After a dozen of teasers, Kia India has finally launched the Carens to India. And let’s just say, with a starting price of Rs 8.99 lakh, going all the way up to 16.99 lakh (ex-showroom), it’s going to give its competition a run for their money.

Also Read – Kia Carens: The New Legit 6-Seater 

Kia will be offering the MPV in both 6- and 7-seater layouts, spread across five different variants: Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury, and Luxury Plus.

Take one look at the Carens and you’ll notice it’s unlike any other offerings in Kia’s catalogue. For starters, it doesn’t get Kia’s iconic “Tiger nose” grille. Instead, you get a sleeker design, with a raised unibrow-like motif. It’s flanked by LED headlamps and DRLs. To spice things up, there’s a dash of chrome added to the front bumper, and the swanky dual-tone 16-inch alloy wheels

While the bodywork is “rugged” enough for our market, the theme is to keep things subtle and drama-free. And the Kia Carens design pays attention to that.

Step inside and you’ll find all the necessary bells and whistles, including air-con vents for all three rows and segment-first electric-assisted tumble function for the second row. Higher-spec variants get additional goodies like a large 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Along with automatic climate control, keyless entry, cruise control, you also get a Bose sound system, 64-colour ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, and an electric sunroof. Safety here is taken care of by six airbags, electronic stability control, tyre pressure monitoring and hill descent control.

The Kia Carens is based on the same platform as the Seltos. However, Kia has stretched its length by 225mm, and wheelbase by 160mm, to accommodate more space. This has also helped it in giving it a distinctive look, compared to its SUV sibling.

Under the hood, you have three options to choose from. A 1.5-litre petrol mill (115hp/144Nm) with a 6-speed manual, a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol motor (140hp/242Nm) with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT, and the 1.5-litre diesel engine (115hp/250Nm), which also comes with a 6-speed manual or automatic.

While the turbo-petrol and diesel engine can be accessed across all variants, the 1.5 petrol engine is only limited to the Premium and Prestige variants.