Kia Carens. (Image credit: News9 Live - Nishmanya Bahadur)

Kia's fourth offering for India, the Carens, is the Korean carmaker's second MPV in our market after the larger-but-ageing Carnival was introduced in 2020, and is positioned closer to the budget end of the market. When it was launched in February this year, Kia gave it an ultra-competitive starting price of Rs 8.99 lakh (ex-showroom), and unsurprisingly, the Carens amassed over 50,000 bookings in around a month. With the Carens, Kia aimed to take on the Maruti Suzuki XL6 and Ertiga, as well as lower trims of three-row midsize SUVs such as the Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus, Tata Safari and even the Mahindra XUV700. Additionally, its pricing also meant it overlapped with five-seat midsize SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun and even Kia's own Seltos.

Now, just six months on from its arrival, prices of the Carens have increased notably, placing it firmly in the Rs 10 – 20 lakh price segment, which is only getting more competitive by the day. The recently-launched Mahindra Scorpio N has drawn scores of utility vehicle buyers with that kind of budget, and for those not hell-bent on three rows of seating, the upcoming launches of the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara will present an even wider set of options than available at the moment. Over the course of this review, we find out just how the Carens fares as an all-around package and if it is still as appealing a purchase as it was at the time of its launch.

The first things that comes to mind when I think of a recreational vehicle (RV) are either the large motorhomes sold abroad, or more recently, cars customised for overlanding. The Carens, while dubbed an RV by Kia, to my eyes at least is quite clearly an MPV, and a good-looking one at that. For those curious about the name, Kia says it is a combination of the words 'Car' and 'Renaissance'. While the Carens shares its platform with the popular Seltos midsize SUV, Kia has put a lot of effort into giving both models a distinct identity of their own. The Carens not only has a longer wheelbase than the Seltos (by 166 mm) but is longer and taller (by 225 mm and 80 mm, respectively). All this adds up to the Carens having an MPV-esque silhouette, with its rounded front-end, longer wheelbase, pronounced crease on the rear quarter panel and more upright rear, making it look far from just a stretched-out Seltos.

On the Carens, the split headlights and textured connecting plate make up the 'Tiger Nose' design. (Image credit: News9 Live - Nishmanya Bahadur)

Given that the Carens' grille is positioned a little lower down on the bumper, Kia's traditional 'Tiger Nose' grille design has had to evolve, with the sleek split headlights and the black strip (which sports a knurled finish) connecting them, now forming the signature shape. The LED daytime-running lights (DRLs) also double up as turn indicators, adding to the upmarket look. There is a nice chrome accent to the air intake (which also sports a knurled finish) that looks rather premium.

Kia has also given the lower section of the glass house a neat chrome lining, which kinks upwards at the rear to accentuate the window line. The body cladding along the sides does add an element of ruggedness, and the silver insert in the middle of the side sill does help liven the profile. It is worth noting that the roof rails are purely there for aesthetics and aren't functional. While the 16-inch diamond cut alloy wheels do have a nice design, given the overall dimensions of the Carens, they look a touch undersized.

The rear tailgate is quite upright, though the upper section has a nice rake which in conjunction with the integrated roof spoiler gives it a sporty look. The triangular taillights have neatly styled LED elements in them and are connected by a red strip (which unfortunately isn't a functional light bar), that look fairly similar to the taillights of Kia's flagship all-electric offering -- the EV6. The chrome garnish (also with a knurled effect) on the rear bumper is also a nice touch.

Step inside, and you are greeted by a well-laid out, ergonomic interior that offers a lot of quality, especially for the money, which has become sort of a hallmark for Kia cars. The cabin in this top-spec Luxury Plus trim, is finished in a dark blue and beige colour scheme reminiscent of some luxury cars, which gives it a unique look and and an upmarket feel. The layered dashboard sports a patterned piano-black finish on the top section and a beige finish at the bottom, which is split by a brushed aluminium strip that runs the width of the dash and even extends onto the door cards. The fit and finish is great, with all the buttons and switchgear feeling well damped.

The seats also come draped in the navy blue and beige dual-tone leatherette upholstery, giving them a high-end look. The front seats are well cushioned and are quite comfortable with a good amount of under-thigh support, though some lumbar adjustment would have been appreciated, along with an electrically adjustable driver's seat. What the front seats do have, is a ventilation function, which works really well and is a boon on hot summer days. The large glasshouse provides a great view out of the cabin and with the driver's seat height adjustment and steering tilt / telescopic adjustment, finding a comfortable driving position is pretty easy.

We had the six-seat configuration on our test car, which featured two captain style seats in the second row. Just like the front seats, the ones in the second row are also extremely well cushioned and provide plenty of headroom and kneeroom. Additionally, the seats also have adjustable armrests and can recline and be slid back (same is true for the bench seat available in the seven-seat version) to open up even more space and add to the overall comfort.

The left seat in the second row faces a useful aircraft-style fold out table, while facing the right-hand side passenger are air purifier controls. The rear section of the centre console houses the rear AC fan speed controls and has two USB Type-C ports. Given the emphasis on the rear seat passengers, the absence of a panoramic sunroof feels like a big miss, as the standard sunroof is small and can only really be enjoyed by the occupants up front. That said, Kia claims it chose a smaller sunroof to be able to accommodate the roof-mounted AC vents, which are quite effective and necessary for rear seat occupants, keeping in mind our harsh climate.

The third row can be accessed by using a switch to tumble-fold the left-side second row seat. Let's state the obvious first, you do sit in a slightly knees-up position and there isn't as much under-thigh support as in the other seats. That said, there is a surprising amount of room in the third row, with even a six-footer like me having adequate kneeroom, with the middle row slid forward a bit. Headroom was tight for me, though, but shorter occupants would be fairly comfortable even on longer rides. The fact that the third row can also be reclined, greatly enhances the comfort factor.

With all rows up, there is still a commendable 216 litres of boot space on offer, which would be sufficient for a few soft bags or even some smaller suitcases. Fold down the third row (which folds flat) and you'll get 645 litres of cargo space. If you need even more space, the middle row can also be folded flat, taking the storage space up to a substantial 1,164 litres, which I reckon would be enough to make a bed and use the Carens for camping, giving some credence to Kia's claims that this is an RV.

Another thing we've come to expect from Kia, is high levels of equipment on all models, and the Carens is no exception. The 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system has a nice interface and is slick to operate thanks to the almost smartphone-like response. However, due to the way it is integrated into the dash with an upward tilt, its visibility is impacted in some lighting conditions. The embedded SIM allows the Carens to access the internet without being dependent on your phone's data, hence it features in-built navigation with real-time traffic alerts, real-time weather tracking, a voice assistant and other connected car features.

The instrument cluster uses an LCD screen, but it isn't as advanced or configurable as a proper digital instrument display like seen in the Hyundai Alcazar. Other features include a decent-sounding Bose sound system (I expected more, given it is a Bose system), a well-positioned wireless charger in the centre console, cooled cup holders, automatic climate control, an air purifier, reverse camera (360-degree cameras are missed) along with front and rear parking sensors. The Carens was also the first Kia to get six airbags as standard, with the Seltos only recently getting six airbags across the variant line-up.

I would like to make special mention of the 64-colour ambient lighting, which has been executed tastefully and really helps elevate the cabin, especially at night.

The Carens we tested was equipped with the 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine which puts out a peak 140 hp and 242 Nm of torque, accompanied by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). This is the same engine as the one seen in the Seltos, and here too, it offers peppy performance with loads of mid-range grunt and ample power for highway overtakes. I quite like the steering-mounted paddle-shifters and how responsive they are to inputs, though as with most DCTs, the creep function isn't great and ends up feeling a bit jerky in stop-start traffic. However, the powertrain in the Carens is tuned differently compared to the Seltos, with the gearbox not being quite as snappy with shifts and the engine doesn't feel quite as eager. That's not to say it is a dull powertrain, but it is more comfortable cruising than it is being pushed to the limit, which makes sense given that the Carens is meant to ferry passengers in comfort.

Ride quality is a department the Carens excels in, as the low-speed ride is great, with the suspension easily combating small and large road imperfections, with only the really big potholes catching it out. Up the speed, and the ride quality only improves, as the Carens feels stable at triple-digit speeds and deals with bad patches without breaking a sweat. The 195 mm of ground clearance also helps deal with rougher roads.

Within the city, the Carens is extremely easy to drive. In large part, this is down to the light steering, tight turning circle and great visibility. As you pick up the pace, the steering does weigh up, though it still isn't the most responsive. The Carens handles pretty well for its size, as it turns into corners nicely and while body roll is present, it is well contained. The handling isn't exactly sporty, with the Carens feeling most at ease when driven in a more linear manner. The brakes are pretty good as well, with an easy to adjust to biting point, though a little more stopping power would have been nice.

There are three drive modes to choose from on this version of the Carens -- Sport, Normal and Eco. In Sports mode, throttle response is sharpened and the gearbox is more willing to shift down gears or hold on to gears to extract the best performance. Normal mode, as the name suggests, is great for everyday use, as the throttle is still fairly responsive while the gearbox is tuned to shift up sooner than in Sport to aid with the noise and vibration levels in the car as well as efficiency. In Eco mode, throttle response is dulled severely and the gearbox looks to move up the cogs as soon as possible to get the best mileage. As per our testing, the turbo-petrol DCT returned a real-world fuel efficiency figure of 9.64 kpl in the city, which is some way off the 16.5 kpl ARAI-certified figure.

We also got the chance to drive the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine version of the Carens, which offered smooth and linear power delivery, but ended up feeling a little lethargic, especially when pushed hard. The six-speed manual gearbox it comes paired with was a breeze to use, with the gears slotting in easily and a light and predictable clutch. Dynamically, it felt similar to the turbo-petrol, just lacking the extra oomph.

As an overall package, the Carens makes a strong case for itself. It looks smart, has a top-notch cabin with excellent quality and comes packed with features. The Carens also offers good levels of performance and is more spacious than you'd expect and could easily seat six regular-sized adults (with some compromises being made on legroom). It is not without its flaws, however, as it is missing some key features one would now expect at this price point.

Speaking of prices, with all the hikes, the Kia Carens now ranges from Rs 9.60 lakh for the base 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated petrol model to Rs 17.70 lakh for the top-spec diesel automatic. The turbo-petrol automatic we drove, ranges from Rs 14.80 lakh to Rs 17.50 lakh.

Keeping this in mind, the Carens is a great choice for someone looking for a feature-rich, three-row vehicle to haul around their friends and family, but also an easy-to-drive, car-like experience. If you're willing to compromise on some of the features, for the same money as the top-spec Carens, you could get lower trims of larger, more powerful SUVs such as the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Safari.

Clientele for the Carens would also include the chauffeur-driven crowd who may be considering buying a midsize SUV, but they see value in the adjustable second row of seats and the option of more comfortable captain seats as well. However, even here, you could get similar amount of space (if not more), in a low- to mid-spec Tata Harrier, MG Hector or Mahindra XUV700, and on the other hand, if it is just features you are chasing (and don't necessarily need the extra row of seats), the similarly-priced Hyundai Creta and even the Kia Seltos do offer slightly more. Add to it the fact that Maruti and Toyota will soon offer strong hybrid powertrains (with superior fuel efficiency), buyers in the segment will be more spoilt for choice than ever.

While the Kia Carens is a great all-round package that is hard to fault on its fundamentals, when viewed against the long list of potential competitors, it fails to stand out as a clear choice. Given that there are larger, more powerful options in the market available for similar money, the Carens' broader appeal is somewhat diminished.

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