Kia has started dispatching the Carens to the dealerships and now some dealerships also have them for display. Moreover, you can also now test drive Kia Carens. The manufacturer had already opened the bookings of the MPV. The only thing that is still not known is the prices.
Rivals
Kia Carens is entering into a very competitive segment. It would have to compete against Mahindra Marazzo, Toyota Innova Crysta and Hyundai Alcazar. Carens would also have to compete against other big SUVs such as Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus and Mahindra XUV700.
Variants
The manufacturer will be offering the Carens in five variants. There will be Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury and Luxury Plus. It would be offered as a 6-seater or a 7-seater. Only the top-end Luxury Plus variant would be offered as a 7-seater.
Engine and gearbox
Kia is offering the Carens in three engine options. There is a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. All the engines are shared with Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta and some other Hyundai vehicles too.
A 6-speed manual gearbox comes as standard with all three engines. Kia is also offering automatic transmissions with turbo petrol and diesel engine. The turbo petrol comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox whereas the diesel engine gets a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
The 1.5-litre petrol engine produces 115 PS and 144 Nm. The diesel engine produces 115 PS and 250 Nm. Then there is the 1.4-litre petrol that produces 140 PS and 242 Nm. The turbo petrol engine and diesel engine also gets three drive modes namely, Sport, Normal and Eco, if you get the automatic transmission.
Dimensions
The Carens share its platform with the Seltos but it has a longer wheelbase. In fact, Carens has the longest wheelbase in the segment. The wheelbase measures 2,780 mm, it has a length of 4,540 mm, width is 1,800 mm and is 1,700 mm tall. Kia Carens has a ground clearance of 195 mm. The boot space with all three seats is an acceptable 216 litres. You can increase the boot space to 645 litres if you fold down the third row.
Safety Equipment
Kia is offering a lot of safety features as standard. You get 6 airbags, Dowhill Control Assist, Vehicle Stability Management, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control, All disc brakes, rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring system. There is also ISOFIX child seat mounts, impact sensing door unlock, high mounted stop lamp, Emergency Stop Signal and Speed sensing door lock. On some variants, you also get Driver Rear View Monitor, rear parking camera with dynamic guidelines and front parking sensors.
Upcoming Seltos Facelift
After the Carens, Kia will launch the Seltos Facelift. It is expected to launch by mid of 2022. According to the rumours, the Seltos Facelift will now finally come with a panoramic sunroof on the higher variants. The exterior will get some changes that include redesigned front and rear bumpers. Moreover, the rear LED tail lamps will be all-new.
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