Before 2021 came to a close, Kia unveiled its fourth offering for India – the Carens. And now, we have the confirmed set of details, including trim levels, engine and transmission options, dimensions and the list of creature comforts. And yes, the bookings counter will open on January 14, 2022. Also, you can expect Kia to make the price announcement before the calendar reads February 2022. However, an official date for that event is still awaited.

Dimensions

The Kia Carens stretches 4,540mm in length, 1,800mm in width and 1,708mm in height. At 2,780mm, its wheelbase is the longest in the segment where options like the Hyundai Alcazar are available. By default, the Carens will come with 15-inch wheels. However, based on the variant chosen, the car will rope in 16-inch steels and 16-inch dual-tone alloys.

Trim levels

There are five primary trims – Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury and Luxury Plus. As standard, the Carens will have a seven-seat layout. And, only the range-topping trim – Luxury Plus – offers the choice between six- and seven-seat configurations. Here’s how the variants line-up looks like:

The interior upholstery will depend on the trim level. For example, Kia’s “Rich” Black-Beige theme with Indigo accents will accompany the Premium variants, whereas the “Elite” Black-Beige finish will be inside the Prestige and Prestige Plus derivatives. And the Luxury and Luxury Plus iterations will have “Opulent” two-tone Triton Navy-Beige interiors.

Engine and gearbox options

As suspected, the Seltos-based Carens borrows almost all engine-transmission combinations from the donor car. As a result, the range starts with the 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 113bhp/144Nm, followed by the 1.5-diesel, which puts out 113bhp/250Nm. Finally, the most powerful of the lot is the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, with 138bhp/242Nm on offer.

All powerplants will come coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission by default. However, you can have the diesel with a 6-speed torque converter and the turbo-petrol with a 7-speed DCT. Interestingly, there’s no CVT option with the naturally-aspirated petrol mill.

Features

Of course, there’s no way to list them all. But, here’s a taster of what the Kia Carens will pack, depending on the variant. The list includes an 8-speaker Bose sound system, a wireless mobile charger, paddle shifters (automatic variants only), ventilated front seats, an electric sunroof and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other features such as multiple drive modes, 64-colour ambient lighting, automatic climate control, Kia Connect (connected-car tech) and a 12.5-inch digital instrument cluster are also available.

As standard, all Carens variants will come with a long list of safety features. That includes six airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Vehicle Stability Management, Downhill Brake Control, disc brakes for all four wheels and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Colours and warranty

Kia has lined up eight paint options for the Carens – Imperial Blue, Glacier White Pearl, Gravity Grey, Moss Brown, Sparkling Silver, Intense Red, Clear White and Aurora Black Pearl. Predictably, there are no dual-tone finishes available for the exterior.

The Carens will come with a 3-year/unlimited km warranty along with a 24×7 roadside assistance membership. Yes, extending the warranty up to the fifth year will be an option.

Rivals

Besides locking horns with its step-sibling – the Hyundai Alcazar – the Carens is likely to give three other three-row people hauliers something to think about. They are the MG Hector Plus, Tata Safari and the Mahindra XUV700.