Team-BHP > What Car? > SUVs, MUVs & 4x4s


View Poll Results: Your choice?
Kia Carens 143 39.18%
Maruti XL6 35 9.59%
Maruti Ertiga 8 2.19%
Mahindra Marazzo 22 6.03%
Hyundai Alcazar 15 4.11%
Something bigger like the XUV700 or Innova Crysta 136 37.26%
Other (please specify in your post) 6 1.64%
Voters: 365. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 22nd February 2022, 09:00   #16
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

This is one segment where all the cars looks boring (personal opinion), hate the van designs. And for this reason I will never buy a MUV.
The only reason I will buy a 7 seater is if I really have a requirement to carry 5+ people regularly and mainly on highways. And this is where I need a bigger and more powerful Diesel engine and none of this make a cut. So my choice would be XUV 700 or Innova and voted the same.

Last edited by sunikkat : 22nd February 2022 at 09:02.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 09:31   #17
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

I will not buy Ertiga because XL6 is available
I will not buy Marazzo because only manual
I will not buy Alcazar because middle and rear seats are both cramped.

So it will be between Carens & XL6. I will go with Carens with XL6 a close second.

Not considering the bigger cars here since they are a different segment altogether.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 09:52   #18
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Petrol - XL6
Diesel - Carens.
I love a diesel mill's mid range so I've voted for Carens.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 10:21   #19
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

After 4 test drives of the Carens, I have come to the conclusion that this is a strictly a Ertiga/XL6 competitor. Prestige variants are the most VFM of the lot. Sure, there is price overlap of the luxury variants with lower variants of the XUV/Hector/Safari et al, however, don’t let the pricing fool you. I don’t even think Carens competes in the same segment as the other MPVs.

To conclude, if someone is looking for a MPV south of 15 lakhs ex-showroom and is not interested in Maruti, Carens makes a sound case for itself. I always consider Kia/Hyundai as “a Maruti Suzuki with better interiors”. This holds true for the Carens as well.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 10:47   #20
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Voted for Marazzo (If you are considering MT). It has a good Diesel engine, very spacious interiors, heavy build, very good ride quality and a proper 7 seater.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 10:52   #21
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Lower variants of the Carens make sense but would stretch for an Innova Crysta instead of the Carens’ top-end variants which reach 19-20 Lakh.

Last edited by CEF_Beasts : 22nd February 2022 at 11:17.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 10:57   #22
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

I would always choose Innova if it was priced right for what it offers (over priced by 5-6 lakhs at least) -So in this list, i would chose Karens as it is value for money.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 11:14   #23
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

I voted for Kia Carens. I own an 2019 ertiga ZXI+ and extremely satisfied with it. However if Carens was available at the time of my purchase with current pricing, would have gone for it , the Prestige 1.5 Manual variant (Or if there was a CVT variant, would have gone for that). I think the only feature that I would miss in Carens Prestige would be Automatic AC. And I would get far better interiors , except the slightly smaller seats. I was always thinking, why other manufactures were not considering the Ertiga segment, especially when ertiga+XL6 averages around 11K unit month on month. Finally a competitor arrived. For me, I have a psychological barrier with 9.99L ex showroom price, and carens provide great value at that price.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 12:12   #24
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Voted For: Carens (Prestige Plus Diesel MT)

Reasons:
- Features are good enough for the mid variant.
- I want a diesel.
- I'll not buy it with the torque converter because of the considerable efficiency drop with the TC AT, especially where we need it the most - in crawling and stop-and-go traffic.
- It seems underpriced. So, when it reaches its fair pricing, the one I buy will hold its value very well.
- The underpricing will make it popular and that will keep the demand high, and thus, it'll maintain a high valuation in the used market.
- The 1.5L diesel is a fairly old and reliable partner for long-term ownership.

The main deal-breaker for me is the absence of captain seats in mid variants.

To be honest, I'd not mind picking up the Triber turbo CVT with captain seats, if this exact combo existed. The upfront opportunity cost savings are enough to make me look past my love for diesel engines.

If I wanted a beater MPV, then the Carens Prestige 1.5L petrol looks yummy. Simply for hauling people around, it's a fantastic VFM with some features too.

Last edited by MaheshY1 : 22nd February 2022 at 12:15.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 12:36   #25
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Voted for Alcazar just because of the SUV styling compared to Carens, which is otherwise close second choice for me.

People who regularly move family and people will chose something bigger like Innova. But, if all 7 seats are going to be occupied very rarely, Carens or Alcazar seem a better choice. Fuel efficiency would be better than bigger cars, and it can be very useful as daily driver for office commutes since these two are not too big and have automatic options at lower price point. Very sensible options (Carens & Alcazar) for a lot of private buyers who are looking at these criteria mainly.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 13:27   #26
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Any one planning for a 7 seater will definitely consider Carens and it ticks many boxes.

1. Emphasis on safety, even base variant gets 6 air bags, all wheel discs, VSM, ESC, etc..

2. Choice of engines/ Transmission, 1.4 Gdi for heavy footed driver, 1.5 Diesel for Fuel efficiency.

3. Good feature distribution.

4. Usable 3rd row seats.

Kia will definitely increase this introductory pricing, will have to wait to see if Carens is still VFM.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 13:29   #27
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Putting "Something bigger like the XUV700 or Innova Crysta" as one of the options has effectively killed this poll. Should have been restricted to MPV styled bodies only. And add just Innova as an option.

Last edited by amol4184 : 22nd February 2022 at 13:33.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 13:38   #28
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Voted for Carens as it has the best combination of usable 3rd row seats and boot space north of 30L. It is definitely better than the Crysta in that department.
Another point is he Diesel mill quietly does its work and the ride quality is also quite good.
To boot, many of the safety features are available right from the base model.
The light steering is the only thing of concern, but should be easily manageable/adaptable given the limited torque and power on tap.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 13:45   #29
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Well If I'm buying a 7 seater, its probably when I really need 7 seats to fit people. And when I need a car like that - I'd rather it be abuse friendly than blessed with electronics to the brim.

So I voted for the rather flop Mahindra Marazzo. It gets pretty much everything right for an MPV and that Mahindra 1.5 is one gem of a diesel engine, mated uniquely transverse on a ladder frame chassis.

If style is what I want and the Marazzo's looks turn me off - I'd spend more and go for a Safari directly. (and use it to bully others on the road?) The Carens is an excellent car, I can't find anything wrong in it. Excellent engineering and packaging for the price in fact. But its not a car for me somhow.

Last edited by Reinhard : 22nd February 2022 at 13:47.
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Old 22nd February 2022, 14:55   #30
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Re: Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga vs others

Hello All,

Here are my 2 bits on the recent experience I had with all my family members (6 in total) with 3 Top Contenders:

1. First stop was obviously Kia Showroom. Since they had flatly refused to send the car home to TD, had to drag the entire bunch to the showroom.

The fit and finish of Kia was quite acceptable in Luxury Plus Auto Diesel variant. The 3rd seat was an absolute gem, to bring home the point, I sat in the last row (5'10" height) along with my 2 kiddos! Yes, width wise it was tight but in terms of leg room, it was very sufficient. (had a 6 seat for TS not 7 seats, hence 3 of us in last row), Wife driving, Dad Passenger seat, Mom and Sales Consultant in 2nd Row). So, in total, 7 of us in a 6 seater variant.

However, with full load, I found the engine to be lacking bit of power and had to press the pedal to the metal when I took my turn for TD. But wifey found it acceptable and comfortable to drive. I think as a daily rider there shouldn't be any complaints, since we barely get to cross 50-60 km/h in city traffic.

It was a cool evening, so AC was obviously sufficient enough. We found the seats to be pretty comfy in the short drive that we had. Wouldn't be able to comment about long time comfort though.

One thing that stood out for all of us was the ease of ingress and outgress for the 3rd Row compared to all other Cars we checked out. ( Will come to that later). It was very easy and convenient. Even for me and my wife with her back problem, we didn't have to be contortionist to fir in 3rd row.

With the small TD, we ended our stint at KIA coming out impressed. Left with our contact info with the sales lady but yet to hear back from her though! But expect a waiting of approx 20 weeks for Lux plus Diesel Auto 7 seater!

2. Nest we headed to Tata showroom next door for Safari Test Drive. Unfortunately, after a bit of mix up, the sales guy told us that the car is not available for TD but will come home for the same on Sunday. But that Sunday hasn't come yet for him. And hence, the confidence level in Tata just goes for a toss when they do such forgetful tasks.

Nevertheless, in the show car we had a opportunity to test the seating. What was the most incredible thing was, the ingress and outgress in 3rd row of Safari was really difficult. Especially due to the large tyre well. Tried 3-4 times, and each time scraped the knee to the rear tyre well and to the 2nd row seat back. It was quite a disappointment since I personally expected a great deal from the 3rd row of Safari. The 2nd row fitter 3 of us adult pretty fine though. But without a TD also, had to rule it out simply due to 3rd row access.

3. Next was the King of Waiting Period! Mahindra and Mahindra. and Boy, it shows in the lackluster approach or rather lack of it of the Sales guys. Nobody, I mean absolutely no body came for even greetings even when the showroom was empty. We simply checked the 3rd row and the rest of the seating of the demo car. No TD was available at the time. I only then approach the sales people sitting in one corner and was told waiting of almost 1.5 years! Hence we just simply left without any further discussion.

In our personal experience, we found Carens to be most suitable for a family of 6 or 7 with all the bells ad whistles. Obviously, choosing the variant is to each his own but overall it was the most satisfying experience of all three. Didn't bother with Alcazar, MG or others due to lack of 3rd row ergonomics.
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