Kia is all set to unveil its upcoming three-row vehicle, codenamed ‘KY’, on December 16. The upcoming model – expected to be named ‘Carens’ in India – will share its underpinnings with the Seltos, along with the powertrain options. New spy images of Kia Carens have emerged online, which clearly show us the SUV-ish proportions of the vehicle.
At the front, we see LED headlamps and LED foglamps, but the rest of the front fascia has
been covered. The side profile is quite boxy, with a flat bonnet and a
seemingly flat tailgate, although the rear section is heavily disguised to hide
the design details. The front windscreen is heavily sloped, adding a sporty
touch to the overall styling. In previous spy shots, we’ve also seen
sharp-looking LED taillights on the vehicle. The wheels are relatively tiny in
comparison to the body, which brings the design closer to MPV than SUV. Also,
the rear door is noticeably larger than the front, which should make it easy to
hop into the third row. Other than that, the vehicle gets roof rails and black
cladding on the wheelaches, for a rugged aesthetic.
The Carens is expected to be available in
both 6-seat and 7-seat configurations, the former offering captain chairs in
the middle row and the latter bench seats. There will be plenty of convenience
features on offer here, including a large touchscreen infotainment system,
power-operated ORVMs, heated/ventilated seats, automatic climate control, rear
parking camera, etc. The upcoming Kia Carens will likely get two engine options
– a 1.5-litre NA petrol unit and a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel unit. Both manual and
automatic transmission choices will be available on both the powertrains, at
least in the Indian market. In most foreign markets, only automatic
transmission options will be offered.
Kia Carens will go on sale in the Indian
market early next year, as a rival to Mahindra Marazzo and even the Maruti
Ertiga/XL6. It will be manufactured in India and exported to other countries.
Also, Hyundai is working on an MPV as well, based on the Carens, which is
expected to debut sometime during 2022.
