (577), with the $28,990-plus VW Caddy Life just behind with 162 sales.

Meantime, small SUVs of a similar size and price - like the Nissan Dualis, Hyundai ix35 and Subaru XV – have each attracted more than 5000 buyers so far this year, in a booming compact SUV segment that is up almost 70 per cent, with most growth coming from front-wheel drive models.

Expect the engine line-up of the new Rondo, which will again be offered in five-seat form in Europe, to resemble that of the new Cerato upon which it is based, by including 1.4 and 1.6 petrol and diesel engines – at least in some markets.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...