Kia introduces the all-new Carens, check full details

KUALA LUMPUR: Kia Carens is quite a well known car in the Indian subcontinent. Making its global debut last year in December in India and now it is ready to woo the Indonesian market. Built to take over the emerging market, this three-row car sits on the Seltos’ platform.

Though the Kia Carens is not on offer in the Malaysian market, seeing its reach in the ASEAN region, it might some day land on our shores. Before that happens, let’s have a good view of the car and the features it has to offer.

Price and variants

The Indonesian-spec Kia Carens is offered in two variants and comes with a starting price of 389 million rupiah that is around RM 117k.

1.5MPI - Premiere	IDR389 million (RM117,440)
1.4T - Premiere	IDR449 million (RM135,554)

Dimensions

Length	4,540 mm
Width	1,800 mm
Height	1,700 mm
Wheelbase	2,780 mm

Engine

Powering the base 1.5MPI model is the Smartstream Gamma II 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder mill making 115 PS at 6,300 rpm and 144 Nm at 4,500 rpm. The power is transmitted to the front wheels through an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT).

The range-topping Carens variant, the 1.4T - Premier is powered by a Kappa 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo engine generating maximum power of 140 PS at 6,000 rpm along with a peak torque of 242 Nm from 1,500 - 3,200 rpm. The drive is sent to the wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Common between both the variants is a drive mode selector with three options - Normal, Eco, and Sport.

Features
The 4th gen Kia Carens is an attractive looking car ( a feature that is still missing from the segment). On the feature part of things, the MPV is loaded with comfort and convenience offering amenities.

The exterior showcases useful bits like ulti-reflector LED headlamps, LED daytime running lights, LED fog lamps, LED tail lights, powered sunroof, and power-folding side mirrors. The MPV runs on 16-inch alloys wrapped in 205/65 profile tyres.

On the inside, as mentioned the Kia MPV has a lot to offer. For instance, the Carens specs sheet includes - a Supervision 4.2-inch TFT LCD instrument panel, an 8-inch touch screen display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, mood lighting, a Qi wireless charger, 8-speaker Bose premium sound system, and an automatic air-con system. The seats come wrapped in artificial leather upholstery with the ones at the front with ventilation feature.

Seating configuration

The entry-level Carens can accommodate seven passengers in the format 2-3-3, as for the costlier model, it is a six seater with 2-2-2 layout. While both the variants get one-touch access to the second row and fold-up tables for 2nd row, only the top-spec trim gets captain seats for the second row.

Safety

Kia has equipped the car with several strong and capable safety kits, part of which is a range of passive systems like anti-lock braking system, emergency brake distribution system, electronic stability control, hill start assist, brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, downhill brake control, and parking sensors at front & rear. The kit also includes six airbags, keyless entry and engine start, cruise control, and remote engine.

Color options

Kia offers the MPV in several striking hues, namely Gravity Gray, Intense Red, Sparkling Silver, Glacier White Pearl, Moss Brown, and Aurora Black Pearl.

Would you like Kia Malaysia to introduce the Carens MPV in the local market? Let us know in the comments.