Kia Carens diesel MT: Impressions after a weekend of driving

A top class product. Kia's hit it out of the park with the Carens.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Spent the weekend with the Kia Carens and absolutely loved it . I respect what Kia is doing with its product range and how they're putting so much thought into their cars. Am a fan of the Carnival, Sonet, Seltos (GNCAP aside) and now, the Carens.

Excellent ride quality (this is important to me) + space packaging + useable 3rd seat row + dashboard design + features + front styling. I love that funky face! I got the Diesel MT and found it practical as well as efficient. Power is adequate, but will be strictly okay with 7 people onboard. I foresee a lot of individual owners picking the Carens over the Innova Crysta. Reasons = as easy to drive as a Honda City or EcoSport (Innova requires more effort), cushy ride quality, smaller size makes it easier in the city, more fuel efficient and of course, significantly cheaper. Equally, I see a lot of people gravitating from the Ertiga / XL6 to the Carens because the Kia just feels so much better. Kia has smartly picked the sweet spot between the Ertiga / XL6 on the lower end and the big daddy Innova Crysta on the higher end. Something the Mahindra fellows could just never do with the very competent Marazzo. We saw this same kind of brilliance at the time of the Seltos' launch too. The marketing & product team @ Kia is full of geniuses. Am not kidding.

A top class product. Kia's hit it out of the park with the Carens. Hyundai should learn = they royally messed up the Alcazar's packaging where neither the 2nd row nor 3rd row are good. The Alcazar didn't impress me at all, while the Carens has left me . The Kia Carens is going to the top of my recommendations list. I sure hope it doesn't get another poor rating in the GNCAP though; IMHO, the company's reputation took a body blow after the Seltos' poor showing in the crash tests and the entire company was shaken up. Kia won't make the same mistake again. But never know for sure until the actual GNCAP rating is out.

Unfortunately, like many other Hyundai-Kias I've driven in the last 4 years, this one too had a niggle / problem. The RHS driver speaker would intermittently cut off. I live on music and the constant up / down in volume was annoying on the highway drive. Hyundai-Kia really need to sort these production issues out.

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