Kia India recently unveiled the Carens (a portmanteau of ‘car’ and ‘renaissance’), its six- and seven-seater people-mover that the firm is calling a RV (recreational vehicle). The Carens is based on the Seltos, in exactly the same manner as the Hyundai Alcazar is based on the Creta; both cars will slug it out in this segment, and though they’re quite similar in many aspects, they’re also different enough to warrant this article on them.
Design and dimensions
The Carens is 4540mm long, 1800mm wide, 1708mm tall and comes with a wheelbase of 2780mm – which is the same as that of the Alcazar. The Carens is, however, 40mm longer, 10mm wider and 33mm taller, the last of which should make entry and exit into the cabin just that bit easier.
In terms of design, the Carens has a very worked-on front end and looks totally different from the Seltos; numerous design elements abound on its face. The signature Kia ‘Tiger Nose’ is implemented here with two-segment lights; there’s a ‘floating’ effect happening here, and the LED headlights are right below.
The fog lamps look quite slick as well. There are no major kinks or creases on the Carens’ body panels, and the raised window line gives it some sporty pretensions. At the back, the LED tail lamps are large and give the rear some character.
The Alcazar looks much more like its cousin – the Creta – than the Carens does the Seltos. It has a bigger grille than the Creta, with a block pattern on it; the headlights merge with the grille. In profile, the Alcazar looks substantial and gets big 18-inch alloys as well as side steps. Its C- and D-pillars have been worked on due to its increased length, and the rear passengers get a bigger quarter glass. The rear has prominent Alcazar badging and split LED taillights.
Cabin
The Carens get indigo and beige theme on the inside, with brushed aluminium and glossy black inserts. The 10.1-inch touchscreen is set into the dashboard, and you get a mix of hard buttons and capacitive touch panels for the infotainment and climate controls.
The steering wheel is from the Seltos; behind it, the instrument cluster is quite like the split displays that you see on Hyundais like the i20. In terms of practicality and convenience, you get headline-mounted air vents, bottle holders, electric one-touch tumble 2nd row seats, 2nd row tray tables, an 8-speaker Bose stereo system, 64-colour ambient lighting, climate control, ventilated front seats, the Kia Connect suite of apps and several more. The sunroof is a single-pane unit, whereas the sunroof in the Alcazar is a much larger panoramic unit.
The Alcazar has a tan and black colour scheme on the dashboard, seats and door pads, with glossy black on the centre console – this looks quite premium. You get a 10.25-inch instrument cluster with a blind-spot monitoring system which is very useful indeed.
Since the car has a360-degree parking camera, you can see the feed in the instrument cluster when you engage the indicators. The 10.25-inch infotainment system has new connected features, and there’s 64-colour ambient lighting in this cabin as well. A fixed centre armrest with wireless charging and cup holders is also present in the 6-seat models.
Engine
The Alcazar has two engine options – a 2.0-litre petrol and 1.5-litre CRDi diesel. Both engines can be had with 6-speed manual and automatic gearboxes. The 1.5-litre diesel unit is the same one that does duty in the Creta, with the same 115PS of power and 250 Nm of torque.
The final drive ratios of the 6-speed manual gearbox have been tuned for greater city driveability The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine also has some tuning changes, and is more powerful than the same unit in the Hyundai Tucson.
The Carens uses the same engines as the Seltos, with the petrol option being the turbocharged 1.4-litre unit with 140PS 242 Nm; the gearboxes are a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT.
The diesel Carens has a 1.5-litre unit with 115PS and 250 Nm, along with a six-speed manual or a torque converter automatic. The Carens will come in a base version with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that makes 115PS and 144 Nm, alongside a 6-speed manual.
Currently, the Hyundai Alcazar is offered in Platinum, Prestige and Signature variants in both petrol and diesel models, with prices starting at Rs 16.34 lakh and going up to Rs 20.14 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The Kia Carens will be offered in five variants - Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury and Luxury Plus.
Prices will probably start at Rs 15 lakh and go up to Rs 20 lakh, ex-showroom India. Look out for a detailed review of the Carens later this month.
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