Kia Rondo, a seven-seater minivan hits Australia. Rondo starts selling at $29,990. The latest model from the Kia faces challenges from previous attempts to enter the market and launch a well loved and selling car. The revamped edition seeks to replace previous features that made it difficult for previous models to sell.

Kia's Grand Carnival remained the top-selling model for the brand's local range for many years. Rondo seeks to do just the same replacing the minivan model from previous offering. Despite the lack of compact people-move in the Australian market, Kia believes Rondo will be selling.

The company points out the increasing need for cars offering more seats. Plus the Rondo does not have large footprint - Kia feels this is a good selling point.

"For Australia, the segment is much smaller [than in Europe], but in the new Rondo we believe we have a car that will give a viable and attractive option to those who have a need for extra seating but do not wish to drive an SUV," Kia Australia COO Tony Barlow said.

Rondo will come in two engines in Australia. One in diesel and one in petrol, both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic. This setup replaces the four-speed unit found in older versions. There are trim grades available. The grade depends on the choice of engine. Choices include: entry model, mid-range SLi and the top-shelf Platinum.

For petrol edition, the Rondo features Kia's 122kW and 213Nm 2.0 litre GDI four-cylinder engine. The combined cycle reports around 7.9 l/100km of fuel consumption. For diesel, Rondo has a 1.7 litre four-cylinder engine. This offers 100kW and 320Nm of torque. All models have six-speed automatic transmission.