Why I would buy one

Availability of petrol and diesel automatic powertrainsUsability of Third-row

Why I wouldn’t buy one?

Polarising exterior designVague steering

Verdict

The Kia Carens is the automaker’s entry into a relative niche segment and its only major competition is the Maruti Suzuki XL6. Over the XL6 (in its current guise) the Carens has more features, a diesel automatic powertrain option and second-row seats that tip and tumble, making it easier to access the third row. The looks are not to everyone’s tastes but will certainly grab attention anywhere you go. Now the important question is pricing and in this respect, we expect with what is being offered, a slight premium over the XL6 but priced lower than the Seltos. If Kia plays this card right, then it has a winner on its hands.

Engine and performance

The 1.4-litre turbo petrol is the same one in the Seltos SUV and produces 138bhp/242Nm and can be had with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DCT, the latter of which has been featured in this review. At idle, the engine is quiet, refined and apart from it starting up, you hardly notice it working in the background. Right from the get-go the engine offers a decent amount of driveability and shows an eagerness for you to be a little heavy on the throttle when building up speed.

We tested this engine and found that it did the 20-80kmph kickdown in 5.82 seconds and the 40-100kmph kickdown in seven seconds. In comparison, the XL6 with a 1.5-litre NA petrol and four-speed automatic did a 20-80kmph kickdown in 7.54 seconds and 40-100kmph in 9.60 seconds. These test figures for the Carens petrol engine are indicative of useable performance in the mid-range with lots of grunts that will never leave you wanting more punch.

The automatic versions get paddle shifters and they do add fun to the driving experience if you want to get more involved but the gearbox is smart enough that if you left it alone in the background to do its thing, there wouldn’t be much to complain about. Finally, there are also three drive modes- Eco, normal and sport each altering the way the throttle responds with the last one offering maximum punch and useful out on the highway.

Ride and handling

The Carens like the Seltos is underpinned by McPherson struts on the front and a coupled torsion beam axle setup at the rear. It gets disc brakes all around and across all variants in the line-up. First up ride quality and it is on the softer side but quite impressed with the set up absorbing everything in its path and rarely upsetting the occupants inside. The only exception to this is that the occupants of the third row do tend to bounce around a bit more than the other two rows especially if the road is broken up. What’s also not so good is that the ride gets noisy and that can be a bit unnerving especially if you are on a broken path or a really bad road.

The steering is very light and easy to use at low speed making tasks like U-turns and parallel parking very easy, however, it should be noted that the steering needs just over 3 turns to go from lock to lock. It is also devoid of feel especially in the dead position which doesn’t make for a very involved driving experience. It does weigh up to a certain extent as you go faster but is slow to respond especially when self-centring to dead-ahead.

The Carens are not the most involving car to drive with some amount of noticeable body roll if you go hard through the corners but it is easily manageable and will not throw any kind of major surprises at you. This combined with the slow steering means you should aim to keep your pace constant rather than making last-minute changes into the corner. Now given its load-carrying nature, we would want to test out what the car’s driving dynamics are like with all the seats occupied and would be able to tell you that once we get it for a longer duration to perform our comprehensive road tests.

Interior Space and quality

The Kia Carens’ USP is three-rows and you can have these either in a six-seat guise or a seven-seat guise where the former is two captain seats for the second row while in the latter you get a 60:40 split-folding bench. Step into the cabin and it’s a familiar and yet also a new space. We say familiar because much of the switchgear and elements have been borrowed from its sister car the Seltos and that’s not a bad thing at all as the Seltos’ interiors are quite premium. However, it’s also new due to the layout of the cabin as well as some of the elements of which the biggest change is the dashboard. The Seltos’s twin-pod dual-screen layout has been swapped out for a digital instrument cluster and a bezel-less 10.25-inch display for the touchscreen system. This layout has been bathed in gloss black with a wave-like pattern in certain spots.

There are also chrome inserts on the wheel, gear lever, centre console as well as a large line on the dashboard. It’s a very neat and classy layout mimicking the philosophies of carmakers in far higher price categories but as is the case with gloss black, it becomes a river of dust and fingerprints quickly if you do not clean the surfaces regularly. Three neat little touches on the centre console are a wireless charging pad with a cooling function, cooled cup holders for both rows and a pop-out cup holder positioned in front of the left front AC vent.

The front seats themselves are quite comfortable with sufficient bolstering to hold you in place as well as a good amount of under-thigh support from the seat base. Height adjustment is standard for the driver’s seat across the range but this top-spec Luxury Plus version that we have driven for the review also gets ventilated seats which are genuinely a boon on a hot day. However, there’s no power driver’s seat even for this top-spec model.

The second row of the Carens has quite a task on its hands to woo those who want the chauffeur driven experience. You get the same navy-blue and beige colour combination as well as a decent kit list on this top-spec model that includes roof-mounted AC vents with fan-speed control, tray table for the left side passenger, air purifier and two USB Type-C ports.

Space in the second row for both occupants in the six-seat version is not an issue with sufficient headroom and shoulder room. Our official measurements system has revealed that it is 20mm over the Ertiga/XL6 in terms of headroom and a full 100mm of shoulder room over the Maruti duo. While these might not be significant jumps, they help in providing a feeling of sitting in a bigger cabin.

The seven-seat version comes with a bench for the second row and provides similar levels of comfort but one glance at it and you realise the middle occupant has been short-changed for seating. The entire middle section has been padded with a different material, has a higher seating position and the occupant will have also content with the AC vents protruding into the legroom area. When folded down, the centre section becomes an armrest with two large cup holders. In both seat layouts, the left side seat gets a dedicated button for the one-touch tumble function making access to the third row through the large doors very easy. Even someone of my height and size would be able to climb in and out easily due to the amount of space available for ingress and egress.

Due to the way the seats are positioned, the third row does not feel claustrophobic and for the average-sized Indian adult, a long journey wouldn’t be as much of a task as one would expect. The seats recline and you get cup holders as well as a USB charging port. As compared to the XL6/Ertiga it has significantly higher shoulder room (1250mm Vs 1050mm) a definite advantage in terms of allowing both occupants to feel comfortable.

The boot with all three rows up stands at 216-litres, with the third row folded down-645-litre and with the second row also folded down-1164-litres. The last layout opens up a significant amount of cargo space and you can pack in quite a bit thanks to the high roofline.

Features and equipment

This top-of-the-line model that we have driven gets a significant amount of kit both on the inside and outside. Exterior highlights comprise a full LED light package (front and rear), 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, roof rails and chrome exterior trim.

Inside, the 10.25-inch display is running Kia’s latest infotainment system which features an updated interface, colour schemes and even the inclusion of ambient sounds like birds chirping as a way to help the occupants keep calm. The fully digital instrument cluster is a welcome addition with bright colours, easy to read fonts and a colour MID that can be controlled via buttons and switches on the steering wheel.

In addition, you get ambient lighting, climate control with second and third-row vents, UVO connected car technology, reverse camera with dynamic guides, faux leather upholstery, Bose sound system with 8 speakers, rain-sensing wipers, power mirrors and windows and dual bottle holders in all four doors. Kia has upped the game on the safety front by offering, as standard, six airbags, ABS with EBD, disc brakes on all four wheels, rear parking sensors, TPMS and ISOFIX child seat mounting points for the second row.

Exterior design

The Kia Carens exterior design is polarizing in a way that you either love or don’t but is something that will surely catch your attention when you see the car out in public. The signature tiger-nose grille has been modified and what you get is this large chrome-laced rectangular face with low set headlamps and soft creases on the bonnet.

In profile, the Carens MPV design is very evident with an overhang at either end, flared wheel arches and the lengthy silhouette that comes with the MPV design. The diamond-cut wheels have a fan-like design and look a bit aftermarket but will have your attention nonetheless.

The funky design of the rear is layered with the tail lamps dominating the proceedings and being the focal point of all the elements. The rear bumper has been laced with a heavy dose of chrome while there is also a spoiler adding to the overall design.

Conclusion

Does the Kia Carens have what is needed to make an impact in the segment and price bracket? We certainly think so. It has a wider powertrain range, better features, and higher levels of practicality and will never be out of the limelight thanks to its exterior design. The crucial question now is pricing. We expect it to be at a slight premium over the Maruti XL6 but undercut the Seltos and if Kia can find that sweet spot, even for an introductory period, the harvest will surely be in Kia’s favour.

Photography: Kapil Angane