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

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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 Carens
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

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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

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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
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

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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

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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

Kia Carens
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

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Kia to announce its future EV vision, display new concept EVs on October 12

Kia to announce its future EV vision, display new concept EVs on October 12

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

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South Korean automaker Kia will observe ‘Kia EV Day’ on October 12 in Yeoju, Korea, where it will shed light on its future EV roadmap and display its entire EV lineup including two new concept EVs. During the event, the company will announce its global vision and strategy for battery-powered vehicles. The move is in line with the OEM’s vision to become a key player in sustainable mobility.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 04 Oct 2023, 16:25 PM

The Kia EV Day event in mid-October will see the company displaying its entire EV lineup, including the Kia EV5, EV6 GT and EV9, as well as two new concept EVs.

The event is set to become an annual tradition for the company, starting this year, wherein it will encourage stakeholders to discuss about sustainable mobility and future growth plans. At the event, Kia will showcase its new electric models, concepts, and technologies.

The event in mid-October will see the company displaying its entire EV lineup, including the Kia EV5, EV6 GT and EV9. The EV5 was launched at the Chengdu Motor Show in August this year, and during the event, attendees will be given a detailed specification of the electric model. Kia will also introduce two new concept EVs.

Kia introduced the EV5 in production model in China last month, which comes as an all-electric alternative to the Kia Sportage. The compact electric SUV is slated to launch in China later this year before being introduced to other markets.

The EV6 GT debuted last year in August and the brand claims it to be the most powerful Kia production vehicle ever. With 800V multi-charging architecture, the Kia EV6 GT is ultra-fast DC charging enabled, implying that it can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in under 18 minutes.

The event will also see keynote speakers taking the stage to shed light upon topics significant to Kia’s transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider. Subjects will include the brand’s comprehensive EV strategy, its ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, updates on innovative customer experience strategies, and new product insights.

First Published Date: 04 Oct 2023, 16:21 PM IST

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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

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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 Seltos Carens
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

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Tata Nexon SUV offers up to 24 kmpl of mileage, more than Venue or Sonet

Tata Nexon SUV offers up to 24 kmpl of mileage, more than Venue or Sonet

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Tata Motors has revealed the fuel efficiency figures of the newly-launched 2023 Nexon facelift SUV. The new Nexon comes with a mileage of up to 24.08 kmpl, the highest offered by any SUV with a diesel engine in the sub-compact segment. The fuel efficiency offered by the Nexon facelift SUV ranges between 17.01 kmpl and 17.44 kmpl. Tata Motors launched the new Nexon SUV on September 14 at a starting price of ₹8.10 lakh (ex-showroom).

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 20 Sep 2023, 12:52 PM

Tata Nexon facelift
Tata Motors launched the 2023 Nexon facelift SUV in India on September 14 at a starting price of ₹8.10 lakh (ex-showroom).

According to the fuel efficiency figures revealed by Tata Motors, the petrol variants of the Nexon SUV with manual and dual-clutch transmission options offer mileage of 17.01 kmpl. The Nexon petrol variants with the AMT gearbox offers 17.44 kmpl of mileage. In diesel version, the Nexon offers at least 23.23 kmpl in variants offered with manual transmission. The variants which are offered with AMT gearbox, offers up to 24.01 kmpl of mileage.

In comparison, Hyundai Venue diesel variants come close to the new Nexon’s fuel efficiency figures. Offered with manual transmission, Venue diesel variants offer mileage of 23.4 kmpl. Kia Sonet diesel variants, which are offered with automatic transmission, offer fuel efficiency of 18.2 kmpl. Mahindra XUV300 is the other SUV in the sub-compact segment which if offered with diesel engine. It offers mileage of 20.1 kmpl in manual variants and 19.07 kmpl in automatic versions.

Also watch: Tata Nexon facelift first drive review – the best-seller adds more glamour

The new Nexon is offered with both petrol and diesel variants. The 1.5-litre turbo diesel unit comes mated to either a six-speed manual or an AMT gearbox. The engine can churn out 113 bhp of power and 260 Nm of peak torque. The 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine comes mated with four transmission choices. These include a five-speed manual, a six-speed manual, a six-speed AMT and a DCT gearbox. The engine can generate 118 bhp of power and 170 Nm of peak torque.

Besides the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet and Mahindra XUV300, the Nexon facelift SUV also rivals the likes of Maruti Suzuki Brezza in the sub-compact segment. However. Maruti Suzuki does not offer any diesel engine anymore. The Brezza, powered by a 1.5-litre petrol unit, offers up to 19.8 kmpl of mileage in the automatic variants.

First Published Date: 20 Sep 2023, 12:52 PM IST

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Cars have eyes and are spying on you: How in-car tech can breach data privacy

Cars have eyes and are spying on you: How in-car tech can breach data privacy

by with No Comment car insurance online

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Tech-loaded cars may offer a lot of convenience to owners, but can also become a data privacy nightmare. Study by a California-based agency reveals that modern cars with connected features through apps and satellite collect massive personal data of the user and share externally. The agency, called Mozilla Foundation, reviewed 25 car brands operating in United States and European countries and found all of them breaching data privacy. The study has raised a debate whether cars should also be monitored for practically spying on the owner.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 14 Sep 2023, 16:57 PM

Tesla Model 3
A Tesla model 3 car on display at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Munich. The world’s most popular car brands are a data privacy nightmare, collecting and selling personal information in an age when driving is going increasingly digital, a study by Mozilla Foundation showed. (AFP)

Nissan, Tesla, Kia, Hyundai Motor, Toyota, Volkswagen and BMW are some of the global brands who have been found breaching data privacy. The study says vague data security standards while using in-car apps, telematics, digital controls can steal personal data. These may include sensitive personal information to sexual activity and more. Almost every car manufacturer studied have admitted that they are collecting such personal information which they share with government or law enforcement agencies.

The survey, called Privacy Not Included, has raised a big concern given that these vehicles are also susceptible to hacking. Jen Caltrider, the study’s research lead, says, “Cars seem to have really flown under the privacy radar and I’m really hoping that we can help remedy that because they are truly awful. Cars have microphones and people have all kinds of sensitive conversations in them. Cars have cameras that face inward and outward.”

The survey also says that cars have the worst data privacy record among dozen other products ranging from connected home appliances like Google or Alexa, fitness trackers to even smart speakers. The survey marked Nissan as the worst among all the brands studied. The survey says the Japanese auto giant is “probably the worst car company we reviewed, and that says something because all car companies are really bad at privacy.” Nissan says it can draw inferences from the data to create user profiles which reflect the the person’s ‘preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes’. The carmaker has also admitted that it can even collect ‘genetic information’ or ‘genetic characteristics’. However, Nissan did not explain how it collects data on sexual activity of its users.

Kia and Hyundai are not too far behind either. Caltrider says, “Kia mentions sex life. General Motors and Ford both mentioned race and sexual orientation. Hyundai said that they could share data with government and law enforcement based on formal or informal requests.”

Tesla also scored high on Mozilla’s “creepiness” index. According to the survey, opting out of data collection in a Tesla car is difficult as its privacy notice says the EV maker may not be able to notify drivers “in real time” of issues that could result in “reduced functionality, serious damage, or inoperability.”

Out of the 25 brands surveyed, 19 said they can sell personal data, while half of them are ready to share these information with governments on request. Renault and Dacia are the only two carmakers who offer drivers to delete all data collected by their cars.

First Published Date: 14 Sep 2023, 16:57 PM IST

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