In the latest bout of crash tests of India-made cars conducted by Global NCAP, Kia Carens was tested twice. In its first attempt, the MPV from the Korean car brand scored 0 stars in the adult safety rating whereas in the second attempt, it managed to score 3 stars in adult occupancy.
While in the first attempt, MPV scored an impressive 4-star rating, in the second attempt Carens outshone with a perfect 5-star safety rating for child occupancy. Taking note of the low scores achieved in the first attempt, Kia made some structural changes in the Carens and volunteered for the second test. The Korean carmaker made some changes to improve the neck performance, improving the restraint systems.
It is interesting to note that the units of Carens tested by Global NCAP have different production dates. The first unit tested was produced on 2 May 2023 whereas the second unit was rolled out from the assembly line on 11 December 2023. We are yet to figure out the exact differences between models manufactured in May and the ones produced in December, but we expect Kia to respond on the same.
Kia Carens Global NCAP crash test details
In the first test, Carens scored 0 points in adult occupancy protection (AOP) whereas in the latest crash test the MPV scored 22 points out of 34. However Global NCAP revealed that they “were expecting a better performance in the retest given the Carens is fitted with six airbags as standard.”
In both tests, the bodyshell integrity in the frontal impacts was considered unstable and incapable of withstanding further loadings. Further, no side pole impact test was conducted on Carens due to the 3-star rating. Child occupant protection showed improvements by implementing i-Size approval for CRS and offering standard 3 points belt in all seating positions.
The standard safety package on Carens include six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), brake assist, hill hold assist, all-wheel disc brakes, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and rear parking sensors.