Kia launches the Carens in India – Starts at INR 8.99 lakh
The contender to XL6 and Alcazar is a surprisingly good package overall and comes loaded to the brim with features.
Kia India have finally launched the much awaited Carens at a very attractive and limited time price of Rs. 8.99 lakh. As is usual with Kia and Hyundai, Kia leaves no stones unturned to fill it to the brim with features, all of which we possibly cannot describe in this article alone. For that, you can wait for our review video!
To start off with the engine an chassis, the Carens comes with 3 engine options – a 1.5L Petrol, a 1.4L Turbo Petrol and a 1.5L CRDi diesel engine. As for the chassis, this time Kia is claiming to have made a robust and safe vehicle. And they needed to after what was a rather shockingly abysmal build structure of the Seltos. Nevertheless it sold a lot but Kia realized in time that it wouldn’t last long.
The Carens comes with 6 airbags, ABS, ESC, HAC, Downhill Brake Control, All Wheel Disc Brakes, TPMS and Rear Parking sensors as standard. That is real commitment. Moreover, Kia has used high strength steel and adhesives across the entire body of the Carens and claims to have reduced the impact in case of a crash. Impressive!
Coming over to the interiors, this is where Hyundai and Kia need very little guidance. They have found out that the Indian customers have always loved the interior screens, features and luxury standards of the Germans at an affordable price. Hence, they have had immense success and they make sure that it is maintained across their lineup. The Carens is no exception.
The Carens comes with LED Headlamps and LED DRLs, ventilated front seats, Leather upholstery and steering wheel, sunroof, premium bose sound system and much more. The new generation Kia connect offers connected car tech while you get a large 10.25″ infotainment screen in the middle flanked by ambient lighting. It also comes with air purifier attached behind the front seat giving protection from bacteria and harmful virus. This is a much better implementation as it does not take up the cup-holder space like in the rest of Hyundai and Kia lineups. The interior looks and feels as plush as a Kia should while maintaining a sense of uncluttered appeal.
There are 3 driving modes on offer – Eco, Normal and Sport all featured in the fully digital MID along with a state-of-the-art temperature control effectively maintaining cabin temperatures on its own. What is most impressive is the amount of space they have been able to carve out of a car that is 4540mm in length, 1800mm in width and 1700mm in height. That is essentially the same length as a Honda city while offering you 2 additional seats at the back which can be folded down to make room for luggage.
The Carens features a small 100 litres of boot space with the 3rd row up but a massive 492 litres of boot space with the 3rd row down. The third row in our opinion is strictly for children. In fact, the Carens comes with an option to equip it with 6 seat configuration for captain’s chairs in the second row or 7 seat configuration featuring lounge seats in the second row. For the corporate managers, this will be a very well suited chauffeur driven vehicle very soon.
The Carens will be a direct competitor to the Hyundai Alcazar and the maruti Suzuki XL6 but, does also clash in pricing with SUVs like the Tata Harrier, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, MG Astor and the likes. As for pricing, below is the detailed variant wise pricing:
