When the South Korean economy tanked in the late 1990s, four automakers had to suspend operations when a major supply company ceased production of brakes, electrical parts and other car components.

A certain foreign student who had attended Yonsei University in Seoul was hit very hard by this chain of events. With a fresh MBA in hand, he had begun making the rounds of Korean car companies, seeking employment in an industry that had been the subject of most of his grad school studies. With few jobs available, he returned home to the United States, dejected and convinced that Korean car companies would never amount to a hill of beans.

He underestimated the collective steel of the Korean people, who out of national pride tightened their belts, became innovative and overcame the economic crisis. As in most industrialized nations, South Korea’s auto industry plays a major role in determining the country’s economic performance—and its resurgence helped guide the Asian nation toward recovery. Korean cars, once regarded as dirt cheap in price and quality, now compete on equal footing with small sedans and sport-utility vehicles the world over.

Witness the all-new Rondo from Kia, a formerly independent company now owned by another South Korean automaker, Hyundai. Kia designates the Rondo as a small minivan, although some in the industry have consigned it to the ubiquitous “crossover” category. However, we think “a tall car” best describes it. Whatever the classifi cation, the Rondo is well built, good-looking and very adequate for its assigned tasks.

The Rondo rides lower than most vehicles of its type. Once inside, it feels like the new Honda Fit, with its front doors clipped with a straight edge at the front to frame a small port window. The shifter sits on a dashboard extension. A parcel shelf is neatly sculpted above the glovebox door on the front passenger’s side of the dash, while a smaller shelf sits just to the left of the steering wheel. The Rondo, like many of the new breed of subcompact cars, has a tall roof that offers lots of headroom. Folding rear seats enhance the car’s cargo-carrying capacity.

The Rondo’s inline-4 engine is no worldbeater. It provides only adequate power, but it does run smoothly (although noise intrudes at higher rpm) and is economical with fuel. A more powerful V-6 is available as an option. In hard cornering, the car’s handling capabilities proves decent, and controlling body roll in such maneuvers is better than average. Electronic stability control (standard in this model) helps.

Kia has done a pretty good job with the Rondo, although with gasoline getting no cheaper and drivers no better, we wish it were a small station wagon. But its probably the best the Korean automaker could do, given that it didn’t hire that grad student back in the ’90s to do its product planning. Instead, he conducts these Test Drives.

Specifications

Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.4L I4
Horsepower . . . . . . . . .162 @ 6,000 rpm
Acceleration. . . . . . . . .0-60 mph 9.7 sec.
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . 60-0 mph 133 feet
EPA city/highway. . . . .21/29 mpg

Warranties

Bumper-to-bumper . . . .5/60,000
Powertrain . . . . . . . . . .10/100,000
Rust-through . . . . . . . .5/100,000

Competitors: Dodge Caliber, Mazda5, Toyota Matrix

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