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Old 29th January 2022, 18:00   #1
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Kia Carens Review

Kia Carens Review


The Kia Carens will be launched in India in February 2022.

Kia Carens Pros



• Fresh styling that will appeal to a larger audience (unlike the polarising Alcazar)
• A practical & sensible 3-row family car that's well-built. 3rd-row seat is actually useable
• User-friendly interiors look really good (blue shade is awesome) and have quality parts
• 1.4L turbo petrol with 7-speed DCT offers more than adequate performance. Extremely refined too
• Economical 1.5L diesel is available in MT & AT variants. Offers good driveability
• Impressive ride quality with neutral car-like road manners
• The Carens' safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS etc as standard.

Kia Carens Cons



• 3-star GNCAP safety rating is disappointing (related discussion)
• 2nd-row legroom is just ordinary, despite the seat travel of the 1st-row being restricted
• Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment
• Reliability of the 7 speed DCT in a heavier car is a concern
• Some niceties missing vs the Alcazar - no 360-degree camera, no full virtual dials, no panoramic sunroof
• Competitors like the Tata Safari, MG Hector & XUV700 offer way more spacious cabins

This review has been jointly compiled with Chetan_Rao. Thanks to him for his expert observations!

Introduction



Kia has not put a foot wrong in India. After the successful Seltos and Sonet, the Carens is the company's next mass market offering. It clearly aims to be another chart topper. Hyundai got dibs this time with the Alcazar and it was only a matter of time that Kia would follow suit and stretch the Seltos. Enter the Carens, the 6 / 7 seater version of the Seltos. Unlike Hyundai, Kia seems to have put more effort into the Carens and position it as an MPV rather than a larger Seltos. The Carens may not appeal to the Seltos buyer as much and would be something an Ertiga owner would look at while upgrading. Some cross shopping might happen with the MG Hector as well, but the biggest competition will come from its cousin, the Alcazar.

Kia Carens Price & Brochure


Kia hasn't revealed the price of the Carens yet, but based on the features offered, we have a strong feeling it will be lower than the Alcazar and actually, might overlap with the Seltos. For one, the Carens looks more like an MPV than an SUV. This is accentuated not only by the design, but also by the smaller 16-inch wheels vs the Alcazar's 18-inchers. In terms of features, the highlight is that Kia is offering all variants of the Carens with 6 airbags - a welcome move, but more like a redemption after the Seltos NCAP safety debacle. Apart from that, the Carens is nowhere as well equipped as the Seltos or the Alcazar, indicating an aggressive pricing strategy. When compared to the Seltos, it loses out on the 360-degree camera and electrically adjustable driver's seat. Compared to the Alcazar, it loses out on the panoramic sunroof, the virtual dials, rear console and the electric parking brake with auto hold. Given the lower feature set, we are certain the Carens' price will overlap with the Seltos, while the Alcazar will be a more premium offering.

You can download the 2022 Kia Carens brochure here - Kia Carens Brochure.pdf

Exterior


Unlike the Alcazar that closely resembles the Creta, the Carens actually stands out vs its smaller sibling. As a result, it got a lot more attention when we were driving it around Bangalore:


Front end is especially unique with no gaping radiator grille. In fact, there's no upper grille and the Carens only gets a large air dam:


Rear styling is fuss free with the only stand out feature being the interesting tail-lamp design and the dollop of chrome on the bumper:


Kia has attempted to give the Carens a rugged look by giving it plastic cladding on the sides and roof-rails. However, it still looks like an MPV with the long rear door and smaller wheels. What will surprise many is that the Carens is 40mm longer than the Alcazar at 4540 mm and has a 20 mm longer wheelbase at 2780 mm. The wheelbase is 20mm longer than the Innova Crysta and XUV700:


Smart front end with no huge grille and smart-looking new Kia logo. Four parking sensors have been provided as well:


A close look at the "crown jewel" LED headlight cluster with the LED DRL on top. The entire cluster is surrounded by piano black:


Super bright "star map" DRLs appear separate from the headlights, but actually, they are still a single unit:


There's no open grille on the top. Instead you get a piano black insert with diamond detailing. My guess is that this will get scratched very quickly:


LED fog lamps are almost hidden in the front bumper. You can see the front parking sensors here as well:


There is a good deal of underbody protection. This is important for India's unpredictable road conditions:


Auto-folding ORVMs with integrated LED turn-indicators open when you approach the car even before unlocking the door. No chip shortage here:


Unlike the Alcazar, the Carens does not get massive 18-inch rims with silly low profile tyres - a very welcome break from the trend. Instead, it gets immensely practical 16-inch rims with high profile 205/65 MRF Wanderer Street tyres:


Rear gets disc brakes as standard on all variants:


Thick chrome weather strip has an uncannily resemblance to the MG Gloster's (reference image):


Tail-lamps are joined together by what appears to be an LED bar. In reality, it's just a piece of plastic that doesn't have any illumination:


Star map tail-lamps extend on the sides and look smart with snazzy detailing:


A look at the tail-lamps with the pilot lamps turned on:


Thankfully, the side plastic cladding gets a matte silver insert instead of chrome:


Rear bumper gets a massive chrome strip running all over it. Thick chrome strip gets diamond detailing on it:


Roof spoiler with integrated HMSL gets extended fins on either side:


Roof-rails are merely cosmetic as this warning shows:


Parked next to its sibling, you can see the longer length clearly as well as the MPV-like design. The small 16-inch wheels make it look a little odd, but they offer better ride comfort:


Two parting shots on an empty stretch of highway we found. (Location hint: Gabbar Singh might not have fancied the Carens over his horse):





Last edited by GTO : 9th July 2022 at 09:12. Reason: Adding GNCAP rating to the pros & cons list
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Old 29th January 2022, 18:00   #2
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Interior


Just like the exterior, Kia has spent a lot of effort in differentiating the interior from the Seltos as against Hyundai, which carried over the Creta's dashboard to the Alcazar.

Dashboard has a curve running across it, which gives it some symmetry. You will also notice in the pics that Kia has used a unique colour combination of beige with dark blue. Kia calls it Triton Navy + Sahel Beige. I realised the blue shade only when the car was under bright sunlight. It reminded me of the old Mercedes W124 which had a similar blue shade as an option:


Kia has ensured all touch points are of high quality and though there the hard plastics everywhere, they are not used at places occupants touch often:


You would think the top half of the dash has leather stitching, but it's actually a faux stitching pattern on the plastic:


Dashboard has a lot of piano black, which has a very reflective surface. It gets weird, wavy detailing:


Flat-bottom steering, also in blue, has a Carens logo at the bottom and tilt and telescopic adjustments. I have one big grouse with the horn. The horn itself is a pleasant-sounding wind tone unit, but when you press the horn pad, there is a very irritating click which sounds downright cheap and drove me mad:


Steering wheel buttons are brilliant in quality. They feel like they belong in a European car from a segment above:


Instead of a virtual full digital display like that of the Alcazar, the Carens get a cheap LCD display for instrument cluster and the same 4.2" MID as the Seltos. This is similar to what Tata offers in the Tiago and has no business to be in this segment:


Speedometer and tachometer are flanked by 3 half rings that change colour based on the driving mode - purple for Normal, blue for Eco and red for Sport. You can change the colour manually as well:


Small drawer for small items and parking tickets on the driver's side:


Sleek air-con vents shut completely:


Engine start/stop button, traction control off and headlamp leveller are located on the right side below the steering:


Door pads are, again, beige & blue with piano black element near the door handle. The area where you rest your arms is draped in soft leather:


Simple and functional power window controls as well as ORVM controls. Only driver's side window has one touch up/down functionality:


There's no grab handle to close the door, but an empty cavity below the armrest. I couldn't help thinking someone will keep a wallet there and it will fall off when opening the door:


Three bottle holders plus an umbrella holder on each door at the front:


Front seats are supportive and on the softer side. Kia has played smart with the packaging by limiting the travel of the front seats. I distinctly remember I could slide the Seltos seats further. For my 6' height, I wanted the seat to slide 2 notches further back:


Driver's seat does not get electric adjustment, which is surprising considering the Seltos gets it. The front seats are ventilated and that's a huge boon in summer:


Center armrest draped in leather. It is not adjustable:


Front seatbelts are adjustable for height:


Spacious footwell with perfectly positioned dead pedal:


IRVM houses 3 buttons - SOS will place an emergency call to Kia customer care, the button with the tow truck will call Kia Roadside Assistance and the third button will launch Kia Connect (telematics). Auto-dimming function has been provided as well. Rearward visibility through IRVM is pretty decent, third row headrests don't block the view (in retracted position). ORVMs could've been a size larger though, and we'd definitely recommend using the sensors and reversing camera while parking in tight spots to avoid surprises.


Centre fascia has a 10.25" touchscreen infotainment head-unit at the top and air-con controls just below. The system gets wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and not wireless. Defeats the purpose of having wireless charging when you still have to connect the cable:


We found a small ergonomic flaw with the system. It is tilted upwards and as a result the top of the screen is further to reach than the bottom - a real irritant while driving as you need to reach out more to press something at the top:


Music is played through 8 speakers. Even though this is a Bose audio system, the overall sound quality is average at best. It does get loud with not too much distortion, but bass heavy songs will jarr the doors:


The infotainment system has pre-loaded ambient sounds that play soothing music:


You can select the ambient sounds from the given options. It didn't work for me though:


You can choose from 64 colour options for the ambient lighting:


You can also set the ambient light to change based on the drive mode selected:


Many settings can be adjusted through the infotainment system:


Additional settings in the infotainment for air circulation and ventilation:




Air-con controls consist of touch buttons at the bottom and toggle switches for temperature and fan speed. There is separate air con unit for the rear. We found the Air con performance satisfactory after we turned on the rear unit as well. With just the front unit, the air con struggled to cool the huge cabin:


The center console has buttons on either side for seat ventilation, parking sensor activation, reversing camera (no 360-camera in the Carens). On the right are switches for the drive mode selection as well as hill descent control. Qi wireless charging, 2 USB ports (one of which is Type-C) and a 12V power outlet have been provided as well:


Gear lever is a direct lift from the Seltos:


Storage bin under the armrest is open at the front. Cupholders have cooling vents inside which you can actually turn off using the dial. Unlike the Hyundais, the Kias don't get an electric parking brake:


Upper storage shelf can hold some change or knick-knacks. It is removable:


Remove the upper shelf and you get a fairly deep storage bin:


Glovebox is average sized and does not have any cooling or illumination. Since all the cupholders are cooled, this is not a big issue:


Kia has provided a small vent and clip just above the glovebox. This means ones doesn't need to block one of the air-con vents with a car perfume - very clever:


Passenger side pop-out cup holder keeps your drink cool thanks to the air-con vent:


There is some serious amount of ambient lighting and 64 colours to choose from:


No panoramic sunroof. Just the regular unit. The upside to this is that the Carens can accommodate roof mounted air-con blowers:


Like the front door pad, the rear one has a similar cavity that serves as a grab handle. Soft touch leather has been applied to the area where your arm rests:


Massive rear windows get much needed sun shades:


Door pockets get 2 large bottle holders and space to keep and other small items:


There's a welcome projector with the Kia logo under the rear door. You usually see this on the driver's door, but it's clear who Kia is targeting in this case:


The second row seat are a bit of a mixed bag. They are comfortable and work well when you are chauffeur-driven, but you can clearly make out that Kia (and Hyundai) compromised the middle row to an extent to make the Carens a more comfortable 6-seater. Thanks to the long door, getting in and out, even for the elders, is easy. You also get a 7-seater version:


Maximum and minimum rear legroom - you can see the passenger front seat is pushed all the way forward which means there is ample legroom for the owner when chauffeur-driven. However, when you have a taller driver and need to use the 3rd row the 2nd row, legroom is akin to a small hatchback. Also note the captain seats get individual foldable armrests and not an entire console like the Alcazar:


Here is Mod Chetan (5'7") demonstrating the legroom with the front seat all the way back:


My OCD didn't allow me to prevent highlighting this. When you slide the front passenger seat all the way forward for maximum rear legroom, the seat rail leaves a deep scratch on the bottom of the center console - a clear design flaw and as I mentioned earlier, Kia has moved the front seats forward for 2nd and 3rd row usability:


Front passenger seatback gets a hard, plastic foldable tray. There's a nifty storage net at the top and a pocket at the bottom for keeping stuff:


The tray is not to everyone's liking, but the small groove works well to hold an iPad in place:


Cable minder on each side of the table to charge your phone or tablet:


Kia hasn't missed out on the air purifier. It's mounted on the backrest of the driver's seat:


While it is at the top of the seat and doesn't eat into knee room for 5'7" Chetan, taller passengers will find it grazing their knees. It will also hit your knees when getting in and out of the car as I found out:


Center console gets a blower controller for the rear air-con unit:


Roof mounted blowers for the rear passengers. You can even adjust the air flow spread using the ring around the vent:


Below the rear air-con blower knob, there are 2 USB-C ports and more place to keep bottles or cans:


There is a small vent you can slide up to cool the bottle/can kept there. Slide it down to close the vent. Neat!


The third row in the Carens is surprising very usable even for adults. It makes my Kodiaq's third row feel like even more like a joke:


Accessing the third row is probably the simplest in the Carens compared to any other MPV or SUV. Just press this button...


...and the entire seat tumbles forwards in a few seconds. This electronic release switch is only for the left passenger seat. The right seat also double tumbles with a single motion but has a conventional lever which is also very easy:
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Once it tumbles forwards, there's a wide opening to easily climb into the third row thanks to the stretched rear door:


As you can see, Chetan is pretty comfortable. The last row seats aren't low set, which means you are not sitting in a knees-up position:


A look at the legroom with the 2nd row seat all the way back...


...then all the way front:


Both sides in the third row get a USB-C socket (that's a total of 5 USB-C sockets and 1 USB-A) as well as storage slots for smartphones and cupholders:


With all the seats up, boot space is rated at a decent 216 liters:


There's some storage space available below the boot floor cover. Tools are neatly packed in a pouch:


Access to lower the spare tyre, which is carried below car:


Boot gets a light on the left. You can also see the subwoofer here:


Boot space with the third row seats folded is massive. You can even fold the 2nd row flat and get even more cargo space:

Last edited by Chetan_Rao : 31st January 2022 at 22:26. Reason: a word
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Old 29th January 2022, 18:00   #3
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The engine options in the Kia Carens remain the same as those in the Seltos and Hyundai Creta. Kia has not opted for the 2.0L NA petrol engine which Hyundai is using in the Alcazar and instead used the familiar 1.4L T-GDi motor. This engine is available with a 6-speed MT or a 7-speed DCT.

The Kia Carens shares its 1.5-litre diesel engine with the Creta and Seltos. To read about the diesel's performance & drivability, please refer to this engine review post.

Driving the 1.4L Turbo Petrol AT



1.4L Turbo Petrol engine makes 138 BHP (@ 6,000 rpm) and 242 Nm (1,500 - 3,200 rpm):

The 1.4L turbo petrol works well in the Carens. It has more than adequate performance to keep the enthusiast interested and at the same time, the mid range and intuitive DCT work brilliantly for sedate family duties.

Fire up the engine and you are greeted by silence. The 1.4L engine is exceptionally refined at idle. It moves off seamlessly from a standstill, with minimal lag. Light accelerator input is all you'll need to commute in the city. The gearbox moves up early, while shifts are quick and super smooth. Driving in a regular style, you'll never even know that the gears are being changed. Due to the refinement of the engine, there's no sound of the engine tone changing either.

The turbo petrol is very fast and with 138 BHP + 242 Nm on tap, the gearbox's job is made easier. The DCT is almost never found hunting for gears. The combination of this engine, smooth gearbox, light steering, excellent ergonomics, properly placed dead pedal and good frontal visibility make the Carens a breeze to drive. We were driving through Bangalore traffic in the morning and it was effortless. It can crawl in bumper to bumper traffic conditions at 6 - 7 km/h after you lift your foot off the brake pedal in 'D'. This way, you can drive in heavy traffic with just the brake pedal. Be warned though, the practice has a downside and you shouldn't do it for an extended duration. The DCT starts heating up. In the worst situation, if you get the transmission overheating warning, just pull over and let the gearbox cool down. Kia claims that this problem has been fixed in the newer iterations by software tuning.

The powerful turbo-petrol gives the Carens AT very long legs. It is punchy and fast on the expressway and will keep petrol-heads happy. Floor the accelerator and you'll see a bit of torque steer too. The mid-range is strong as is typical of turbo engines; this is very helpful during overtaking. On the expressway, at 100 km/h, the engine spins at a relaxed ~1,800 rpm. We found the kickdown response time to be satisfactory. The transmission and turbo are quick to respond and the reaction times are short enough. Pushed hard, the engine will revv to just ~5,900 rpm before the transmission shifts up. We found the rev limit to be low for a petrol engine. It appears that Kia have intentionally tuned the DCT to be more conservative. When you try to launch hard, the revs don't go above 1,600 rpm. The gearbox also doesn't hold on to any gear till the redline, but will upshift on it's own at ~5,900 rpm. In the the Hyundai Creta, the engine revvs till 6,250 rpm. There is also an “S” mode which makes the transmission more aggressive. This mode can be engaged by moving the gear shifter to the right. Use it when you're in the mood for fun, or just temporarily to quickly overtake someone. You also get paddle shifters in the Carens that work in D mode for a short duration or you can set the gear shifter to S mode and use the paddles.

The Carens DCT gets selectable driving modes:

Normal: This is the default mode. It is suitable for sedate driving and cruising. The throttle response is relaxed, but acceptable. There is enough poke to close gaps in traffic or overtaking on expressways. If you are cruising on the highway and driving normally inside town, this mode is perfect.

Eco: Engage 'Eco' mode to take the engine into its most fuel-efficient mode. This mode is good in town for sedate relaxed driving, but we hardly used it as it was too muted. Throttle response is dull and when the engine responds. there's more noise than poke. This gets annoying even in urban settings or relaxed cruising.

Sport: Engaging Sport makes the car noticeably more responsive to throttle inputs. This is the "fun" mode. The 1.4 turbo petrol has a nice note as it picks up speed quickly. Revs are held longer before upshifts, and the transmission doesn't hesitate dropping two or even three cogs if you even press the pedal a little. The best part is that the steering weighs up well. On a highway this mode is simply perfect.

The gearbox can be also used in "S" mode by moving the gear shifter to the left, but we found this mode held on to gears unnecessarily and wasn't ideal in town or on the highway.

The Carens being larger and presumably heavier than the Seltos and Creta, we do have some concerns about the gearbox's longevity. With a full load of 6-7 passengers, the performance will be blunted to an extent. The turbo petrol also gets thirsty when pushed hard and prefers a more relaxed driving style. However, it should still be better than the 2.0L in the Alcazar.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)



The Carens has exceptional refinement & NVH levels. The engine is barely audible at slow speeds while driving around town. It is only at higher revvs that you can hear the engine. There’s minimal-to-zero sound heard in the cabin if you're driving calmly. If you are seated in the 2nd row, you will probably never hear the motor when chauffeured around town. Even while cruising on the highway, the engine is quiet enough. The engine sounds alright till ~5,500 rpm. Above that, it starts to get boomy.

I was surprised at how wind noise was well contained and needed much higher speeds for it to be noticeable. Road noise was also not very prominent except on some surface. Kia have clearly worked hard on the NVH here.

Even without any insulation under the bonnet, the 1.4L is among the quietest and most refined motors in this segment:


Suspension


Ride Comfort



Kia has learnt its lesson well here and fixed the Seltos' biggest gripe. The Carens rides far better than the Seltos. You can sail over broken non-existent patches of road at 30 km/h and not feel anything inside the cabin. I had commented to Chetan that my Kodiaq would struggle on that particular stretch. The suspension doesn't crash into bumps and potholes and passengers are not jostled from side to side as much. It's only the real nasty craters that send a thud into the cabin. Otherwise, you will love how comfortable the Carens is even on poor roads. A part of it has to do with the fact that Kia has opted for 16-inch rims with fairly high profile 205/65 tyres. This provides an additional layer of cushioning. Ride quality is impressive for the segment, arguably even for a segment above.

Handling & Dynamics



Out on the highway, the Carens stays composed even at triple digit speeds. Its road manners are neutral, just as you would expect from a 3-row family crossover. You can cruise at highway speeds quite comfortably. You only feel the softer suspension and additional length during quick lane changes. The rear swings around a little later after you turn the wheel. It's more about being able to know how hard you can chuck the car around when doing abrupt direction changes.

Throw the Carens into a corner and it responds better than you'd expect from a 6/7-seater. Yes, there's body roll, but it's within acceptable limits (nowhere as sporty as a Kia Seltos). It's very car-like and less MPV-like, which means you can maintain a line across a corner without lifting off. We tried sharp maneuvering around a few barricades in a controlled environment, and the car managed it without fuss or the electronics kicking in to intervene. Impressive for an MUV! Also, it's good to know that the Carens has electronic stability control across all variants to help in emergency situations.

Steering



The steering is one finger light in the city and weighs up nicely as you gain speed. Don't expect much feel or feedback though. The steering weighs up in Sport mode albeit artificially. It just offers more resistance, which works well when driving on expressways. It is unnecessarily heavy for single lane roads in Sport mode.

Braking



Rear disc brakes are standard across all variants, which is a good thing. They work well in normal as well as emergency conditions and owners won't complain. They do the job.

Last edited by Aditya : 31st January 2022 at 10:02.
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Old 29th January 2022, 18:00   #4
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Last edited by Aditya : 29th January 2022 at 18:05.
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Old 29th January 2022, 18:20   #5
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Re: Kia Carens Review

A good car which brings a bit of fresh air in the MPV segment. But Kia have to price in sensibly otherwise it may completely fail in the market, like many other MPVs in the past. In 18-20 lacs range, nobody is gonna buy this over Crysta, Safari or XUV700. Even those with a budget of 16 lacs will look to stretch for one of the above. That’s why KIA have to bring the base variant under 14 lacs to make it a success.
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Old 29th January 2022, 18:48   #6
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Thank you the extensive review! One look at the interiors and it looks very well put together. It lot more welcoming than the cheaper (hopefully) Ertiga/XL6 or the expensive Crysta. Alcazar has been doing decent numbers and if this is priced slightly cheaper or at par with Seltos, it should sell well too.

Alcazar reviews mentioned that 1.5L D was just adequate for the bigger heavier car. How does the diesel perform on the Carens? Also curious about the performance about the 1.5L NA petrol (never available for test drives but buyers have been happy with the engine!)

Last edited by ashis89 : 29th January 2022 at 18:54.
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Old 29th January 2022, 18:50   #7
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Thanks for such a detailed and crisp review.

Not a big fan of the exterior but loved the interior design albeit some ergonomic flaws i.e., the air purifier fouling with the rear passenger knees. Nevertheless, the interior has enough bling to keep its target audience happy.
Keeping in mind the missing feature (360 camera, panoramic sunroof), Kia should price the Carens aggressively specifically undercutting its direct rival, the Alcazar and then Kia might have a winner MPV.
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Old 29th January 2022, 18:51   #8
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Not going to lie, this has got to be the ugliest car I have seen in the recent years.

Also who passed the idea of having an air purifier behind the driver seat? That just eats over 2 inches of leg space for a car which is targeted towards rear seating experience.

As I said earlier, it's a KIA for the Karens of the World.

Last edited by Axe77 : 24th December 2023 at 18:52. Reason: Typos and grammar edits.
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Old 29th January 2022, 19:05   #9
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeepCarTalk View Post
...eats over 2 inches of leg space...
It's above knee-level, at par with the retractable tray behind the front passenger seat. Might get in the way of ingress/egress in specific situations where second row passenger is squished in, but not in normal circumstances.
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Old 29th January 2022, 19:09   #10
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao View Post
It's above knee-level, at par with the retractable tray behind the front passenger seat. Might get in the way of ingress/egress in specific situations where second row passenger is squished in, but not in normal circumstances.
but i watched Gagan's review, see the attached screengrabs; it's almost knee level.
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Old 29th January 2022, 19:10   #11
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Re: Kia Carens Review

If priced sensibly, I see a threat to Ertiga as well as lower variants of the Safari/ Hector Plus.
I would also like to point from the review that we should mention the unknown Safety factor for all untested cars, previous and current as a Con ( negative). That will put an end to any subjectivity on this matter. Other than that, the standard safety features are there for the consumer to see and eventually decide.
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Old 29th January 2022, 19:15   #12
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Re: Kia Carens Review

@Vid3369, Chetan_rao, thanks for a very short and sweet review.

Although KIA has included all the features with a balanced Bhp to it, pricing will be a good factor to determine on how fast it will sell.

It would also be good to have a review of all the 6-seater MPV's and how they fare against each other.
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Old 29th January 2022, 19:16   #13
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Re: Kia Carens Review

I really like the Carens. And I really like what Kia is doing to improve their safety perception- offering 6 airbags from the base variant itself. Hope GNCAP tests this car as soon as possible to give further clarity as to how safe this car really is.

I hate the digital tachometer. In Faisal Khan's video, I saw the tachometer was fluctuating. Not majorly, but an analogue tacho would have been nicer.

Also, I saw Faisal Khan mentioning that this car is based on the Sonet platform, whereas everyone else were clearly stating this car to be a 3 row version of the Seltos.

Regarding sunroof, Kia should have done something like the dual pane unit on the Carnival, but that will drive up costs significantly.

3rd row seems decent. Will not comment as I have not used 3rd rows of MPV's extensively.

Also, rear indicators are LED's. I like seeing all LED's in cars. Hate it when manufacturers skip LED's for the rear indicators.

And, am I the only one who gets BRV vibes when I look at the side profile?
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Old 29th January 2022, 19:25   #14
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeepCarTalk View Post
but i watched Gagan's review, see the attached screengrabs; it's almost knee level.
You have to account for size references. Space of course would vary based on the occupant's height and body proportions and whether it causes a knees-up posture in a reduced legroom scenario.

I'm average height (5'7") and that wasn't the case even at minimum legroom with driver's seat pushed all the way back for six-footer mod Viddy's driving position. Long-legged Viddy would probably have his knees higher up, close to the bottom edge of the purifier.
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Old 29th January 2022, 19:30   #15
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Re: Kia Carens Review

Excellent and very detailed review

I am not sure if I like the external appearance, however no harm in visiting showroom and take a test drive. Hope Kia gets the pricing right.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vid6639 View Post
Accessing the third row is probably the simplest in the Carens compared to any other MPV or SUV. Just press this button...
...and the entire seat tumbles forwards in a few seconds. This is only for the left passenger seat though:
Please share the procedure to fold second row right seat? Will there be any change in folding mechanism for the seven seater variant?
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