[searacer932]

Lot of comments that the Carens is based on Sonet and not Seltos but there are also comments which say that both the Seltos and Sonet are based on K2 platform and hence the Carens is also based on K2 platform.

However I believe that there are differences between the Seltos platform and the Sonet platform and I think these two cars are based on two different platforms as highlighted by @RSR in his excellent thread as below.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4937682 (Are Indian Kias different from developed-market Kias? If so, how?)

[kmadhok]

Originally Posted by X-Factor

Slightly off topic, but hearing a lot of comments and doubts on the durability of Hyundai/Kia 7 Speed DCT gearbox. What is the basis of these concerns, is this a problem with dual clutch transmission in general or specific to this gearbox. Can someone advise how long this gear box has been in our market and any real life feedback available regarding the technical issues and related maintenance cost/experience with this gearbox?

Since this is the same gearbox used in Seltos you can search the forum for DCT problems and find the threads. A thread I read, mentioned the gearbox needed to be replaced under warranty post which it was niggle free.
DCT has to be handled with little more care. May overheat in slow traffic when creeping. Again other posts and threads in the forum have more details

Originally Posted by pseudo_coder

Has anyone changed their variant agyer booking? I did, and the waiting period increased from 8 weeks to 15 weeks. I am told that variant change is considered as a fresh booking, exactly like Mahindra's policy for XUV700. But sadly, I didn't know this im advance, like I did for XUV700.

This is mentioned in the booking docket. There is some clause around some changes within 7 days.

[Venkatesh]

Hardeep Singh Brar, VP and head of sales and marketing, Kia India said,

“We have shared a lot of the Carens’ parts with the Seltos. So, the overall economies of scale have really helped us in managing the price point,”

"Customers are really getting impressed with the last row space [in the Carens], which they don’t get in those [three-row] SUVs that are essentially an extension of an existing 5-seater SUV," commented Brar. “The Carens is built from scratch. Unlike other three-row models in the market, it is not an extension of anything. This has given us a big advantage.”

Source

[Sebring]

Will Kia offer this light colour seat cover as an accessory to the PRESTIGE buyer (Currently BLACK)? This colour is available on the top end. SA said, "it is possible", but not sure if they're saying this just to land a sale

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Will Kia offer this light colour seat cover as an accessory to the PRESTIGE buyer (Currently BLACK)? This colour is available on the top end. SA said, "it is possible", but not sure if they're saying this just to land a sale

Seat covers will be available as a spare with dedicated part number. So one can procure and install it at any point

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Will Kia offer this light colour seat cover as an accessory to the PRESTIGE buyer (Currently BLACK)? This colour is available on the top end. SA said, "it is possible", but not sure if they're saying this just to land a sale

I think with the Carens it'll not be possible because all variants are getting 6 airbags

[Bh.P]

I checked out the Carens this past Friday. Could not get a test drive since it was past 6:00 PM.
Some quick observations:
1. The doors vibrate a LOT when closed shut. Not sure if this was because the rear window was half open in the display car. Overall gave a feeling the car is very tinny.
2. The second row middle seat is very hard and uncomfortable. Not good for a long journey. Since my main requirement is for 6 seats with some luggage carrying capacity, I will need all 3 seats in the second row usable and comfortable (so I can fold one of the third row seats for luggage). This seems like a deal breaker to me.

[swami]

Originally Posted by Bh.P

2. The second row middle seat is very hard and uncomfortable. Not good for a long journey. Since my main requirement is for 6 seats with some luggage carrying capacity, I will need all 3 seats in the second row usable and comfortable (so I can fold one of the third row seats for luggage). This seems like a deal breaker to me.

I have a similar requirement. Which other cars in this segment or +/- 1 this segment are you looking at that satisfy this requirement?

[Bh.P]

Originally Posted by swami

I have a similar requirement. Which other cars in this segment or +/- 1 this segment are you looking at that satisfy this requirement?

Before checking the Carens out, we test drove the XYV700. The first and second row seats are supremely comfortable. The third row is good for people in my family (~5'4"). So that seemed like a better choice.
I am yet to try out others (Safari, Alcazar, Innova)

[adg]

Has anyone here booked Carens from ASB Kia Ghaziabad? I booked LPlus D AT. Wanted to check if they have communicated anything regarding deliveries.

Is this OT?

[ant_vas]

Originally Posted by RedMaw

As others mentioned, welding points stick out like a sore thumb.

Attachment 2273920

I was in the showroom today to finalize my carens delivery and observed this welding point on Carnes. Then instinctively checked the Sonet parked besides and found the welding joint there too! Didn't verify it with a Seltos but learned people of this forum can confirm on that.

So the question is: Is that a design principle of all Kia vehicles?

Also, Kia has so many booking for premium and prestige variants that the delivery timelines have jumped to 15 months post price announcement. The showrooms are crowded like market on weekends with lots of families showing interest in the premium/prestige variants.

[swami]

Originally Posted by ant_vas

I was in the showroom today to finalize my carens delivery and observed this welding point on Carnes. Then instinctively checked the Sonet parked besides and found the welding joint there too! Didn't verify it with a Seltos but learned people of this forum can confirm on that.
So the question is: Is that a design principle of all Kia vehicles?

I have a Santro and noticed the weld on the door frame after people highlighted it in the Carens. Before that had never noticed it!!

[NAVREVV]

Test drove the Luxury plus 7 DCT trim. Dealer didn’t have Diesel AT for TD. Petrol DCT seemed to have adequate power to pull 7 people with luggage on board.

Cons:-

1. In 7 seater option, 2nd row middle seat is attached with left side seat hence if you recline your left seat all the way down, middle seat which is also having cup holder gets lifted up in a rather funny way so if you are having a cold drink can placed in it, it might get spilled. I found it rather weird and funny.
2. Window glass quality was bad. Razor thin glasses.
3. Rear blinds weren’t going all the way in. Some portion had to be manually slid into the slot. Quality issue?
4. Front design is rather too weak to my liking and not a butch looking stance. I quite liked the solid presence of Hector plus or even Seltos.

Rest I found the car to be ok in-terms of value it’s offering.

[guru_to_be]

TD again today both Diesel AT and Petrol DCT back to back.

Now confused between the both. I have already booked Petrol DCT and have one day left to change if I want.

Petrol DCT is well powered. Pulls really well and is really silent. Its eager to be pulled. Tried for a few Kms at slow speeds to gain mileage within City and yet it only comes till about 9kmpl max. The other worry is long term reliability of DCT. I think I am an experienced driver and won’t screw up with DCT so not worried of heating issues etc but just general long term reliability and replacement costs! Should I be concerned?

I am buying a 7 seater cause we might increase our travel and go places so the overall running would increase and might go upto 2500 kms a month from current 1500 kms a month on average.

Diesel AT although adequately powered obviously is not as powerful as petrol DCT. Has better fuel efficiency and is more reliable for long journeys. Power could be less in hilly areas but then again the problem would only be felt occasionally. So I believe thats ok? The worry is that Diesel might not hold any resale value after 5 odd years considering the market shift?

Thinking if I should change to Diesel AT or stick with Petrol DCT!

[achintatri]

Originally Posted by guru_to_be

TD again today both Diesel AT and Petrol DCT back to back.

Now confused between the both. I have already booked Petrol DCT and have one day left to change if I want.

Petrol DCT is well powered. Pulls really well and is really silent. Its eager to be pulled. Tried for a few Kms at slow speeds to gain mileage within City and yet it only comes till about 9kmpl max. The other worry is long term reliability of DCT. I think I am an experienced driver and won’t screw up with DCT so not worried of heating issues etc but just general long term reliability and replacement costs! Should I be concerned?

I am buying a 7 seater cause we might increase our travel and go places so the overall running would increase and might go upto 2500 kms a month from current 1500 kms a month on average.

Diesel AT although adequately powered obviously is not as powerful as petrol DCT. Has better fuel efficiency and is more reliable for long journeys. Power could be less in hilly areas but then again the problem would only be felt occasionally. So I believe thats ok? The worry is that Diesel might not hold any resale value after 5 odd years considering the market shift?

Thinking if I should change to Diesel AT or stick with Petrol DCT!

I don't think you should be worrying about the resale value after 5 years. Kia carens is filling in a segment that doesn't seem to exist in India considering the features it is offering and the gaps that it is filling. Infact, Maruti might catch up with features of Carens in next 5 years but that would only be for Petrol engines since they don't seem to have any plans for diesel engines any more. That means that those who would be looking for diesel MPVs would still be looking at Carens (Considering equation for Innova will not change much for its high cost even in the resale value).
So Diesel definitely looks a good choice. I wanted to book 1.4 DCT and can even save 2.5 Lakhs by opting for the prestige plus (most VFM variant) but after doing some research on the dct, I concluded that it is a risky affair and the trade-off by opting for diesel AT (unfortunately only available in the highest trim) for less power (although adequate torque) is still better than the risk of putting my money on the unreliability of dct gear box.

You might not get the fun factor of driving a turbo dct 1.4 petrol engine but if you are moving with family say senior citizens and or kids, how often would you want to drive your mpv/rv (Say Carens) like an SUV say Seltos or Harrier or XUV700?

On the other hand, if you need to keep the vehicle for short term and often enjoy fun drives with friends of similar age and driving tastes, you might want to consider dct so that your warranty can take care of any dct related issues and you can drive with peace of mind.

Also as a thumb rule, a lot of members generally suggest diesel engines in case your monthly running is high.