Kia Motors is on a roll — rolling out one new car after the other. Kia sales have been on a steady upswing — rising each of the past thirteen years. Much of that success can be attributed to increasingly high quality, high value products. Kia’s outstanding warranty program reinforces product quality and adds greatly to the price/value equation.

A diversified product line is another part of the Kia success story. The lineup encompasses compact to luxury sedans, sport utility vehicles, mini vans and now a compact crossover utility vehicle, the new Rondo.

The “just right” size Rondo comes at a perfect time. High gas prices have made big SUVs less attractive. Fuel economy is an increasingly important buying factor, although people still need to haul lots of passengers and cargo.

Crossover vehicles such as the Rondo and its competitors (Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, PT Cruiser, Chevy HHR, Mazda 5, etc.) retain SUV styling cues, but on a smaller scale. Crossover vehicles have traditional, hinged back doors as opposed to mini van sliding doors.

The 2007 Kia Rondo doesn’t break much new ground except for its ability to carry seven passengers, but a vehicle doesn’t have to be revolutionary to be good. The Rondo does exactly what you’d expect of a crossover vehicle and does those things very well at competitive prices.

More than simply covering the basics, the new Rondo is a very well built, comfortable, handsomely styled vehicle that’s fun to drive. As we’ve mentioned in other Kia reviews, if you slapped Honda or Toyota badges on the Rondo, no one would doubt you.

The fun-to-drive factor shows how closely Kia executives have been paying attention to the U.S. market. Buyers want fun with function. This upbeat, don’t take life too seriously attitude is reflected in Kia’s clever ad campaigns. The Rondo campaign of “Rondoism” keeps the fun going.

The Rondo is based on the successful Kia Optima sedan, a fact that accounts for its car-like ride and handling. At the Rondo introduction in Arizona, we drove four-cylinder and six-cylinder Rondos. We sampled the LX and EX trim levels along with the five and seven passenger configurations.

Our favorite Rondo was the four-cylinder, five-passenger fully loaded EX. The 2.4-liter I-4 is very smooth and only lags the V-6 by 20 horsepower (162 hp vs. 182 hp and 164 lb-ft vs. 182 lb-ft of torque). The 4-speed automatic transmission has an excellent shift program. The V-6 5-speed combo is great, but there is so little apparent difference that we’d opt for the lower cost and greater fuel economy of the I-4 (21/29 vs. 20/27).

All Rondo models are high content with very few options. We enjoyed the optional power sunroof and deluxe sound system of the EX Premium Package and the heated leather seats of the EX Leather Package. Virtually anything else you could want is standard equipment.

Safety has become the number three reason that people buy Kias. The Rondo reflects the company’s safety focus with a full complement of standard safety equipment including six air bags (side curtains), 4-wheel disc brakes, ABS, and electronic stability control.

Whines: A more aggressive, optional styling package would boost the Rondo’s hipness factor (Kia is aware of our penchant to personalize cars and is expanding those options).

Bottom Line: The new 2007 Kia Rondo is a very well built, highly versatile, fun to drive, safe, relatively economical crossover utility vehicle that’s very attractively priced with an outstanding warranty. That sounds like the right combination at the right time