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.

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.

Kia Carens Interior

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)
Powertrains	1.5-litre petrol with 6-speed manual 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 6-speed manual 1.5-litre diesel with 6-speed manual	1.5-litre petrol with 6-speed manual 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 6-speed manual 1.5-litre diesel with 6-speed manual	1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 6-speed manual 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 7-speed DCT 1.5-litre diesel with 6-speed manual	1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 6-speed manual 1.5-litre diesel with 6-speed manual	1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 6-speed manual 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 7-speed DCT 1.5-litre diesel with 6-speed manual 1.5-litre diesel with 6-speed automatic
Seating	7-seater	7-seater	7-seater	7-seater	6- & 7-seater
Exterior	15-inch steel wheels with wheel cover (only with the 1.5-litre petrol engine) 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers	Integrated roof rails Shark fin antenna Follow-me-home headlamps	LED DRLs LED tail lamps 116-inch dual-tone alloy wheels	Crown Jewel LED headlamps Ice Cube LED fog lamps Chrome on door handles	Rear door spot lamps with Kia logo
Interior	Two-tone black and beige interior with indigo accents Semi-leatherette seats	Dark metal paint on dashboard Fabric & leatherette seats		64-colour ambient lighting Two-tone Triton Navy and Beige interior Premium leatherette seats Leather-wrapped steering wheel	Sunroof Drive modes linked ambient lighting (automatic only)
Comfort & convenience	2^nd & 3^rd row AC vents with speed control Front armrest with open storage and tray 2nd-row one-touch tumble with electric assist 60:40 split 2^nd row with a sliding mechanism 50:50 split 3^rd row with recline and flat-folding function Adjustable headrests for all rows 7-inch LCD instrument cluster 12V power socket 5 USB C-type charging ports	Rear-view camera with dynamic guidelines Driving rear-view monitor Keyless entry Electrically adjustable ORVMs with LED turn signals Driver window one-touch up/down Retractable Cupholder and tray Luggage lamp Sunglass holder 12.5-inch LCD instrument cluster with 4.2-inch colour TFT MID Front parking sensors	Auto AC Electrically folding ORVMs Smart key with push-button start Remote engine start (not available on 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 6-speed MT) Rear wiper and defogger Sunshades for rear doors First- and second-row cooled cupholders Drive modes (Eco/Normal/Sport) only on 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with 7-speed DCT Cruise control	Auto-dimming IRVM Telescopically adjustable steering Retractable seat-back table Under-seat tray storage Air purifier with bacteria and virus control	2^nd row Captain seats with slide, recline and tumble functions (6-seater only) Ventilated front seats Rain-sensing wipers Wireless smartphone charging with cooling function Paddle shifters (automatic only)
Infotainment		8-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth and voice recognition Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Steering mounted audio controls 6 speakers		10.25-inch HD touchscreen Kia Connect system OTA (over-the-air) map and system updates	BOSE sound system (8 speakers)

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.

Kia Carens Rear

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.