The upcoming Kia Carens will likely be available with a choice between a 1.5L petrol and a 1.5L diesel engine in the Indian market
Kia is all set to unveil its upcoming three-row vehicle, codenamed ‘KY’, on December 16. The upcoming model – expected to be named ‘Carens’ in India – will share its underpinnings with the Seltos, along with the powertrain options. New spy images of Kia Carens have emerged online, which clearly show us the SUV-ish proportions of the vehicle.
At the front, we see LED headlamps (with integrated LED DRLs) and LED foglamps, but the rest of the front fascia has been covered. The side profile is quite boxy, with a flat bonnet and a seemingly flat tailgate, although the rear section is heavily disguised to hide the design details. The front windscreen is heavily sloped, adding a sporty touch to the overall styling.
In previous spy shots, we’ve also seen sharp-looking LED taillights on the vehicle. The wheels are relatively tiny in comparison to the body, which brings the design closer to MPV than SUV. Also, the rear door is noticeably larger than the front, which should make it easy to hop into the third row. Other than that, the vehicle gets roof rails and black cladding on the wheelaches, for a rugged aesthetic.
The Carens is expected to be available in both 6-seat and 7-seat configurations, the former offering captain chairs in the middle row and the latter bench seats. There will be plenty of convenience features on offer here, including a large touchscreen infotainment system, power-operated ORVMs, heated/ventilated seats, automatic climate control, rear parking camera, etc.
The upcoming Kia Carens will likely get two engine options – a 1.5-litre NA petrol unit and a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel unit. Both manual and automatic transmission choices will be available on both the powertrains, at least in the Indian market. In most foreign markets, only automatic transmission options will be offered.
Ka Carens will go on sale in the Indian market early next year, as a rival to Mahindra Marazzo and even the Maruti Ertiga/XL6. It will be manufactured in India and exported to other countries. Also, Hyundai is working on an MPV as well, based on the Carens, which is expected to debut sometime during 2022.
Image credit: Indra Fathan