Kia Carens Could Set New Benchmark In 7-Seater Midsize Segment

kia carens-1

Kia Carens will be sold in 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine across an extensive range in two seating layouts

Kia India hosted the global premiere of the Carens towards the end of last year and its reservations across dealerships commenced last month in the domestic market. The prices for the Kia Carens will be unveiled by the middle of this month and it will be offered in six- and seven-seater configurations across an extensive range.

The Carens is loaded with features and it will appeal to a wide set of the family audiences. With the design featuring a blend of an SUV and an MPV, Kia calls the Carens a recreational vehicle and it will compete against not only seven-seater midsize SUVs like Hyundai Alcazar but also dedicated MPVs like some variants of the Toyota Innova Crysta, Mahindra Marazzo and Maruti Suzuki XL6.

Thus, we believe the Kia Carens could set a new benchmark in the midsize seven-seater space and it could harbinger a range of new models in the near future from other brands. One of the key reasons for the Carens to be a potential success is its practicality as it has larger proportions than almost all of its rivals and it has a longer wheelbase than Innova Crysta as well.

kia carens_-12

The third row can be accessed with a one-touch tumble function and the single-pane sunroof enables the presence of individual roof-mounted AC vents at the rear. It also boasts adjustable headrests, smart air purifier, a lot of storage spaces, five USB-C charging ports, ambient lighting, six airbags as standard, cruise control, etc.

Other equipment highlights are a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and UVO Connect compatibility while the instrument cluster is also fully digital. The Kia Carens is expected to cost between Rs. 14 lakh and Rs. 19.5 lakh (ex-showroom) and is based on an updated version of the Seltos’ architecture.

kia carens_-2

As for the engines, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder NA petrol develops 115 PS and 144 Nm while the 1.5-litre diesel four-pot turbo unit kicks out 115 PS and 250 Nm and the 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol delivers 140 PS and 242 Nm. A six-speed manual, a six-speed AT, and a seven-speed DCT are transmission choices.