Kia unveiled the original Carens in 1999, an MPV that has been in the series for more than 20 years and officially entered its fourth generation with the original factory's release in India. However, the new Carens, which uses the same platform as India's exclusive car series Seltos, also ushered in a major change, that is, to move closer to SUVs.
To be sure, carens didn't fully transform into an SUV product, but it used more rugged and powerful design elements. At first glance, the higher ground distance than in the past, with the black plastic skid plate around the full wheel arch and the side of the car, few people should think of the MPV model at the moment. Kia did not conform to the wave of SUVs, the exterior design still retains a lot of MPV features, relative to the boxy, stable silhouette, as far as possible to retain the spacious space and functionality of the car, to provide consumers who want to have both the SUV driving experience and MPV space practicality of a new choice.
Carens body length, width and height are 4,540mm, 1,800mm and 1,700mm, respectively, and the third-generation model that has been discontinued in Taiwan is 4,525mm, 1,805mm and 1,610mm. It can be seen that the width is similar, the length of the body is only slightly increased, and the larger change is that the height of the car is more than 90mm, which should be related to the increase in the height of the ground. In addition, the 4th generation Carens has a wheelbase of 2,780mm, the highest in its class, so it can make the cabin space more spacious while maintaining roughly the same level of body length.
Not only has the exterior changed almost completely, but the interior is also very different from the previous generation. The interior is paved with an integrated design of full digital instruments connected to the center console as a visual spindle, the border trim directly includes the door handles, and the shape of the door armrests and gear seats is also very ingenious. The overall style is more technological and modern.
Not only does it look technological, Kia has indeed added a lot of advanced technology to the new Carens, including a more complete driver assistance system to provide a more comfortable and safe driving experience. It also supports OTA remote updates for more convenience.
In terms of power, since the same platform is used as Seltos, the powertrain is also handled, providing two petrol engines with 1.5 liters of naturally aspirated and 1.4 liters of turbocharged gasoline engines with a maximum horsepower of 115 and 140 horses respectively, and a 1.5-liter diesel engine with a maximum horsepower of 115 horses. All three power options are available with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.