Kia Carens Petrol Review: Way More Than A 7-Seater Seltos — All You Need To Know

Kia has made sure that a lot of talks would happen over that new look front which gets a two-part grille along with the DRLs and headlamps being separated by a thin gloss black grille.

(Images: C.Pereira)

New Delhi: Kia started its India innings with the Seltos and it has again turned to that platform for its next product called the Kia Carens. The Carens is a three-row 6/7 seater SUV/MPV (Kia says it's an RV) based on the Seltos but it is way more than just a stretched Seltos as you will read below. We first saw the car at an event but away from the lights, the Carens demands attention and is a lot more aggressive-looking than a Seltos or Sonet. A lot has to do with the new look front-end which is the best part of the car. On the road it turned heads- the imperial Blue and the Intense red are our favourites.

Kia has made sure that a lot of talks would happen over that new look front which gets a two-part grille along with the DRLs and headlamps being separated by a thin gloss black grille. Look closer and you will see a nice pattern on the grille too. The lower part of the grille has bigger intakes while it seems Kia has moved away from its 'Tiger Nose grille' design and kept it for the Seltos. From the side, you think it is an MPV of sorts with the larger window lines and the straight roof with a clear MPV-like styling.

There is cladding, roof rails and chrome too while we think the small 16-inch wheels are the only possible feature we would want to upgrade- it's too small. The rear is classy too with large tail-lamps connected via a LED strip. One thing we have not talked about but will now is the size as it is big-bigger than rivals or even the Seltos. The length of 4540mm indicates that.

The exteriors then will have you thinking whether it is an SUV or an MPV but the interior is more of a premium car at first glance. There are fewer buttons now with a dashboard having a massive gloss black panel with a unique pattern here as well. The massive 10.25-inch touchscreen falls within the dashboard and does not stick out. The instrument cluster is all digital as well with configurable displays and nice display quality. Below that are touch climate control buttons and further down includes a USB C port, a standard USB port, seat coolers and drive modes. There is a standard manual parking brake though.

The Carens also gets roof-mounted AC vents which means it gets a standard sunroof and not a panoramic one- that's the only big feature that is missing but that's something for better cooling. Else, it is hugely feature packed to the point that it gives stiff competition to much more expensive SUVs or even has features that many luxury do not have. Case in point is the electric one-touch tumble operation for access to the third row. That is a brilliant feature and makes getting into the third row very easy. Speaking of which, the third row is one of the best in terms of space- at this price or higher in SUVs. Even very tall people would still be comfortable and it would not be too much of a pain to sit for long distances while there is actually thigh support along with very good headroom. Do note there are adjustable headrests and a recline function here too.

The second row has a captain seat lay-out with 6 seats or a standard 7-seater. Having a really long wheelbase makes the Carens have plenty of space for passengers in the middle row to stretch their legs. Getting in and out is quite easy too while the slightly low-set seat makes sitting easier too. Despite the second row positioned lower, there is decent thigh support and very good headroom/legroom (with a recline function of course). Plenty of gadgets too with a retractable table with cupholders, an air purifier and so on. However, what is weird is the position of the air purifier behind the driver's seat. Some more features worth talking about are the 64 colour ambient lighting, UVO connected tech, a rear view camera, an 8-speaker Bose audio system and more.

Worth pointing out that the Carens has standard 6 airbags, all round disc brakes, rear parking sensors etc.

What is also rather nice is the boot space as even with all three rows, you still have excellent boot space while folding the two rows liberates more. The door pockets are huge and the pop-out cup holders are there at the front too along with the rear, as mentioned earlier.

There are three engine options with the Carens and that includes two petrol engines and one diesel. The petrol that we tested was the top-end 1.4l turbo petrol automatic with 140 bhp and 242Nm with a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox. There is a 1.5l diesel with a 6-speed torque converter automatic while another 1.5l petrol is available with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

You might think that the Carens is for driving around the owner rather than driving it yourself but on the contrary, it is quite sporty for a three-row vehicle. You get paddle shifters and drive modes which means you can drive the Carens in a sporty way with the engine responding to that in a positive tone. It feels like a car and not so big with a light steering while it will happily cruise well in the city. The DCT gearbox is slightly smoother than the Seltos with a focus on effortless cruising. Around town, it feels quick too with surprisingly good handling for a three-row vehicle. Despite not being an off-roader, the 195mm ground is ample for our bad roads and potholes which will mean no problem. Drive it in the Eco mode and you will get 10-11 kmpl which is better than other products with this same gearbox/engine.

When being driven around, the large windows make traveling less stuffy for the inside passengers while you are not too tossed around with a bouncy ride. It has some firm edge but the overall suspension and the silence makes traveling long distances easy.

The Carens is a well-thought-out car that is aimed at the self-driven three-row car buyer and also the owner who likes to be driven around. The talking point is the features, space and the unique one touch electric seat fold operation while the driving/ride is also good. In other words, a spacious and comfortable three-row vehicle with car-like driving dynamics. With aggressive pricing expected, the Carens should do very well indeed.

Pros - Looks, overall comfort, seats, rear comfort features, driving

Cons - Too small wheels, lacks some features like a powered handbrake or a 360 degree camera

(Images & Inputs From C.Pereira)