Kia Carens, launched in India on 15th February 2022, has seen outstanding demand. The company has stated that bookings have crossed the 50,000 mark today. Demand for diesel Carens is almost the same as that of petrol Carens. Around 60% of the bookings from Tier I and II markets.
This huge demand has given rise to extended waiting periods that vary according to the model. Carens waiting period, depending on variant, extends from 13-14 weeks for the Luxury Plus trim to 48-49 weeks or over 11 months for Carens Prestige.
Myung-Sik Sohn, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India said, “This response for the Carens has created a never before excitement in family mover segment and it matches the excitement that our other SUVs have generated, and it is very encouraging.” To meet demand, Kia has commenced a third shift at the company’s Anantapur-based manufacturing facility. The company also expects to see a more equitable flow in supply of semiconductor parts which would ensure smoother production.
Kia Carens SUV styled MPV is presented in five trims of Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury and Luxury Plus and in 19 variants. It is a 7 seater vehicle, which is also offered as a 6 seater option with Luxury Plus. Prices of Kia Carens ranges from Rs. 8.99 lakh and goes upto Rs. 16.99 lakh. Last month, Kia sold 5,300 units of the Carens. It was the highest selling car in the segment.
Kia Carens offers the benefits of a family mover along with the sportiness of an SUV. It is ideally suited for Indian families and Indian road conditions and receives a host of segment first features that lets it stand ahead of competition.
It comes in with the next gen Kia Connect App, flexible seating options, a sliding type seat undertray and a retractable seat back table. It also gets a 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system with connected car technology, Bose 8 speaker sound system and 64 colour ambient lighting along with an electric sunroof, ventilated seats in the front and a digitized driver’s display.
Kia Carens gets a segment first offering of 6 airbags and ESP as standard. Its other safety features include vehicle stability management, hill assist, hill descent brake control and disc brakes on all 4 wheels.
Kia Carens is offered in a choice of three engines borrowed from the Seltos. Its 1.5 liter naturally aspirated petrol unit offers 114 hp power and 144 Nm torque. The 1.4 liter turbo petrol engine makes 138 hp power and 242 Nm torque while the 1.5 liter CRDi diesel unit is capable of 114 hp power and 250 Nm torque. Each of these engines get a manual gearbox as standard while the turbo petrol also receives a 7 speed DCT automatic gearbox. The diesel engine gets a 6 speed torque converter automatic unit.
Carens diesel is in demand, primarily due to the fact that it has a certain edge over select competitors. Maruti Ertiga and XL6 are only offered in petrol engines and CNG. It is also in terms of price that Kia Carens is better positioned over rivals in the 3 row MPV segment.
This post was last modified on March 10, 2022 4:15 pm