[ptaneja]

As per a user from Telegram group, the issue(condensation on roof) was highlighted to Kia from the dealer, and the solution provided was to add more layer of foam between vent and roof body.

Sadly even after the above, the issue resurfaced at the same spot. Dealer is waiting for next step from Kia.

To replicate this, I also drove for about 50kms on highway, and since the temp was at 25 or so, there was no condensation but the area was cold as compared to other section. With lower temp and moisture in the air this can ofcourse result in condensation.

[reskaps]

I am still confused between Carens Diesel and Turbo Petrol (excluding NA 1.5 as the delivery timeline provided is 1 year)
-My running is approx 1K per month in NCR mainly.
- I plan to keep the car for the long term (at least 10 years) and would be able to drive 1-1.2 Lacs over the timeframe.
Mainly worry is on the mileage of turbo as I am hearing the mixed reports of mileage ranging from 8-12 in the city, can anyone please with existing carens turbo petrol throw some light here
The price difference between diesel and petrol carens is around 30K, so that is encouraging and attracts me to Diesel (with expected mileage of 15-16 in the city) but then NCR clause of 10year diesel vehicle as a deterrent. Would be happy if this forum can help me decide.

[sajjt]

Hi,

Does KIA have the price protection scheme for those who have booked before the price hike? Just downloaded my quotation from their site and it's something different from the total amount as per the new price list. Or, am I missing something? There was a difference of 1.2L after the hike on 1.5P Prestige, there are news on telegram groups that some are claiming they were billed at the old price.

Please have a look and enlighten me

Thanks

[praveenkkr]

Originally Posted by sajjt

Hi,

Does KIA have the price protection scheme for those who have booked before the price hike?

There is no price protection whatsoever, even if you have booked on the first day.
There was a long discussion on this here, when the price was hiked.

[ptaneja]

Originally Posted by reskaps

-My running is approx 1K per month in NCR mainly.
- I plan to keep the car for the long term (at least 10 years) and would be able to drive 1-1.2 Lacs over the timeframe.

Same dillema in which I was.
Finally I went ahead with 1.4 turbo. Mileage is about 11 to 14 in City conditions. Ranges from 15 to even 19 on highway runs.

I was too tempted to go ahead with diesel, but I have recently sold off my perfectly working 7 year old diesel Ciaz with zero issues - just because of stupid NGT rule. Now I did not want to incur this loss every 6 or 7 years. Rather, I'll drive less this turbo petrol, and will buy a 10 year old Alto/Santro/WagonR with CNG for 1.5 L for short, congested city commutes.
Go with Petrol, enjoy it for 10 years, and then sell it with 5 years of residual resale value left.

Here is my recently published review -

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...-purchase.html

[reskaps]

Originally Posted by ptaneja

Same dillema in which I was.
Finally I went ahead with 1.4 turbo. Mileage is about 11 to 14 in City conditions. Ranges from 15 to even 19 on highway runs.

Thanks for explaining the rationale. That helps. Mileage of 11-12 in the city should be kind of Ok for petrol of this sized vehicle considering that we get additional 5 years to drive (after 10 years). Do we have this turbo engine being used in any of the other Hyundai products, just to drive a reference in terms of the long-term reliability of the engine?

[furyrider]

Originally Posted by reskaps

Do we have this turbo engine being used in any of the other Hyundai products, just to drive a reference in terms of the long-term reliability of the engine?

The same engine is available in the Creta with the 7-speed DCT gearbox.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

.... I happened to see the Carens. The test drive cars were in Aurora Black, and I instantly took a liking for it.

Further to my review posted earlier, we have now completed just over 2000kms and can share some initial impressions with the car.

Will start with my experience of the first service which was due at 1 month or 1000kms (whichever is earlier). We hit the 1000kms mark within a fortnight and booked our Carens for her 1st service on the 03rd of Arpil via the Kia Connect App, followed by a phone call. Booking process was very easy and got a confirmation via watsapp, which had details of the the booking, numbers of the service advisors and the location of the service center. Below is a screenshot.



Arrived around 10am and was asked to park the car outside the gate and proceed to the reception. Gave my details and immediately my wife's name (registered car owner) flashed on a screen with a welcome message.



Then was asked to wait in the customer lounge, which was big, well appointed, clean and comfortable. The staff offered coffee (or tea) while I read the latest issue of Autocar and which I have to mention was delicious but could not finish it since the Service Exec arrived soon thereafter to handle the booking!

There was just one niggle with the car, which I completely forgot to mention at the time and will take it up in the next service - will circle back to this later in the post.

Other than that, it was a regular service so headed back home with an expected delivery time of 2pm. Once we came back, and while waiting for the car, I got an opportunity to have a look around the center. Despite being a Sunday, the center did not seem busy though all the bays were occupied. All the bays and the center in general was very clean and came across as well maintained. Attaching a few pics.







While my wife settled the bill (INR 0) and got the gate pass, went to check out our Carens which had been washed and was being wiped down and dressed. It looked absolutely smashing with a high gloss mirror finish!





And of course I could not miss another cup of the fabulous coffee!



Coming to our impressions during the last couple of months over 2k kms, our Carens is on a regular Home - Office run which is about 50kms both ways and has become the default choice for any long trips or highway runs (mostly due to the Diesel Economy). It has proven itself to be a very capable and comfortable car, regularly returning 14-15 in full city running and consistently 19-21 on the highways and while driving almost completely in the default City Mode.

Likes:
- Drivability is very good, both in the city and out on the highway with hardly any instance that the engine caught out searching for a gear or in the wrong RPM range.
- Sports Mode is fun, whenever we have used it!
- Ride is exceptional with most potholes, bad and bumpy roads not bothering the car or throwing around the occupants.
- NVH levels are also very good, with most of our friends repeatedly asking if this is a Diesel. There is absolutely no sound of the Diesel Engine clatter that comes in the cabin. We have yet to wring the engine beyond 2,500 rpm with the current driving pattern still on a relatively light foot.
- Ventilated seats are a boon during these hot summers and the AC is upto the task of cooling the cabin quickly.
- Last row seats are genuinely usable for adults, even over longer distances.
- Lots of charging ports and cubby holes to keep stuff.
- Touchscreen is slick and responsive.
- KIA Connect App is useful and gives a very usable alert if I walk away without locking the car.
- Footprint is smaller, or at least smaller than what I am used to, so driving around the town is much easier for me.
- Ergonomics are spot on and presence of physical buttons is great to have.
- 1st service experience was positive.

Dislikes / Niggles:
- The annoying horn clack really bugs me and I haven't been able to get used to it. I wasn't a very 'horny' driver to begin with and with this clack, I actively avoid using the horn now.
- The in built navigation has provision for voice assistance which is buggy. I keep getting random alerts, both on screen and via speakers and at times refuse to go away. Few times, the voice alerts has gone into a loop mode and continues beeping / voicing the alert. I forgot to bring this up with the service advisors during the first visit and since it doesn't happen very often, decided to deal with it during the next service. If any BHPians have any way to deal with it, please do let me know.

Below is a screenshot of one such alert. Go figure!



- Another niggle that came up recently was in the ambient lighting strip, wherein one section below the dashboard refused to change colours but eventually changed after about 15-20mins on its own.



- AC blower at 3,4 and Air Purifier at anything higher than 2 setting is audible.
- Seat Ventilation, though great, could be a tad stronger.
- Driver Seat under-thigh support and travel could have been better.
- I miss electronic seat adjust, at least for the driver seat.
- At full tank, the Fuel Gauge doesn't budge till about 200-250kms after which it starts to correct exponentially. Though DTE kms is reliable and have driven our Carens down to 20/25kms range after which I lost my nerve.
- The lock and unlock alert is like really LOUD.
- Speakers are a real let down, and at high volumes I end up having ear fatigue after 40-50mins
- Car at places feels lightly build and passenger doors sometimes need a firm hand to close properly.

I think that just about covers it.

[fatman2022]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

While my wife settled the bill (INR 0) and got the gate pass, went to check out our Carens which had been washed and was being wiped down and dressed. It looked absolutely smashing with a high gloss mirror finish!

Attachment 2304724

I also recently had a positive service experience at Kia SC, Noida. Got the 1st appointment, and drove in while their morning staff meeting was ongoing.
The car was quickly cleaned, and while I did tell them NOT to wash the engine bay, they still washed it nevertheless. I am a bit worried since the showroom SA told me time and again not to get the under bonnet washed as sensors can be damaged under pressure (workers at Express Wash, Logix Noida, told me that a sensor on Lexus got damaged due to high pressure wash, and they had to spend over 1L in total to get it replaced).
MyKia app was registered to a wrong number, and took them 5-6 days to get it re-registered to my number. This did take some calls to the GM though.
The SC (Lohia Kia) was extremely well maintained, with clean bays.

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Dislikes / Niggles:
- The in built navigation has provision for voice assistance which is buggy. I keep getting random alerts, both on screen and via speakers and at times refuse to go away. Few times, the voice alerts has gone into a loop mode and continues beeping / voicing the alert. I forgot to bring this up with the service advisors during the first visit and since it doesn't happen very often, decided to deal with it during the next service. If any BHPians have any way to deal with it, please do let me know.

Below is a screenshot of one such alert. Go figure!

Attachment 2304768

Have had multiple such warnings even when I know I am driving on a legal route (GMaps actively recommending such a route). Annoyingly, the "wrong direction" warning does not go away unless we stop and start the car. And it overrides any other information you want to see on the screen.

[praveenkkr]

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Will start with my experience of the first service which was due at 1 month or 1000kms (whichever is earlier).

Did you check the condensation issue on the roof (above third row seat, driver side)? Almost all owners are reporting this on Facebook and other forums.
Few users also already got the fix (insulation) couple of days back. Keep an eye on this issue and get it adressed if seen.

Originally Posted by PGNarain

- The lock and unlock alert is like really LOUD.

There is an option to enable/disable this sound, this is mentioned in the manual. There is no way to reduce the volume, though.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by praveenkkr

Did you check the condensation issue on the roof (above third row seat, driver side)? Almost all owners are reporting this on Facebook and other forums.
Few users also already got the fix (insulation) couple of days back. Keep an eye on this issue and get it adressed if seen.

I did check it on a few occasions after reading about it here but haven't come across it yet. If it does develops, will have it rectified.

There is an option to enable/disable this sound, this is mentioned in the manual. There is no way to reduce the volume, though.

Great, thanks. However I do intend to keep an audible alarm because I tend to often forget locking the car and just walk away!

[niteshsharmab]

Confused between Carens and Innova.

I currently own a 2019 XL6 Automatic. While the car is good, it lacks power, average is low (8 km/l in city), has no connected features and ride quality is okay.

I was eyeing the top end diesel Carens Automatic. Really liked its interior quality, connected features, and most of all, economy of 15 to 20 km/l.

While it has it all, the seats are very short and I think it'll not be as comfortable as the XL6's one. My car is chauffeur driven, so rear comfort is very important. Also, I found the suspension and overall ride quality to be average.

Innova is an all rounder in that sense with another major positive of a 300L boot with all seats up. The only issue with the Innova is its economy of only 9 km/l in the city and it costs Rs. 10 lakhs more. Although the price is not a major determinant as resale is even better, the economy of 9 km/l for Innova vs. 15 for Carens is a very important factor. My travel is 50 km everyday in traffic.

What do you I think I should do? Very much lured by the Carens. Can any owner can give a perspective on ride comfort from the suspension and middle row seat comfort (given the short seats)? For reference, I'm only 5'7". My test drive was just 5 minutes long, so I couldn't really understand this well.

[fatman2022]

I am driving a Luxury Plus Diesel MT, and noticed something weird today - the car was on, idling at the basement parking of a mall. Aircons were on, air purifier was off. After about 15-20 mins, noticed that the mid portion of drivers' seat warmed up quite a bit, enough to be noticeable. Seat ventilation was off, and aircons were on the lowest setting (1).
Drove for a bit, and the seat kept on warming up. Turned on seat ventilation, and that particular mid back area did not cool even after driving for 20 mins or so. The upper back, thighs etc did get cool.
Also, been noticing for a few days that after driving for a few seconds, there are 3 small quick chimes from the middle row. Chimes every 5-10 mins or so. All the doors are locked, and couldn't find anything in the manual showing this behavior. No warnings on dashboard display.
Will appreciate if anybody can share insights on these two queries.

[furyrider]

Originally Posted by niteshsharmab

Although price is not a major determinant as resale is even better. But economy of 9 Kmpl for innova vs. 15 for carens is a very important factor. My travel is 50km everyday in traffic for office.

What do you I think I should do. Very much lured towards carens, if any owner can give a perspective on ride comfort from suspension perspective and middle row seat comfort (given short seats)

Regarding the suspension set-up on the Carens, the body roll is well controlled, and the vehicle rides flat for the most part. Where the Innova shines is when you travel on broken roads with craters for potholes. Since you have the XL6 for comparison, the suspension set-up in the Carens will definitely feel better.

I have passengers who are 5'8'' regularly travelling in the second row. None of them complained about lack of comfort, but then, the neck rest should almost always be adjusted to a comfortable height.

If money is not a constrain, and you prefer to keep the vehicle for longer period, go for the Innova eyes closed. You would get better resale value and a better package overall (minus the bling). Since you have mentioned that you would be chauffer driven, I think the Innova would suit you better. The rear seat is definitely better than the Carens.

Since you are used to the captain seats in the XL6, I suggest you take a longer TD of the Carens, this time in the second row. If you find the seat to be okay for you, you might as well consider it since you would save a good chunk of money.

[niteshsharmab]

Dear Sir. Thanks very much for a detailed answer, you have given me much needed confidence on Carens back seat. I'll do a long drive and see Carens back seat. Any idea for how much time can we take the test drive? Will the dealer allow 10 15 minutes of ride in your opinion?

Even I love the Innova. Recently travelled for 1 week in Himachal mountain in an Innova. Omg what a vehicle it is, unbelievable comfort in places with just no roads. Only thing thats stopping me for Innova is that the fuel efficiency is only 8-9kmpl in city. Where as Carens diesel gives 15kmpl. My running will be almost 15k per year so Carens makes lot of sense from fuel perspective also.

Again thank you so much for your help

Originally Posted by furyrider

Since you are used to the captain seats in the XL6, I suggest you take a longer TD of the Carens, this time in the second row. If you find the seat to be okay for you, you might as well consider it since you would save a good chunk of money.