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STYLING | 5 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
Friendly face has few edges
Cars.com
With a tall cabin and lots of glass, the Rondo lets both versatility and visibility shine
MotorWeek
Less glamorous than a minivan...ugh
Car and Driver
Lack of pizzazz
Edmunds
The Rondo is built for room, not for sex appeal, with its tall, bulbous profile and five-door configuration eking three available rows of seating out of a footprint that’s barely larger than that of a compact car. From some angles, the Rondo appears downright awkward, but the rounded silhouette looks reasonably attractive, thanks to its overall simplicity and lack of gimmicky details.
Car and Driver doesn’t have kind words for the Rondo’s look, likening it to a "soccer mom" vehicle and saying that "the Rondo ain't no Corvette in terms of sex appeal." Cars.com looks to the Rondo’s “friendly face," and notes that there are “few edges,” with the only "sign of aggression" being a "sharp air dam that's probably bigger than it needs to be." Car and Driver adds that "even with all the tack-ons, no Rondo seems capable of setting our loins ablaze."
But the 2010 Rondo is a vehicle that lays no claims on being particularly fashionable; utility and practicality are its game. New York Newsday calls it "reasonably stylish," and Kelley Blue Book deems it "an attractive choice...a very inviting daily driver"—although TheCarConnection.com notes that these comments go beyond the vehicle's appearance, while the New York Times describes the Rondo's appearance as "an attractive design" with a qualifier: "the boxy shape shouts minivan."
Inside, too, the emphasis is functionality, with an unremarkable instrument panel design that locates the shifter at the bottom, not as part of the center console. Edmunds states that the vehicle lacks "pizzazz," but it praises the interior, as does the New York Times, which calls it "attractive and functional."
More than one source praises visibility from behind the wheel, including Edmunds, deeming it "good."
Conclusion
Ungainly to some, functional to others, the styling of the 2010 Kia Rondo is uninspired.
