Kia Carens vs Maruti XL6 vs Maruti Ertiga

Mahindra Marazzo & Hyundai Alcazar are also a part of this comparison.

BHPian Aditya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Kia Carens

What you'll like

• Fresh styling that will appeal to a larger audience (unlike the polarising Alcazar)
• A practical & sensible 3-row family car that's well-built. 3rd-row seat is actually useable
• User-friendly interiors look really good (blue shade is awesome) and have quality parts
• 1.4L turbo petrol with 7-speed DCT offers more than adequate performance. Extremely refined too
• Economical 1.5L diesel is available in MT & AT variants. Offers good driveability
• Impressive ride quality with neutral car-like road manners
• The Carens' safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS etc as standard.

What you won't

• 2nd-row legroom is just ordinary, despite the seat travel of the 1st-row being restricted
• Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment
• Reliability of the 7-speed DCT in a heavier car is a concern
• Unknown safety rating. The Seltos just barely managed a 3-star Global NCAP rating!
• Some niceties missing vs the Alcazar - no 360-degree camera, no full virtual dials, no panoramic sunroof
• Competitors like the Tata Safari, MG Hector & XUV700 offer way more spacious cabins

Review Link

Maruti XL6

What you'll like

• A 6-seater MPV at the price of C segment sedans & some compact SUVs
• Maintains value proposition of the Ertiga, with a fair premium for the added features
• Comfortable captain seats & spacious cabin. Fantastic car for the chauffeur-driven
• A competent BS6 petrol; convenient automatic available as an option
• Car-like to drive and city-friendly size
• Features such as that sweet head-unit, LED auto-headlamps, cruise control & more
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experience

What you won't

• Diesel is not available. Heavy users will miss its low running costs
• Captain seat layout means just 2 people on the middle row
• Build, quality & refinement are ordinary for a million-rupee car. Not a “premium” Ertiga
• 4-speed Automatic gearbox feels old & outdated
• 3rd-row isn't for everyone as the 2nd-row doesn't tumble forward, making ingress / egress tricky
• Some missing features such as side airbags, auto-dimming IRVM, auto wipers etc.

Review Link

Maruti Ertiga

What you'll like

• A 7-seater MPV at the price of a C segment sedan. Sub 10-lakh petrol variants are well-priced
• Practical & spacious cabin, now with a usable 3rd row & larger boot
• A peppy petrol, efficient diesel & convenient automatic on offer = take your pick
• Car-like to drive and city-friendly size (unlike most other 7-seater MPVs)
• Features such as that sweet head-unit, projector headlamps, cooled cup-holders & more
• Dual airbags, ABS + EBD, Isofix anchors & parking sensors are standard. Automatic gets ESP too
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experience

What you won't

• Build, quality & refinement are strictly average for a million-rupee car
• Diesel is no longer available. Heavy users will miss its low running costs
• 3rd-row isn't for everyone as the 2nd-row doesn't tumble forward, making ingress / egress tricky
• 4-speed Automatic feels old & outdated. Not available in the top variant either
• Some missing features such as an auto-dimming IRVM and auto headlamps + wipers (expected at this price)
• Waiting periods are 5-9 months long for certain variants

Review Link

Mahindra Marazzo

What you'll like

• A clean looking Mahindra (for a change!) with a robust, abuse-friendly build
• Nice & roomy cabin. 1st & 2nd seat rows are spacious, while the captain seats are terrific
• A 3rd-row seat that can actually be used by adults
• 1.5L diesel offers good driveability & fuel economy. 6-speed MT is smooth to use
• Compliant ride quality with neutral road manners for an MUV
• Impressively refined & more carlike-to-drive than other body-on-frame UVs
• Dual airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, Isofix & ABS are standard
• Features such as 2 front armrests, adjustable lumbar support, rest Reminder, economy mode etc.

What you won't

• With the 3rd seat row in place, the boot is rather small for a vehicle of this size
• No petrol or automatic variants on sale. Almost all competitors have petrols and ATs in the line-up
• Some design errors such as the cramped engine bay (try accessing the battery) & hard-to-use handbrake
• Mahindra's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• Many important features missing (keyless entry & go, auto-dimming IRVM, leather-wrapped steering, telescopic steering adjustment, auto headlamps & wipers etc.)

Link to Official Review

Hyundai Alcazar

What you’ll like

• A 3-row family car that's well-built inside out
• User-friendly interiors look really good (brown shade is awesome) and have quality parts
• 2.0L NA petrol & 6-speed AT deliver a very smooth and refined driving experience
• Economical 1.5L diesel is available in MT & AT variants. Offers good driveability
• Comfortable ride quality with neutral road manners
• Unladen ground clearance of 200 mm is perfect for Indian roads
• The Alcazar's safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, auto-hold, TPMS etc.
• Impressive kit (fully digital instruments, 360-degree camera, 2nd-row wireless charger, panoramic sunroof, paddle shifters, Bose sound system, cooled seats & loads more)
• Hyundai's competent after-sales service & wide dealer network

What you won’t

• Oddball love-it-or-hate-it face. We find the Alcazar's front design to be weird & overdone
• 2nd-row legroom is mediocre (captain seat variant). Compromises have been made to accommodate the 3rd-row & boot
• 3rd-row seat is best suited to kids only. Not really a place for adults
• Rs. ~3 lakh OTR premium over the Creta on the higher variants is too much!
• Nothing for enthusiasts here. The 2.0 AT is tuned very conservatively
• Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment
• The Creta 1.4L DCT is a lot, lot more fun to drive
• Competitors like the Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus & XUV700 offer way more spacious cabins
• Some misses (no petrol AT 7-seater variant, auto wipers, illuminated window buttons, full-size spare tyre on top trims etc.)

Review Link

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Same size & same segment, I'd choose the Carens. Reason = Diesel AT (my favourite combination), comfortable ride quality & a useable 3rd row (why else would I buy an MPV).

The Marazzo is a phenomenal MPV, but MT is no longer my thing.

If I was open to something bigger & more expensive, I'd go for the XUV700.

Here's what BHPian Iyencar had to say about the matter:

I have a simple rule in this segment. If I have Innova money I’m buying an Innova. This won’t change until there is a safe, practical, automatic 7 seater that comes in at an equivalent or lower price.

Here's what BHPian SmartCat had to say about the matter:

I'd go with Maruti XL6:

• XL6 roof rails are functional (unlike Carens). So you can fix a roof box or roof bag for carrying luggage of 6 people.
• Carens AT variant has a much higher price point than XL6 AT variant.

Here's what BHPian ashis89 had to say about the matter:

Voted for something bigger.

I don't believe in a 'comfortable' 6/7 seater. Having done multiple long trips, including a few 1000-2000 kms long trips and spent considerable distance in the last row, I am NOT comfortable there. Nor would I want anyone else to spend considerable time in the last row.

My experience has been akin to being seated in the last row seats of a bus; if one has experienced it then they'll understand. And I haven't spoken about the leg space or the lack of access to a window. This is after being in the last row of Xylo, Ertiga, XUV 500, Innova and Crysta. The last row is best for local duties or occasional 50 km drive, IMO.

If I am in the market for an upgrade, I would look for a spacious 5 seater with a big boot. Here, the Harrier/XUV700/Crysta 7-str would meet the requirements where the last row is folded permanently.

If my budget doesn't allow the above, I would prefer a Creta/Seltos instead of the Carens. With the same engines but without having to carry the extra weight of the 7 seater (which I don't need), the performance would be better.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.