The Rondo looks like a cross between a minivan and a five-door hatchback, and not like a small SUV. It has a clean design, with a nicely sloped hood, trapezoidal headlamps with four smooth corners, and a tidy grille that's sort of Acura-shaped. The chin fascia holds projector-beam foglamps on the EX and a dark horizontal air opening below the grille.
The Rondo EX has chrome slats in the grille, chrome door handles and a chrome strip on the side, but the cheaper LX, with a black grille and no chrome on the side, looks cleaner.
The pillars are black, creating an unbroken glass effect with tinted windows. The C-pillar slopes down and back, with the lower rim rising to meet it and shape an upswept three-quarter rear window that offers a decent view for the third-row passengers, although it could be bigger. The rear glass is a simple large rectangle, a bit wider on the bottom and smoothly sloped. It doesn't open separately.
Looking at the Rio from a rear angle, it has an almost BMW-ish resemblance, although the big curved taillamps curve inward like a Volvo wagon or SUV.
Because the Rondo was designed to be roomy on the inside, the wheelbase is long when compared to the total length, making very short overhangs. The five-spoke alloy wheels are simple, silver, and individual, with each of the five spokes having a stylish twist.
Although the Rondo is new to North America, this is its third generation, having been sold in Asia and Europe for years.
