If both brands do carry the car, they will likely be distinguished by equipment levels as well as minor styling tweaks as Hyundai works to move more toward the premium and sport-oriented markets while Kia remains a budget-conscious marque. Nevertheless, the Kia prototype appears to feature a panoramic roof and alloy wheels, indicating even the low-end version may have a relatively high specification.
Competition for the new Kia MPV will likely come primarily in the form of the Volkswagen Golf Plus, which is a reworked version of the Mark V Golf platform with an MPV body and sixth-gen styling cues. The Golf Plus is sold primarily in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and has not yet been offered in the U.S. That makes it at least possible that the Hyundai-Kia MPV is not intended for North American consumption either.
It's not known when the car will make its formal debut, but based on the spied car's current level of development, a near-production concept version could appear as early as the Paris Motor Show in October.

Reader Comments
Thu Aug 28 2008 11:14 AM
94 Taurus owner says
Is this the new Rondo?
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