Meet Kia’s new three-row SUV, the Carens

KUALA LUMPUR: Kia has just pulled the wraps off its new three-row recreational vehicle called ‘Carens’. It is the brand’s another made-in-India global model that offers the sportiness of an SUV and sophistication of a family mover in a single pack. Based on Hyundai Alcazar’s platform, the MPV is slated to launch in India next year. 

The Carens underpins the brand’s new ‘Opposites United’ design language. It features a sleeker ‘Tiger Nose’ grille on the front edged by LED headlamps and snazzy LED DRLs. The car also features body cladding all-around that lend it a rugged appearance. 

At the rear also, we can see chunky cladding teamed up with LED tail lamps, and a splash of chrome around the bumper. It runs on swirly 16-inch alloy wheels. Included in the body shades choices are Sparkling Silver, Moss Brown, and Imperial Blue.

Dimensionally, the Kia Carens is 4540 mm long, 1800 mm wide, 1700 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2780 mm (the longest in the class).

The interior of the all-new Kia Carens is decked up with a two-tone theme featuring a wraparound dashboard with cool patterns. At the centre of the dash lies a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity options. Included in the features list are a digital driver’s display, connected car tech, wireless phone charger, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, ventilated front seats, 64 colour ambient lighting system, and an electric sunroof.

Kia will offer the Carens in two seating layouts - 6- and 7-seater. The former will have captain seats in the middle where the latter will get a bench row.

For safety, Kia packed the MPV with six airbags as standard. Other safety bits comprise -

• Electronic Stability Control
• Vehicle Stability Management
• Hill-start Assist Control
• Downhill Brake Control
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
• All-Wheel Disc brakes

When it comes to the mechanical part, Kia remains tight-lipped. It just confirmed that the MPV will get a combination of turbo-petrol engine and a 7-speed DCT gearbox. A diesel powertrain will also be on offer.

The 2022 Kia Carens is expected to be priced around Rs 15 lakh (approximately equal to RM 82,918) in India.

Also read: All-new Malaysia-spec Kia Carnival’s price announced