Kia has been testing a new premium MPV, which was previously speculated to be Carens facelift. However, sources suggest that Kia will launch this upcoming premium MPV as a premium extension of Carens and not as a replacement to Carens. It will launch with a new name and spawn both ICE and EV versions. Let’s take a closer look.
New Kia Premium MPV
Recently, Kia launched Syros in India marking its second offering in the sub 4m SUV segment alongside Sonet. This is an interesting move from Kia India as the Syros was initially speculated to be a larger vehicle than Sonet. But that has not been the case. Syros is infact a more premium, feature-rich and spacious offering than Sonet. Both are sub 4 meter in length. The company seems to be applying a similar strategy with their MPVs.
A premium MPV from Kia is currently undergoing test rounds. When launched, Kia will operate two premium MPVs in India, a strategy similar to their two sub 4m SUVs. In that case, the company might offer unique ethos and cater to different needs of India’s MPV buyers.
Maruti Suzuki does something similar as well, operating Ertiga and XL6. Launch of ICE and EV versions of this upcoming Kia MPV might happen in April and June months of 2025. Where pricing is concerned, it will be positioned above Carens and may cross the Rs 20 lakh mark for top model.
We can see a more rugged and SUV-like design with this upcoming MPV from Kia. Front fascia gets a new design language with triangular shaped headlights. We can see some bits and elements from the new Syros too. Alloy wheel design is new and is geometric in shape. Rear design gets connected LED tail lights. Overall silhouette is similar to Carens.
What to expect?
We can expect more features from the new Kia premium MPV. Features that are currently missing on Carens like Level 2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), Kia Connect 2.0, ventilated front and rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, the 30-inch Trinity Panoramic Display with two 12.3-inch screens and a 5-inch climate control screen, powered front seats and more.
Where powertrains are concerned, new Kia premium MPV, might only get the 1.5L Turbo Petrol engine and 1.5L Turbo Diesel engine. Similar to the strategy we saw with Kia Syros. Kia is likely to offer both manual and automatic gearbox options with this vehicle as well.
