[vishk12]

Introduction:

I was on the lookout for a 7-seater with a budget of ₹12 lakhs

Requirements :

1. Petrol engine - intend to keep the vehicle for long-term, keeping in mind the uncertainty on future of diesel engines
2. Spacious and comfortable seats - have multiple members in our family
3. Manual Transmission preferred

Options available : Hyundai Alcazar & XUV700 were out of budget
1. Maruti Ertiga/XL6 - I learnt driving a car on my Uncle's Ertiga, so very familiar with vehicle performance/features. XL6 has only captain seats and not a 7-seater.
Hence didn't testdrive both the vehicles.
2. Kia Carens - Premium interiors, decent exterior looks, plethora of features, good vehicle driveability/engine performance.

Immediately booked Kia Carens Prestige 1.5 Naturally Aspirated(NA) Engine(Ex-showroom price - ₹9,99,900) on 18th March, 2022 (no testdrive vehicle for NA engine was available throughout Bangalore). Waiting period was ~48 weeks




16 weeks passed and I needed a vehicle sooner, wasn't willing to wait further. Hence, upgraded my booking to Prestige Plus 1.4 Turbo Petrol(Ex-showroom price - ₹13,89,900) on July 14th, 2022 and extended my budget by ₹1.9 lakhs. My SA promised to deliver vehicle within 8 weeks.
Didn't choose DCT variant due to reliability issues & Carens doesn't have CVT or iMT transmission option.
A week later after repeated calls to SA, I got my vehicle alloted - Prestige Plus 1.4 Turbo Petrol Manual in Prestige Blue

Additional features in Prestige Plus when compared with Prestige Variant :

• Powerful turbo engine (138bhp/242Nm vs 113bhp/144Nm torque)
• 16 inch alloy wheels vs 15 inch steel wheels
• Keyless entry with Push-button start
• Auto AC
• Cruise Control
• Electrically foldable ORVMs
• Rear defogger with rear wiper and washer
• 1st & 2nd row cooled cup-holders
• Window curtains for 2nd row seats

Buying experience:
I purchased car through LeasePlan, informed my SA that payment will only be released after I do a PDI. Vehicle was bought to Kia Singasandra showroom, ODO showed 17km. Checked the car thoroughly for any scratches/dents/re-painting.

PDI pics:














Initiated paper formalities, took ~15 days to complete the documentation process along with car registration (multiple documents between LeasePlan, my employer and Dealer).
Blue Baby was delivered on 10th August, 2022.


Car Delivery Pics:








Price details:
a. Base Price ₹9,58,551.72
b. CGST @ 14% ₹1,34,197.24
c. SGST @ 14% ₹1,34,197.24
d. Cess @ 17% ₹1,62,953.79
1. Ex-Showroow Price ₹13,89,900
2. TCS @ 1% ₹13,899
3. Road Tax/RTO ₹2,62,274
4. Registration Fee ₹2662
5. Accessories ₹19,047
6. Extended Warranty ₹23,877
7. Fasttag ₹500
TOTAL ₹17,12,159 (Phew!! taxes add upto ₹7,07,521.27)


Opted for extended warranty in 4th & 5th year, for stress-free ownership experience.
Completed the traditional pooja ceremony for the car and immediately started on ~250km short trip

Pooja Pics:







Pros :

1. Decent reverse camera with dynamic guidelines
2. Safety features - ESP, Traction Control, ABS with EBD, all wheel disc brakes, TPMS, 6 airbags
3. Front parking sensors
4. Rear camera can be used even when reverse gear is not engaged, this is helpful during driving for monitoring vehicles from rear
5. Comfortable and spacious seats with AC vents & Type-C charging ports even in 3rd row. Best in segment 3rd row space
6. Wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay (variants above Prestige Plus don't have Wirelss AA or Carplay)
7. Good mileage and supremely refined engine
8. No need for frequent tyre air-checks, TPMS works great

Cons :

1. Frequent gear change from 2nd to 1st. If speed drops below 10kmph & even though car is in motion 1st gear needs to be engaged for pick-up. This wasn't the case on Ertiga and other vehicles I had driven earlier.
   Is it a characteristic of turbo engine?
2. Poor headlight throw
3. Clutch travel is deep when compared to Ertiga
4. Annoying clack sound when horn is pressed(no issue with horn sound though)
5. Speaker volume very low for 2nd/3rd row passengers
6. Disappointing 3-star crash test rating

All members in family were satisfied with car performance & comfort during the 1st short trip!








A week later!

Blue Baby has already completed 980km. Completed two trips.

1st trip : Bengaluru to Santhebidanur(near Gauribidanur) ~250km round trip







2nd trip : Bengaluru to Conoor via Ooty, ~700km round trip











Likes :
The car feels very light to drive, great maneuverability, butter-smooth steering response, decent suspension, most comfortable on highways even for 3rd row passengers. Its an absolute joyful experience to drive on highways.

Dis-likes :
Hill-start assist software - When starting on incline, brakes don't get released when accelerator is pressed rather it releases only after 3-4s. This sometime leads to vehicle stalling.
As an alternative, if hand-brake is engaged Hill-start doesn't get activated and instead car can now be picked by traditional hand-brake start.
Kia should have given a manual button to disable HHA, just like how they have a button for downhill descent control

I haven't observed roof-condensation issue yet




Ceramic Coating :

Introduction :
Ceramic coating is a chemical polymer solution, applied on painted surfaces of a vehicle to protect it from external paint damage.
Due to this chemical bonding and creation of a new layer, it prevents dirt, grime and stain marks from appearing on the paint and ruining the clear coat. Hence the car’s factory paint job remains untouched & gloss is maintained. The silicon dioxide (SiO2) compound found in ceramic coatings provides significantly better protection than traditional waxes and sealants. It does this through nanotechnology that allows the product to bond to car's paint, wheels, glass, and trim at a molecular level. This fills in microscopic pits and grooves in car's paint leaving a hydrophobic surface.





Hunt for detailer started,needed a reputed detailer with affordable cost.Considered quotes from 3-4 reputed detailing studios in Bengaluru (UD, Carszpa, Detailing Mafia, Detailing Bull). Price quotes varied from INR 30k-45k.
Got reference of another detailer - Triah Detailing Studio, Yelahanka. Had a call with Mr.Brahmeshwara, he explained the process in detail along with price slabs and product upgrade if required based on budget.

Brochure :




Advantages of Ceramic Coating:

1. Excellent hydrophobic surface makes dusting/washing very easy. Also ensures drastic reduction in water marks and mineral deposits.
2. Very high gloss - No polish or polymer sealant can match this superior gloss. Gloss stays for many years unlike polishes which fade off.
3. Dust/contaminants repellent - Coating makes dust and contaminants hard to stick to car surface protecting your car from paint droppings, tar, oil, grease etc.
4. Chemical resistance - Coating provides excellent protection from bird dropping, water stains, acid rains, bug hits and more.
5. Oxidation resistance - Coating protects the pain clear-coat from getting oxidized and ensures there is no change in the paint colour.
6. UV Protection - Coating protects the car from harmful UV rays. UV rays causes permanent damage to a car’s clear-coat on prolonged exposure.
7. Cost effective - In the long run, ceramic/graphene coating is the most cost effective way to maintain car’s looks and to keep the paint healthy. PPF is way costlier than cermamic coating. Since coating lasts many years, car wouldn’t need wax or polish regularly, hence saving cost and time. Well protected paint also increases the resale value.
8. Ease of maintenance - Coating keeps surface smooth, hence keeping the car clean is very easy. Simple dusting will suffice daily cleaning needs. Waterless wash shows very good results on coated surface, hence reducing visits to car wash. Waterless wash also keeps salt deposits, water marks/spots and swirls away from car.

Disadvantages :

1. Not completely scratch resistant - Ceramic Coating will not protect from scratches, swirls & rock chips
2. Water-based contaminants will bead on car’s surface and eventually slide off. But they still contain natural minerals and soluble particles that will stay on the surface after the water has evaporated leading to water spots
3. Gloss and hydrophobic properties dull over time and need maintenance

Detailed Process of Ceramic Coating :

Step 1 : Decontamination Wash

Engine bay is cleaned up using a brush and air-blower to remove loose dirt or debris from the surface. All purpose cleaner(APC) / degreaser is used to clean the engine compartment and wiped off with a wet cloth. Hand polishing is done to clean the carbon deposits underside of the hood.










Alloy wheels are deep cleaned along with plastic trims using APC.








The car is rinsed with water using pressure washer, then foam is sprayed. CarPro IronX Snow Soap is used as an iron-removing Snow Foam with a foam lance.
Then the surface is cleaned thoroughly using Wash mitt and again rinsed with water along with underbody wash. Air drier is used to aid in drying of the car & then its wiped clean with a microfiber cloth. Different cloths are used for different surfaces using one direction gentle wipes to clear water.

[GTO]

Congrats on the Kia Carens! I'd taken it for a highway run and absolutely loved the package. Spacious, comfortable, practical, nice 3rd row seat, good features & top engine-transmission options. Wishing you many years of fun road-trips with your Carens.

Will add your thread to our homepage later this week.

Originally Posted by vishk12

Frequent gear change from 2nd to 1st. If speed drops below 10kmph & even though car is in motion 1st gear needs to be engaged for pick-up. This wasn't the case on Ertiga and other vehicles I had driven earlier.
Is it a characteristic of turbo engine?

Yes, turbo-lag. It's a small engine making big power, so a little bit of lag is a given. Kia has released a service bulletin to improve low-end performance. Ptaneja's detailed post has all the information.

[vishk12]

The car is now examined in detail for any scratches/swirl marks. Surprisingly, car already had visibile scratches, due to scratching of ribbon using during delivery and turmeric used during Pooja.
Detailer told these were minor and would be gone during compounding.







Also, asked detailer to check for paint thickness. Took multiple readings, paint thickness varied from 100-125 microns at various surfaces.

On bonnet - 121 microns :




Left front door top - 117 microns :




Left rear door top - 116 microns :




Rightside of tail-gate - 118 microns :





Behind rear right door below quarter panel - 116 mircons :





Step 2 : Surface Preparation

Claying :
It is the process of removing bonded surface contaminants that otherwise can't be removed by just washing the car. It works by gently pulling and lifting the bonded contaminants off the surface which then get stuck on the clay bar. Clay lubricant is used to prevent loose debris from scratching the vehicle.
It’s important to clay the car before applying coating because if the contaminants are picked up during the polishing process they will inflict scratches/swirl marks on the surface and also these contaminants tend to attract and accumulate other dirt and debris and if left bonded to the surface for a long time may even weaken the paintwork underneath.

Paint Correction - Compunding/Polishing
Paint correction flattens the clear coat so that it reflects light more evenly, causing it to look glossier. A car’s clear coat is very rarely perfectly flat, even on a brand new car.
The damaged layer of clear coat must be “cut away”, to reveal a fresh, flat layer giving the paint a glossier and shinier appearance.

Based on paint thickness, swirl marks & hardness of clear coat, different compounds are used.
Menzerna Heavy Cut Compound-400, CarPro ClearCut & CarPro UltraCut were used on my car with dual action machine (preferred for medium swirls).
Rotary machine is used for heavier swirls, it is a quicker method and generally used for harder clear coat cars(German made - Skoda, Volkswagen)

After compounding, CarPro Reflect is used as finishing polish.
Reflect features rapidly-diminishing abrasives and sophisticated nano-particles, which gives an intensely glossy finish.
It helps in removing holograms.

GIF :

Step 3 : Application of ceramic coat

Before application of ceramic coat, CarPro Eraser is used.
Eraser utilizes a special blend of surfactant to dissolve oils. It breaks down polish residue and removes polishing dust when wiped with a microfiber towel

As promised by detailer, bonnet free from ribbon scratches & turmeric marks

Primer Coat : CarPro Essence
Essence is a unique blend of nano-tech quartz, high gloss durable resins and fine abrasives that are blended together and leaves an amazing high gloss finish. It also adds layer of SiO2 protection

GIF :

[vishk12]

Graphene Coat : Onyx Graphene Pure 10H & N1
Opted for Onyx Graphene coat instead of CarPro CQuartz.

Advantages of Graphene Coating over Ceramic Coating :

• Longer durability - Graphene Coating is much sturdier and stronger than ceramic coating
• Enhanced hydrophobic properties - The graphene material has a higher contact angle because of its unique honeycomb structure and chemical composition which doesn’t let the water to settle down unlike an ordinary ceramic coating.
• Less water spotting - As the ordinary ceramic coatings retain the heat and form water spots on the surface, a simple combination with graphene coatings make the surface more heat resistant decreasing the water spots significantly.
• Repels dust - Graphene has superb chemical properties, one of those is anti-static. This property lets the vehicle repel dust from its surface.

GIF :

Step 4 : Interior Cleaning

GIF :

Deep cleaning of door trims, dashboard, seats and interior plastics with interior vaccuuming. Then CarPro PERL is applied on interior plastics along with dashboard surfaces.
PERL is water-based dressing for plastics, rubbers and offers UV protection.

Engine dressing : CarPro PERL

Leather Seats :
Prestige Plus seats come with Fabric and Leatherette combination, next process is application of CarPro Leather 2.0.
Leather 2.0 is designed to provide an excellent combination of soft to the touch tactile feel, extreme protection and excellent durability. Its specifically developed to resist stains, dirt and to protect leather from UV rays.
Maintenance of leather surfaces becomes as simple as wiping with a damp towel and walking away!
Product durability is 1-2 years.

Step 5 : Glass coating

CarPro FlyBy30 - protects the windshield and exterior glass surface of the vehicle. It creates a strong coating on glass windshields and windows.
FlyBy30 resists the friction and abrasion from road rash, wipers, dust, car washes, harsh cleansers and the environment. With a high water droplet contact angle and low sliding angle, it improves repellency and protection from rain, ice, snow, and bugs.
Product durability is ~6 months.

GIF :

Step 6 : Exterior Plastics + Alloy wheel coating

CarPro DLUX - Made from high-grade organic silica, Dlux utilizes a unique nano composition allowing it to chemically bond to the pores of the trim.
It is also highly resistant to extreme temperatures making it the perfect product for protecting wheels.
Dlux is engineered specifically for coating plastics as well as rubber and metal. It can also be used on chrome, aluminum, and plastic. It darkens the trim without leaving any unwanted slick greasy residue.

GIF :

Time taken for entire process :
1. Decontamination wash + Inspection = 2-2.5 hours
2. Paint Correction = 5 hours
3. Graphene Coating = 1.5 hours
4. Interior cleaning with plastics, engine dressing & leather coating = 2.5-3 hours
5. Windshield, window glass coating = 1 hour
6. Exterior Plastics, Alloy Wheel coating = 2-3 hours

Its a solid 1.5-2 days work with multiple people working on car at a time!

Detailer Studio :
Triah Detailing Studio, Yelahanka
Google map location : https://g.page/ultimatedetailerzjkr?share
Contact Number : Mr.Brahmeshwara - +91 99866 24530


[Disclaimer] :
1. Not promoting above studio, recommending only based on experience and quality of the ceramic coating
2. Source information in this post belongs to respective websites

[vishk12]

Post Ceramic Coating photos :

[nagsvijay]

So great and detailing is excellent. Can you please share a picture of real time 3rd seat usage as you mentioned its great. I have never seen anyone better than Xylo

[UD17]

Congratulation for your lovely 1.4TGDI Carens. Wish you many happy miles with your machine.

Hope you have got the software updates to improve the low end performance and please keep updating this post with your experience. Carens for sure provides a great value to customer with the offering, price and features.

[Turbohead]

Congrats on the turbocharged Carens!

Hope you can share some interior pics too!

[100Kmphormore]

Good choice! You would have been left wanting of power on the 36 hairpin bends to Ooty had you gone for the NA. A relative of mine owns the Seltos with the same NA engine and is left disappointed with the lack of grunt in the hills while on trips. The turbo + torque combination makes it a good buy. Looks good after the detailing

[SafeDrive]

[*]Speaker volume very low for 2nd/3rd row passengers


There is an option in the car to adjust the volume of the speakers by location. I'm guessing that your speakers are set for the front and not the other two. This can be easily adjusted via the screen

[harshbhat]

I have also done ceramic coating with Mr Brahma, he is definitely knowledgeable person. Earlier, he was with Ultimate Detailerz and used only Carpro products and there is still no graphene coating yet from carpro. I used CQ Finest reserve and it's been pretty good

[nagsvijay]

Hi @vishk12 , Can you please share pics of 3rd seat with and without occupants that will help me decide on the purchase of this vehicle

[vishk12]

Originally Posted by nagsvijay

Hi @vishk12 , Can you please share pics of 3rd seat with and without occupants that will help me decide on the purchase of this vehicle

Please book a test drive and checkout the 3rd row space as per your requirements. There are loads of videos on YouTube showing the same!!
Personally, I dont think there is any other 7 seater which offers a better package than Carens