Kia to hike prices on Sonet, Carens & Seltos by up to 3% from April 1

Kia to hike prices on Sonet, Carens & Seltos by up to 3% from April 1

by with No Comment car insurance online

By: Sameer Fayaz Contractor
| Updated on: 21 Mar 2024, 16:43 PM

Kia said the decision was hike prices was due to rising commodity prices and supply-chain-related inputs. It is also the first price adjustment this y

…

The price hike will affect Kia’s mass market models including the Seltos, Sonet and Carens. The increment will vary on the model and variant

Kia India has announced its plans to increase prices across its mass model range with effect from April 1, 2024. The Kia Sonet, Carens and Seltos prices will be hiked by up to three per cent from next month onwards. The automaker said that the decision was made due to the rising commodity prices and supply-chain-related inputs. Kia also emphasised that this was the brand’s first price adjustment this year.

Kia has not revealed the quantum of the price hike on each of the models but you can expect prices to vary depending on the model and variant. The Kia Sonet is the brand’s most accessible offering starting from ₹7.99 lakh, and going up to ₹14.69 lakh. The Kia Carens MPV is priced from ₹10.45 lakh, going up to ₹18.95 lakh. The Kia Seltos is the brand’s bestseller and starts from ₹10.90 lakh, going up to ₹20.30 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom.

Also Read : Kia Clavis spotted for the first time on Indian roads

Commenting on the price adjustment, Hardeep Singh Brar, National Head – Sales and Marketing – Kia India said, “At Kia, we consistently strive to deliver premium and technologically advanced products to our esteemed customers. However, due to the continuous increase in commodity prices, adverse exchange rate and rising input cost, we are compelled to implement a partial price hike. The company is absorbing a significant portion of the increase, allowing customers to continue driving their favourite Kia cars without a major dent in their pockets.”

Kia is one of the most prominent players in the Indian auto sector, having made a remarkable climb on the sales chart since its arrival in 2019. The automaker has sold nearly 1.16 million units in India and overseas with the Seltos contributing 6.13 lakh units, followed by the Sonet with over 3.95 lakh units, while the Carens has added 1.59 lakh units so far. The automaker also retails the EV6 premium electric SUV in the country, which arrives as a Completely Built Unit (CBU).

First Published Date: 21 Mar 2024, 16:43 PM IST


Source link

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo review: Family car with a hint of excitement?

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo review: Family car with a hint of excitement?

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

MPVs are often ignored by people when they are out in the market to buy a new car. Yes, MPVs do make a lot of sense for Indian families, they are spacious, and practical and would fulfil most of the household needs. However, not everyone prefers their design or wants to be seen in them. This is where the Carens from Kia changed the game. It is an MPV that takes design inspiration from SUVs.

By: Paarth Khatri
| Updated on: 18 Nov 2023, 18:00 PM

Kia has not made any cosmetic changes to the Carens.

Kia used to offer the Carens with three engine options – 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1.4-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. A few months back, the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine was replaced by a 1.5-litre turbo unit. The new engine is offered with a 6-speed iMT and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. We got to review the 1.5-litre turbo with DCT transmission and here are my thoughts about it.

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Powertrain

The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine gets a direct injection. It produces 158 bhp of max power and 253 Nm of peak torque. That is a bump of 20 bhp and 11 Nm over the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Kia Carens
The new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is very smooth and refined.

The engine pulls quite hard and there is plenty of torque available for quick overtakes. The power is delivered in a linear manner and there is torque available throughout the rev range. The engine is very smooth and refined too which helps in keeping the cabin quiet. There are three driving modes on offer – Eco, Normal and Sport. The Eco mode is plenty to drive in the city and the Normal mode is suited for driving on the highways. The Sport mode is where things get a bit serious as the engine gets more responsive, the transmission holds on to the gear and shifting gears can be a bit jerky.

Speaking of transmission, it is very seamless in Eco and Normal mode, most of the time the gearshifts are not even noticeable. It tries to hold on to the second gear in traffic which can make the driver feel a bit of lag. However, there are paddle shifters using which the driver can take manual control of the gearbox and they respond fairly quickly.

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Ride and handling

Kia Carens
The interior feels quite premium and is well laid out. However, the piano-black elements could get scratched-up easily.

In terms of ride quality, the Carens is quite comfortable. The suspension does a good job of ironing out bumps and potholes. The steering is light which makes it quite easy to drive in cities. However, as soon as you show Carens some corners, you are immediately reminded that it is an MPV because of the body roll.

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Fuel efficiency

In the city, we managed to get a fuel efficiency figure of just under 10 kmpl whereas out on the highways, the fuel efficiency climbed up to 17 kmpl.

Watch: Kia Carens Diesel: First Drive Review

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Verdict

If you are looking for a people mover that does not look like a typical MPV, then you can take a look at the Carens. It comes packed with features, has an up-market interior and a powerful engine. So, it can serve as a family vehicle with a hint of enthusiasm because of that turbo engine.

First Published Date: 18 Nov 2023, 18:00 PM IST


Source link

Seltos SUV boosts Kia’s sales in India in October

Seltos SUV boosts Kia’s sales in India in October

by with No Comment car insurance online

Kia India on Wednesday announced that the auto company sold 24,351 units in October 2023, with the Seltos SUV contributing more than 50 per cent to the overall retail numbers. The South Korean auto manufacturer has claimed that in October 2023, the company clocked its fourth-best monthly sales, recording a 4.41 per cent growth over the same month a year ago, when it registered 23,323 units.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 01 Nov 2023, 16:33 PM

Kia Seltos SUV contributed more than 50 per cent to Kia India’s overall sales in October 2023.

Kia Seltos has been the bestselling car for the auto company in India to date. Also, the SUV has been the first-ever Kia car to launch in India. In October 2023 as well, Seltos continued the momentum of being Kia’s bestselling car. It claims to have sold 12,362 units last month, contributing more than 50 per cent to the auto manufacturer’s overall sales. The other cars sold by Kia in the Indian market too witnessed robust sales performance. The Kia Sonet compact SUV claims to have sold 6,493 units last month, while the Carens sold 5,355 units. The Kia EV6 sold 141 units in India in October 2023.

Watch: Kia Seltos 2023: First drive review

Speaking about the car manufacturing company’s sales performance last month, Hardeep Singh Brar, national head of sales and marketing at Kia India, said that the festive season propelled the growth of the automaker’s sales further last month. He also hopes the sales momentum will continue in the coming months. “During the festive season, our customers’ positive outlook has helped us achieve our fourth-highest monthly sales ever in India. The fact that our products like the Seltos, Sonet and Carens continue to dominate in their respective segment, despite multiple new launches by competition, is a major accomplishment. We are working towards maintaining the same momentum in the coming months,” he said.

In 2023, between January and October, Kia India claims to have sold 219,702 units. The Seltos SUV claims to have contributed the most to the automaker’s CY2023 sales with 83,250 units, followed by Sonet and Carens, with 73,333 units and 60,817 units sold, respectively.

First Published Date: 01 Nov 2023, 16:33 PM IST


Source link

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo vs Carens 1.4 Turbo: Has fuel efficiency taken a hit?

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo vs Carens 1.4 Turbo: Has fuel efficiency taken a hit?

by with No Comment car insurance online

Kia made a big splash in the Indian market when they launched the Carens. Generally, people do not want to be seen in an MPV but one thing that you will have to agree on is that MPVs are practical and suit our Indian conditions. This is where the Carens became successful, it retained the practicality of an MPV but had a design inspired by an SUV and an interior design that looks a segment above.

By: Paarth Khatri
| Updated on: 31 Oct 2023, 18:18 PM

The Carens uses SUV-derived styling which makes it quite a handsome-looking MPV.

Kia used to offer the Carens with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre diesel engine and a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. The manufacturer has now discontinued the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and replaced it with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol unit. However, it is still mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The new engine produces 158 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 253 Nm. When compared, the 1.4-litre unit used to produce 138 bhp and 242 Nm. So, yes the new engine is more powerful. Now, the Indian market is very sensitive to fuel economy so a person might be wondering if a larger engine which is more powerful might be more thirsty.

We recently drove the Carens with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine extensively. During our testing, the Carens’ fuel efficiency hovered around 9 kmpl in the city. However, on the highway, we were able to stretch the fuel efficiency up to 17 kmpl while following the speed limits. Because the gearbox on the Carens turbo is a 7-speed unit, the MPV can cruise at 100 kmph doing just 1,800 rpm. This ensures that the cabin stays silent and is a comfortable place to be in.

Also Read : Is the Kia Sonet iMT the right city-bred sub-compact SUV for you?

Then there is the 1.4-litre turbo petrol which also delivers 9 kmpl in the city but on the highway, it returns around 16 kmpl. So, as it turns out, the 1.5-litre engine is slightly more efficient. This is probably because it has a larger displacement and it does not need to work as hard as the 1.4-litre unit out on the highways. Moreover, what also helps the 1.5-litre engine is the idle start/stop system which turns off the engine whenever the MPV comes to a stop and the restarts as soon as the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.

First Published Date: 31 Oct 2023, 18:18 PM IST


Source link

Kia Carens Petrol Vs Diesel | Mileage & Running Cost Comparison

Kia Carens Petrol Vs Diesel | Mileage & Running Cost Comparison

by with No Comment Insurance Todays

If you’re wondering whether you should buy the Kia Carens petrol or diesel then this article will help you come to a conclusion. Here, we’ll take the latest ex-showroom prices of the Carens and look at the price difference. Based on the current petrol and diesel prices, we’ll calculate the kilometres you need to drive the car to recover the higher upfront cost. This should help you decide which engine option of the Carens will work best for you and save you money in the long run. Let’s start with the difference in their ex-showroom prices.

Kia Carens Petrol Vs Diesel – Price Comparison

Let’s look at the latest ex-showroom prices of the Kia Carens petrol and diesel to see what extra cost you’re paying for the Carens diesel over the Carens petrol.

KIA CARENS PETROL VS DIESEL PRICES

EX-SHOWROOM DELHI (NOVEMBER 2023)

Variants

Petrol Prices

Difference

Diesel Prices

Premium 7S Manual

Rs. 10,44,900

Rs. 2,20,000

Rs. 12,64,900

Prestige 7S Manual

Rs. 11,74,900

Rs. 2,20,000

Rs. 13,94,900

For the Carens diesel manual, you’re paying Rs. 2.2 lakh more than the Carens normal petrol.

Kia Carens Petrol Vs Diesel – Running Cost Calculation – November 2023

Now, let’s compare the per kilometre fuel cost you’ll incur with both the engine options. For this, we’ll use the latest petrol and diesel prices in Delhi and the official mileage figures as a baseline.

KIA CARENS

COST PER KM (NOVEMBER 2023)
 

Petrol

Difference

Diesel

Fuel Price Delhi

Rs. 96.76

Rs. 7.1

Rs. 89.66

Manual Mileage

15.7kmpl

5.6km

21.3kmpl

Manual Cost Per KM

Rs. 6.16

Rs. 1.95

Rs. 4.21

At the current fuel prices, the Kia Carens petrol manual will cost you Rs. 1.95 more than the Kia Carens diesel manual for every kilometre you drive.

Kilometres To Breakeven With Kia Carens Diesel

KIA CARENS PETROL VS DIESEL

KM TO RECOVER (NOVEMBER 2023)

Variants

KM to Recover

Premium 7S Manual

1,12,609km

Prestige 7S Manual

1,12,609km

You’ll have to cover 1.13 lakh km with the Kia Carens diesel manual to recover the extra price you pay upfront over the Carens petrol.

Should You Buy Kia Carens Petrol Or Diesel?

Between the 1.5L normal petrol and the turbo diesel, the choice isn’t as straightforward as the km-to-breakeven figure might suggest. It looks like the diesel engine is too expensive and requires over 1 lakh kilometres of driving to recover the higher upfront costs. However, the Carens diesel offers a far better torque output, which will certainly help when hauling a full load of 7 occupants.

Considering the better performance of the diesel engine, we believe that you can buy the Carens diesel even if you intend to drive the car for more than 60,000km. While the cost breakeven will only happen at over 1,00,000km, the performance advantage will pay itself off on a daily basis.

Note: If You Want to Buy a New Car, Calculate Car Loan EMI with V3Cars


Source link

In pics: Kia Carens X Line launched as top-of-the-line trim

In pics: Kia Carens X Line launched as top-of-the-line trim

by with No Comment car insurance online

Kia Carens X Line is the third X Line model that Kia has launched, after the Seltos and Sonet.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 04 Oct 2023, 15:40 PM

1/5

Kia India has introduced the X Line version of the Carens. It will be sold in two variants – Petrol 7DCT and Diesel 6AT. They are priced at ₹18,94,900 and 19,44,900, respectively. Both prices are ex-showroom. This is the third X Line model that Kia has launched, after the Seltos and Sonet. The new top-end trim of Carens will get exterior as well as interior changes.

2/5

For the exterior, the Carens X Line comes with an Xclusive Matte Graphite colour scheme with a front grille finished in piano black and a radiator grille garnish in chrome. The front calipers are in silver colour and there is an X-Line logo on the tailgate.

3/5

Apart from this, on the sides, there is a new set of 16-inch dual-tone crystal cut alloy wheels with a glossy black outline. Kia Carens has garnered more than 100,000 customers so far, and with the X-Line, the company hopes to expand the sales figures significantly.

4/5

The interior is finished in the dual-tone colour scheme of Splendid Sage Green and Black. There is also orange stitching that provides an up-market feel. In terms of features, Kia has added a rear seat entertainment unit to the Carens X Line. The entertainment unit can be controlled via a remote control which can be installed on the user’s mobile phone.

In pics: Kia Carens X Line launched as top-of-the-line trim
5/5

The three-row cross between an MPV and SUV was first launched in the country in February of 2022. The India-specific product is manufactured at the company’s facility in Anantpur. The starring highlight of the Kia Carens is that it is being offered with six airbags as standard across all variants.

First Published Date: 04 Oct 2023, 15:40 PM IST


Source link

Kia Seltos, Carens prices to be hiked in October. See how much you need to pay

Kia Seltos, Carens prices to be hiked in October. See how much you need to pay

by with No Comment car insurance online

Kia is all set to increase the prices of its flagship SUV Seltos and Carens three-row MPV. The Korean auto giant has announced that the prices of both these models will be increased from October. The carmaker has said that the Seltos and Carens prices will be hiked by up to 2 per cent. This is the second time that Kia has announced a price hike on its models during the ongoing financial year. Prices of Kia’s other models like Sonet, Carnival and EV6 will remain same for now.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 21 Sep 2023, 17:27 PM

Kia will increase the prices of Seltos (left) and Carens (right) by up to 2 per cent from October 1.

Kia had launched the updated Seltos SUV in July this year at a starting price of ₹10.89 lakh (ex-showroom). On Wednesday, the carmaker introduced two new variants of the SUV to meet demands ahead of the festive season. The two variants, priced between ₹19.40 lakh and ₹19.60 lakh, will sit right under the top-spec variant of the SUV priced at ₹19.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Though Kia has not specified which variants of the Seltos will receive price hike. However, a 2 per cent price increase could see the base variant’s cost go up by more than ₹20,000. In case of top variant, the price could increase by up to ₹40,000.

Kia Carens was launched as a Recreational Vehicle by the carmaker in India back in February 2022. The launch price started from ₹8.99 lakh (ex-showroom). However, after multiple hikes in the last 18 months, the price of the entry-level Carens has increased to ₹10.45 lakh (ex-showroom). The price of the top-end variant goes up to ₹18.90 lakh (ex-showroom).

Watch: Kia Seltos 2023 First drive review

Kia said the price hike became necessary amid rising costs of production. Hardeep S Brar, National Head (Sales and Marketing) at Kia India, said, “While many of the companies have already taken the price increase post-April, we, however, did not take…besides the raw material prices are going up.. and we introduced the new Seltos and a lot of investment has gone into the product..so we think it is time that we take the price increase.”

Kia had last increased the prices of its models in April after it launched the Seltos, Sonet and Carens with updated engines to meet BS6 Phase 2 emission norms.

First Published Date: 21 Sep 2023, 17:27 PM IST


Source link