Kia Carens bookings open – here’s a look at its variant-wise features
Kia is now accepting bookings for the Carens MPV. You can make a booking either online, or at a Kia dealership. But before you do that, take a look at the specs of the Carens, what each variant has to offer, and finally if your desired variant can be had with the powertrain of your choice.
By Dhruv Paliwal
Kia is now accepting bookings for the Carens, and you can make one for a token sum of Rs 25,000, either online or at a Kia dealership. But before you do that, here is a look at the Carens’ dimensions, powertrains, and variant-wise features:
Dimensions
To give you a bit of context, we have also included the Alcazar’s measurements next to the Carens’. It will allow you to have a better idea of how different these two cars are, despite both of them sharing their underpinnings.
| Measurements | Kia Carens | Hyundai Alcazar |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4540mm | 4500mm |
| Width | 1800mm | 1790mm |
| Height | 1708mm | 1675mm |
| Wheelbase | 2780mm | 2760mm |
The Carens is the bigger of the two in all of the above measurements, including the wheelbase. Does that mean it’s a roomier car? That’s a question we can only answer after driving both the Carens and Alcazar back-to-back.
Engine and Transmission
Despite being platform siblings, the Alcazar and the Carens also offer different powertrain options. Take a look at the Carens’ powertrain options in the table below:
| Displacement | 1.5-litre petrol | 1.4-litre turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre diesel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission | 6-speed manual | 6-speed manual/7-speed dual-clutch | 6-speed manual/6-speed automatic |
| Max power | 115bhp | 138bhp | 113bhp |
| Peak torque | 144Nm | 242Nm | 250Nm |
The two petrol engines being offered with the Carens are different from what you get with the Hyundai Alcazar, but the diesel engine and transmission options are the same.
Variant-wise Features
Finally, here’s a look at all important features that you get in different variants of the Carens, along with powertrain and seating options available with each variant:
| Category | Premium | Prestige (over the previous variant) | Prestige Plus (over the previous variants) | Luxury (over the previous variants) | Luxury Plus (over the previous variants) |
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| Seating | 7-seater | 7-seater | 7-seater | 7-seater | 6- & 7-seater |
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As far as safety is concerned, Kia is offering all safety features as standard on all variants. So, no matter which variant you choose, you get 6 airbags, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management), BAS (Brake Assist), HAC (Hill-start Assist Control), DBC (Downhill Brake Control), disc brakes on all wheels, a tyre pressure monitoring system, ABS, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX anchorage points for child seats, front seat belts with pretensioner and load limiter, and speed-sensing door locks, which also unlock automatically in case of an accident.
Key takeaways
The Carens appears to be a well-loaded car, with each variant offering incremental upgrades in the features column. However, there are a few things you will need to watch out for before you make a booking. The 6-seater version of the Carens is only available with the top-spec Luxury Plus variant. So, if you want captain seats in lower variants, you are out of luck, at least for now. Second, all powertrains can't be had with all variants. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is only available with the entry-level Premium and Prestige variants, and it doesn't get the option of an automatic as well.
The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine and 1.5-litre diesel engine are available with all variants, but only with their manual guise. If you want an automatic with the turbo-petrol motor, your only options are the Prestige Plus and Luxury Plus variants. If you want the diesel-automatic combo, then your only option is the top-spec Luxury Plus. No other variant offers this powertrain option.
We will be able to give you our final verdicts on these variants once we know their prices. Kia is expected to launch the Carens sometime in February, but if you are really interested in the Carens, we recommend you make a booking. That's because carmakers are receiving a lot more bookings for newly revealed/launched cars. So, if you want to buy the Carens after prices are revealed, you won't have to wait for months for the delivery. If not, you can simply cancel your booking and let someone else take your place in the line.
