Kia Carens diesel manual test drive: First impressions

For reference, I currently drive the Hyundai Creta 1.5 diesel

BHPian Sahilrai166 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Got a chance to drive the KIA CARENS 1.5 Diesel manual in the city and highway:

• 1.5-litre diesel is just about adequate and even with only three passengers, the car felt slightly underpowered.
• The diesel engine has no mid-range punch (I drive a 1.5 Diesel Creta)
• MID was showing an average of 15 km/l for a 15 km drive. (The car was brand new with less than 100 km on the odo)
• Suspension setup is on the softer side and my friend sitting in the middle row felt comfortable even on bad patches of road.
• Clutch is on the softer side coupled with a smooth gearbox.
• SA hints that the car will be priced around Rs 12-18 lakhs, ex-showroom.
• Overall the car looked better in person than in photos. But the rear part looks almost like a hatchback.

Coming to the interior part

• Space management is excellent. I am 5’10 and I could easily sit in the last row even for a long trip.
• Interior design looks better than the Alcazar. The use of piano black inserts in the dashboard and the steering-mounted buttons look upmarket.
• One touch button tumble mechanism looks a lot better than the traditional ones used in most of the 7 seaters.
• Offering all the safety equipment from the base variant is a big plus.
• 360 camera and the electrically adjustable seat has been given a miss compared to the similarly priced Seltos.

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