Kia Carens bookings to commence from January 14

Kia Carens have finally decided to open the slots for pre-booking from January 14th of 2022. Though the booking slots are available, price details aren't disclosed yet! Kia seems to update the price by February or March. The Carens will be Kia's fourth product in India, and it will be built entirely in the country for both local and international markets. Kia defied the SUV trend with the Carens, referring to it as a "recreational car."

Exterior design of the Kia Carens

The Kia Carens have the dimensions of an MPV, yet it features some SUV-like stylistic characteristics and is highly distinctive. A split-LED headlight assembly and a sealed-off grille enclosed behind a contrasting gloss back trim define the face. The front bumper is more conservatively designed below, however, the gaping center air inlet adds some personality.

The Carens shares some similarities with the Seltos to the front doors, but it has a significantly bigger back door and rear quarter glass area. A chrome garnish runs down the window line, and the front and back fenders have significant creases.

The Carens have a pair of wraparound LED taillights that are joined by a thin LED strip at the back. The rear windscreen has a small slope and an incorporated spoiler, while the bumper is aggressively designed with chrome inserts for extra glitter.

Interior and characteristics of the Kia Carens

The Carens have a luxurious and feature-packed interior, as you'd expect from a Kia. The infotainment system is perfectly incorporated into the dash, giving the cabin a sleek, layered look. The dashboard trim and door panels also have some nice detailing, which adds some glimpse to the interior.

The AC vents are elegantly incorporated throughout the breadth of the interior below the top half. It also receives a new touch-based panel with toggle switches for HVAC settings and ambient lighting to complement everything. The central console is small and stubby, with extra buttons for seat ventilation, driving modes, and other things. The Carens will be offered in 6- and 7-seat configurations, with the latter receiving captains chairs in the second row.

The Carens have a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Kia's UVO connect, as well as a fully digital instrument cluster, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, 64-color ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, seat-back tables with cup holders, an electrically powered one-touch tumble down feature for the second row, a single-pane sunroof, and more.

Six airbags are standard, as are a slew of additional safety features including ABS and ESC, hill-start assist, four-wheel disc brakes, TPMS, and rear parking sensors.

Details about the Kia Carens' engine and transmission

The Kia Carens will be available with two petrol engines and a diesel engine under the hood. The first is a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine with 115hp and 144 Nm that will only be available with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Finally, the diesel engine is a 1.5-liter, 115hp, 250Nm mill with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. These engine-gearbox pairings are identical to those found in the Kia Seltos.

The Carens will slot above the Maruti Suzuki XL6, although it is expected to be less expensive than the Hyundai Alcazar. The Alcazar will be the Carens' main rival, but it will also face off against other SUVs in the same price bracket.