Kia’s New-Gen Carens/Rondo Headed for Paris; Sports Car Next?
With the redesigned MPV, Kia completes a revamp of its entire model line and now is expected to turn its attention to developing a widely rumored sports car.
Kia’s all-new Carens/Rondo compact multipurpose vehicle is headed for a debut at next week’s Paris auto show.
“The new Carens builds on the family-friendly versatility and functionality of its predecessor, and features more athletic and visually dynamic design,” Kia Vice Chairman and CEO Lee Hyoung-Keun says in a released statement. “This marks a dramatic shift forward for our MPV contender and brings the model in line with Kia’s distinctive current design direction.”
Analysts say that with the launch of the all-new Carens, Kia has completed a revamp of its entire lineup with either all-new or upgraded models and likely now will focus attention on its widely rumored sports car.
Chief designer Peter Schreyer previously has said that when Kia’s new lineup is complete his team will devote its efforts to a sports car. A Kia spokesman declines comment on the potential for such a model.
Powertrain details of the all-new Carens, sold in Canada as the Rondo, also are being kept under wraps until the auto show. The Rondo was offered in the U.S. until being withdrawn from the market in 2010.
Built on an all-new platform, the Carens is longer than the outgoing model and sports a cab-forward design with sleek aerodynamic styling.
The current Carens/Rondo offers engines ranging from a 2.0L 4-cyl. to a 2.7L V-6, with several transmission options depending on the market.
Analysts expect to see new, more compact and more powerful fuel-efficient engines and advanced transmissions on the all-new vehicle.
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