[r24x7]

If in a situation where the semiconductor shortage situation isn't going to improve at all , I wonder how Kia is going to balance current backlog and also cater to the release of new model alongside.

Does this mean Seltos , Sonet and Carnival may have even more longer waiting period?

[Venkatesh]

Ahead of bookings opening on January 14, Kia India has announced engine, gearbox and variant details for the Carens.

- 1.5-litre petrol engine (6MT) reserved for entry level variants.

- 1.4-litre turbo-petrol ( 7DCT) available in higher variants.

- 1.5-litre diesel engine ( 6MT/ 6AT)

The Carens will be sold in five variants :
- Premium
- Prestige and Prestige Plus
- Luxury and Luxury Plus.
- Available in both six and seven seat layouts, depending on the variant.



Market launch, price announcement by February 2022.

Source

[ant_vas]

Received this brochure from one of the dealers in Bangalore. bookings (even unofficial) are not open yet

Kia_Carens_Brochure.pdf

[DImPo]

I have a doubt

The tire size is specified as 195x65xR15 for 1.5 petrol variants and as 205x65xR16 for Turbo Petrol and Diesel variants.

The difference in diameter of these two sizes is 38 mm. Does it mean that the ground clearance of 1.5 petrol would be lower by 38 mm or am I missing something..

[praveenkkr]

Originally Posted by ant_vas

Received this brochure from one of the dealers in Bangalore. bookings (even unofficial) are not open yet

Attachment 2253944

Had got a call from PPS Mysore road, Bangalore last week.. They were ready to take booking, of course, unofficially.

[AbidIqbalShaik]

Originally Posted by ant_vas

Received this brochure from one of the dealers in Bangalore. bookings (even unofficial) are not open yet

Attachment 2253944

According to this brochure, the 10.25-inch infotainment unit in the Kia Carens has wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. That's big news. If this is indeed true and not a mistake while typing, the Kia Carens would the first car from Hyundai/Kia in the world to offer wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay in the 10.25-inch infotainment unit.

It makes sense when you consider that the Kia Sonet was the first car from Hyundai/Kia group to offer wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay in the 8-inch unit. Check out my post about it on TeamBHP here (A Close Look : Kia Sonet). Now, the Kia Carens would be the first to offer it with the 10.25-inch unit.

I've booked the Kia Sonet GTX Plus 1.5 Diesel Automatic and my biggest regret with it is that it does not offer wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay even though the cheaper HTX variant offers the wireless functionality.

If you search the internet, you'll find a number of threads on many forums across the world where people are discussing if Hyundai/Kia will update the 10.25-inch infotainment unit with wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. And if they won't offer the feature officially, people are trying to find ways to tinker with the unit to try and enable the wireless connectivity option on it.

Wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay might not seem like a big deal but they indeed are, at least in my opinion. You don't have to plug your smartphone to the infotainment unit each time you need to use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In my opinion, wires near the gear lever look ugly and they are also very distracting (at least for someone like me who is obsessed with keeping things organized). More importantly, you can't use wireless charger if you want to use Android Auto/Apple CarPlay with the existing 10.25-inch infotainment units.

Considering that I will be using my car for more than 10 years, I wouldn't have to use wires for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay everyday (five working days when I go to my office, I mean) for the next 10 years, if my car has the wireless connectivity option. That's a big big deal for me.

The wireless option is so damn convenient. Just get in your car and the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay will just pop up on the infotainment screen. Now, just place the phone on the wireless charger and that's it. You are all set. No ugly wires around the gear lever which will distract you while driving. Plus, you don't have to unplug the phone when you are getting out of the car. I know that unplugging is a small step but you get the gist, wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay are much more convenient.

I'm wondering if the 10.25-inch infotainment unit in the Kia Carens is the same one that we get in other Hyundai/Kia cars (with an updated software to support wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay) or if it has a different hardware. If it is the same unit then I'm guessing that all the existing cars with 10.25-inch infotainment units can also get wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, provided that Hyundai/Kia are generous enough to offer a software update. I'm so excited about this news.

[Nithesh_M]

The Kia Carens having 1.5NA petrol engine as an option only means it will severely undercut the Alcazar base pricing. Expect the Karens to start from 12 or 13l ex showroom

[ant_vas]

- 1.5-litre petrol engine (6MT) reserved for entry level variants.

- 1.4-litre turbo-petrol ( 7DCT) available in higher variants.

- 1.5-litre diesel engine ( 6MT/ 6AT)

it was rumored during the unveil that there would be iMT also available with the 1.4L Turbo petrol, that engine/gearbox combo is missing now. that would have been one hell of a offering

[mytbhp_turbo]

Originally Posted by ant_vas

it was rumored during the unveil that there would be iMT also available with the 1.4L Turbo petrol, that engine/gearbox combo is missing now. that would have been one hell of a offering

I doubt that, if they want any customer from 15L+ bracket, they have to stick to proper Torque converter AT which everyone in that bracket prefers and provided by manufacturer (including Creta/Alcazar)

[neeraj08]

I did some deep dive into the brochure and compared the Luxury Plus variant of Carens to Seltos GTX+ with same 1.4T engine and Manual transmission. The Carens looses out on these notable features-

• 360-degree camera
• Heads-Up Display
• Electric seat adjustment
• Sub-Woofer
• UV-Cut glass
• R17 wheels

Seltos GTX+ 1.4T MT is priced at 16.85 lacs. For Carens Luxury Plus 1.4T MT, I hope it comes at 16.99 lacs if Kia is not over-ambitious.
With some further back of the envelop calculations, here's my wild guess for the pricing of Carens linup -

[mytbhp_turbo]

Originally Posted by neeraj08

here's my wild guess for the pricing of Carens linup -

My guess is ex-showroom for Premium variant will be 16.X L - That too because of 1.5 NA petrol, I don't think it will undercut Alcazar by this much, specifically since a 6 airbags from base version

[fhdowntheline]

Looking at the variant line up, if one is really enthused about the car ,then Prestige Plus has all that you need, including rear wipers. Everything else like pano sunroof or 10in touch screen or Bose system is utterly dispensable.

[CarLover79]

For a people mover, I think the big unanswered questions so far are 1. 3rd row comfort 2. Bootspace with all 3 rows up. I think these are the key areas where Ertiga and Innova are the preferred choice for someone looking for a 7-seater.

The likes of Safari, XUVs, Alcazars, Hectors offset the advantage of 7-seats by not providing a sliding 2nd row and/or bootspace next to nothing.

[JacksonStorm]

The Major cost-cutting from the premium variant is (That's why it is called Base variant)

1. 15-inch steel wheel 195/65 R15
2. No steering mounted audio control
3. No touch screen/No audio system / No 2-din audio system
4. Manually adjustable ORVM
5. No defogger/No rear wiper and washer
6. No roof rail/no shark fin antenna
7. Manual A/C
8. NO keyless entry
9. No side indicator on ORVM and front fender turn indicator

The only advantage is safety features are standard across all the variants
6 Airbags, ESC, VSM, BAS, HAC, DBC (Downhill Brake Control), All Wheels Disc Brakes, Highline Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, ABS, Rear Parking Sensors
ISO-Fix Child Anchor, High Mount Stop Lamp with Emergency Stop Signal, Front Seat Belts with Pretensioner and Load Limiter, Speed Sensing Door Lock and Impact Sensing Door Unlock

My assumption is Premium Petrol Variant 1.5L NA direct rival to the Ertiga/XL6 territory.

1.5LNA MT petrol Premium may be priced between 9.99L to 10.99L
1.5L MT Diesel Premium may be priced between 10.99L to 11.99L
1.4L turbo petrol Premium may be priced between 10.99L to 12.99L
If they priced well, then very tough time! for Maruti Ertiga/XL6.

[Nair.V8]

Sharing the below screenshots received yesterday from a KIA dealer in Mumbai. This reveals a lot more details like dimensions/specifications of the Carens.