Just like Alcazar is based on Creta, the upcoming Carens is based on Seltos
Kia is prepping up for the global unveil of the Kia Carens on 16th December’21. Recently, it had even shared the official sketches of the Carens, which provided us an idea regarding the overall design of the MPV. While the Carens will be a typical MPV, Kia has decided to categorize the Carens as an RV, which stands for Recreational Vehicle.
Recently, automotive enthusiast Jagadish captured the spy shots of Carens, while it was on test along with Hyundai Alcazar. It is likely that Alcazar and Carens share a lot of parts, just like Seltos and Creta. Unlike Alcazar, which get 2 liter petrol NA engine, Carens will get Turbo 1.4 liter petrol.
Kia Carens – Powertrain
Till date, Kia has been tight lipped about the powertrain details of the Carens. Earlier speculation had suggested that there will be 3 engine options on offer on the Carens, all of which would be shared with the Seltos.
However, internal sources have now confirmed that Kia will be offering only 2 engine options on the Carens. These will include a 1.5 litre turbo diesel motor and a 1.4 litre turbo petrol unit. The diesel unit will be able to dish out 115 PS and 250 Nm of max torque while the petrol engine shall be able to crank out 140 PS and 242 Nm of peak torque.
Gearbox options with the diesel unit should include a 6-speed Manual and a 6-speed torque converter. The petrol motor should be getting a DCT gearbox. Considering the segment, a manual transmission option might also be offered with the petrol motor, however the same hasn’t been confirmed as of now.
Being a Kia, the Carens will be loaded with multiple creature comfort features. It will be getting a 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system, which will be compatible with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and BlueLink connectivity suite. It could also be getting some Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features like blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking etc.
Kia Carens Features
Features like 360 degree camera, wireless smartphone charging, push button start-stop, all digital instrument cluster, sunroof etc. are also expected to be on offer on the top-spec trims. On the safety pack, Kia should be offering 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, Hill Start Assist and rear parking sensors. Both, 6 and 7 seater configurations are expected to be on offer. The 6-seater option would come along with captain seats on the second row while the 7 seater option would offer a split-bench seating setup.
Pricing of Kia Carens is expected to start around the INR 15 lakhs mark. Post its launch, the Carens will land up competing with the likes of Toyota Innova Crysta, facelifted Maruti XL6, Mahindra Marazzo and Hyundai Alcazar. Launch is expected to take place in the first quarter of calendar year 2022.
