Kia Carens: Which Variant Offers The Most Value?

Kia Carens has been on sale now at a very attractive price range of Rs 8.99 lakh to Rs 16.99 lakh (ex-showroom), undercutting all its key rivals by a huge margin. The Korean carmaker offers this stylish 6/7-seater MPV with lots of premium features. It comes in five variants and with three engines, including two petrol and one diesel. But which variant offers the most value? To help you pick the right trim, here we’ve compiled all the features available on each variant of the Carens. But before we head further, first have a look at its engine specifications, colour options & other details. 

Kia Carens Engine Specifications and Mileage

Kia Carens Dimensions

Since the Kia Carens underpins the same platform as the Hyundai Alcazar, here we’ve mentioned its dimensions side by side with that of its sibling rival: –

The Kia Carens is slightly larger than the Alcazar on every aspect.

Also Read: Kia Carens Vs Hyundai Alcazar: Key Difference

Kia Carens All Colour Options

The Kia Carens is available in a total of eight exterior and two interior colour choices. Here are the details: –

Kia Carens Variant-wise Price List and Features Details

1. Premium (Base model)

Seating option: 7 seater

Key Features: –

• Exterior: – Halogen headlamps, steel wheels with covers (15-inch with 1.5 petrol and 16-inch with others), rear spoiler.
• Interior: – Black & Beige dual-tone interior with Indigo accent, semi-leather seat upholstery (black & indigo), front armrest with open storage and tray, 7.5-inch instrument cluster.

• Comfort & Convenience: – Manual AC with heater, rear AC vents, manually adjustable outside mirrors, all-four power windows, height adjustable driver’s seat, 5 C-type SUB charging ports, 12V power socket, 50:50 split foldable seat in 3rd row with recline function, 60:40 split folding 2nd row seats with recline, electric tumble fold and sliding fucntion, 2nd row seatback folding armrest with cup holder (7-seater only), adjustable headrests.
• Infotainment/Entertainment – Nil.
• Safety: – 6 airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Vehicle Stability Management, brake assist, hill start assist, down brake control, tyre pressure monitoring system, all-wheel disc brakes, speed alert system, front seat belt reminder, ISOFIX child seat anchors, front seat belts with load Limiter + pre-tensioner, speed sensing door lock, impact sensing door unlock, and rear parking sensors. 

Verdict – The entry-level Kia Carens premium variant offers a comprehensive set of safety equipment, which is commendable. However, it misses out on various basic, entertainment and comfort features. Also, the hefty premium of Rs 2 lakh for the diesel and turbo-petrol powertrains is not justified in our opinion.

So, who should buy this variant? Well, go for this trim only if you have budget restrictions, otherwise, increase your budget to the Prestige variant for a better package.

Also Read: Kia Carens Accessories With Prices

2. Prestige

Seating option: 7 seater

Key Features (over Premium variant): –

• Exterior: – Integrated roof rails, shark fin antenna, turn indicators on outisde mirrors.

• Interior: – Premium black & beige fabric-leather seat upholstery, black & beige interior with dark metal paint dashboard, 12.5-inch LCD instrument cluster with 4.2-inch colour multi-information display.
• Comfort & Convenience: – Keyless entry, follow-me-home function for headlamps, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, sunglass holder, luggage lamp, one-touch up/down function for the driver’s side window with anti-pinch function, easy push retractable tray and cup holders.
• Infotainment/Entertainment – 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple Carplay and Android smartphone integration support, 6-speakers, steering mounted controls, Bluetooth, voice recognition.
• Safety: – Rear view camera with dynamic guidelines, rear view monitor, anti-theft alarm, front parking sensors.

Verdict – This is the most value-for-money variant of the Kia Carens, especially if you are considering the 1.5-liter naturally aspirated petrol trim.

3. Prestige Plus

Seating option: 7 seater

Key Features (over Prestige variant): –

• Exterior: –  LED daytime running lamps (Star Map styling), LED tail lights, 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, chrome finishing on beltline.
• Comfort & Convenience: –  Automatic AC, electric folding outside mirrors, remote engine start stop through smart key, push engine start/stop button (only in 1.4 petrol-DCT and 1.5 diesel), rear door sunshade curtains, cooling cup holders in 1st row, ooling can holders in 2nd row, rear wiper, rear defogger, Sport/Normal/Eco driving modes (DCT only), auto cruise control with speed limiter.

Verdict – As the variant’s name suggests, the Prestige Plus offers some additional features over the Prestige trim. It can be a good option for those who desire more comfort & convenience in their car. However, it still lacks connected car technology.

4. Luxury

Seating option: 7 seater

Key Features (over Prestige Plus variant): –

• Exterior: – LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, LED DRLs with integrated turn signals, chrome finished door handles.
• Interior: – 64 colours ambient mood lighting, dual-tone Triton Navy & Beige interior with glossy black dashboard trim, Triton Navy & Beige leather seats, leather wrapping on steering wheel.
• Comfort & Convenience: –  Auto-dimming IRVM, telescopic adjustment function for steering wheel, underseat sliding tray, retractable seat back table in 2nd row with cup holders and mobile/tablet mount, KIA CONNECT control on IRVM, and air purifier.

• Infotainment/Entertainment: – 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wired Apple Carplay and Android Auto, connected car tech, in-built navigation, OTA updates support.

Verdict – The Kia Carens luxury trim offers more comfort and convenience features than the Prestige Plus trim but at a higher price.

5. Luxury Plus

Seating option: 6 / 7 seater

Key Features (over Luxury variant): –

• Exterior: – Single-pane electric sunroof, Kia logo projection thorugh rear door,
• Interior: – Ambient light sync with driving modes, LED lamps.

• Comfort & Convenience: –  Ventilated front seats, Sport/Normal/Eco driving modesl (AT/DCT trims), captain seats in 2nd row with sliding, recline and electric tumble fold function (6-seater model), rain-sensing wipers, wireless smartphone charger with cooling function, paddle shifters (AT/DCT trims).
• Infotainment/Entertainment: – Bose premium sound system (8-speakers).

Verdict – The Kia Carens Luxury Plus is the only variant in its lineup that is available in both 6- and 7-seat configurations. Although it packs almost all the features one could wish for, it would have been better if Kia had equipped it with a power-adjustable driver’s seat and a 360-degree camera.

Kia Carens Review: –