Kia recently took the wraps off the new Carens which is likely to launch soon. It will rival other three-row offerings in the country, like the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Toyota Innova Crysta and its direct competition would most likely be the Hyundai Alcazar. The Alcazar seems to share many qualities with Kia’s fourth product in India. A list of details about the Carens remain under wraps but we could compare the two based on all we know so far.
What’s very similar about the Carens and Alcazar is the fact that the Alcazar is based on Hyundai’s five-seat SUV Creta and the Carens on Kia’s five-seat SUV Seltos. Both the Carens and Alcazar will be substantially more loaded on features compared to thier smaller siblings.
Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar: Dimensions
The Carens is 4,540 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, 1,708 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,780 mm. While the wheelbase is the same as the Alcazar, the Carens is 40 mm longer, 10 mm wider and 33 mm taller.
Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar: Engines
Hyundai Alcazar gets two engine options – a 2.0-litre u3 petrol and a 1.5-litre CRDi diesel, which come with the option of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. It shares the diesel engine with the Creta and makes 115 PS and 250 Nm. The petrol engine on it has been tweaked to produce more power than it does in the Hyundai Tucson.
The Carens will come with the same engine options at the Seltos. For the diesel variants, it will get a 1.5-litre engine that makes 115 Ps and 250 Nm, paired with either a six-speed manual or a torque converter. It will also have the option of a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol that makes 115 PS and 144 Nm, paired with a manual gearbox. The top-spec engine spec is the 1.4-litre turbo petrol that makes 140 PS and 242 Nm, paired with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DCT.
Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar: Interior and features
Kia Carens comes with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The dash has a mix of buttons and capacitative touch panels for the infotainment shortcuts and climate controls. The steering wheel a familiar Kia unit from the Seltos. It gets headline mounted aircon vents, inbuilt bottle holders, second row tray tables, and tumble fold second row seats. Other features include eight-speaker Bose audio, 64-colour ambient lighting, climate control, ventilated front seats, and Kia Connect for connected car features.
The Alcazar gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with new connected car features. It boasts a 360-degree parking camera, the feed from which is also displayed on the instrument cluster dials each time left or right indicators are switched on. The six-seat variants also get a fixed centre armrest with wireless charging pad and cup holders for middle row occupants.
Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar: Price
Hyundai Alcazar comes three trim levels – Platinum, Prestige and Signature with petrol and diesel engine options. The prices for the Alcazar start at Rs 16.34 lakh and stretch up to Rs 20.14 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Kia Carens, which is likely to launch by February-March this year, is expected to be priced between Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom).
