Kia Carens will be available with three engine options in the Indian market, with plenty of premium tech and equipment on offer
Kia India is all set to launch Carens in the Indian market. Officially classified as an RV (Recreational Vehicle) by the brand, Kia Carens is a three-row MPV with a sporty design and loads of comfort on offer. It has received a positive response from Indian buyers; within just 24 hours after bookings officially commenced, Kia had received 7,738 pre-orders for Carens!
The technical specifications of the forthcoming Kia MPV have been officially revealed. It will be available in the following trim levels – Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury, and Luxury Plus – and there will be three engine options available – a 1.5-litre NA petrol unit (115 PS/144 Nm), a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit (140 PS/242 Nm), and a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel unit (115 PS/250 Nm).
The 1.5L petrol motor will be available with only a 6-speed manual transmission. The 1.4 petrol mill will be available with a choice between a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT. As for the 1.5L diesel engine, it will be offered with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. The MPV will only be available in a front-wheel-drive configuration in the Indian market.
Kia Carens will have a lot of upmarket features and equipment on offer as well. The top-spec trims will come loaded with a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen (with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity), a digitised instrument cluster, electronic sunroof, ventilated front seats, wireless smartphone charger, ambient cabin lighting, auto-dimming IRVM, power-adjustable ORVMs (auto-folding), 6 airbags, ESC, VSM, ABS, hill assist, downhill brake control, TPMS, etc.
Kia Connect (connected car tech) will also be available on the MPV. The Carens will be offered in both 6- and 7-seat versions, with the former getting captain chairs in the second row and the latter getting a regular bench. To ease ingress and egress into the third row, an electric one-touch-tumble feature for the second row is on offer.
We expect the price of Kia Carens to range between Rs. 13.5 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh (ex-showroom). Upon launch, it will be a direct rival to Mahindra Marazzo, and it will serve as an upmarket alternative to Maruti XL6.