Kia Motors Australia has dropped the slow-selling Rondo and Soul from its local line-up, while the Optima mid-size sedan is also expected to leave showrooms by year’s end.
However, the gap left by the discontinuation of the Rondo people mover will be filled by the incoming Seltos small SUV, which should be priced around the mid-$20,000 range.
For reference, the Rondo was available in three flavours ranging from $26,990 before on-road costs to $31,490.
The sole Soul grade meanwhile, was priced at $24,990, but the tallboy hatchback is expected to make a return to showrooms in the form of an electric vehicle (EV) available early next year alongside the e-Niro.
Kia Australia has stated its intention to get both the Soul EV and e-Niro into the country by January next year to serve as feature cars for the Australian Open, but is still yet to cement its plans.
The Optima mid-sizer however, has been under a cloud since the introduction of the similarly-sized Stinger performance sedan in September 2017.
Existing stock is expected run out by the end of the year, with right-hand-drive production winding down in the next few months.
In the first six months of the year, Kia sold just six units of the Rondo, the Soul found 55 new homes and 232 new Optimas were registered.
The combined volume of all three models account for less than one per cent of Kia Australia’s 32,064 unit tally to the end of June 2019.
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