In June, Kia Philippines mentioned that it will be bringing in four new models in the coming months: one electric vehicle, one hybrid, and a pair of combustion-engined vehicles. We guessed then that the Kia Carens, which was first launched in India in 2021, could be among these new entries.
The seven-seater’s recent Indonesian debut earlier could mean it’s headed to the Philippine market soon.
Our ASEAN neighbor gets two powertrain options. The first is the 138hp, 242Nm 1.4-liter Kappa turbopetrol engine, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. More likely, our market will get the 1.5-liter Smartstream gasoline straight-four with 113hp and 144Nm, which drives the front wheels via the Hyundai Group’s Intelligent Variable Transmission. Does that sound familiar? It’s the same combo as the Stargazer we have, and similar to the powertrains of all other entry-level seven-seaters already enjoying tremendous popularity in our market.
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Aside from the usual seven-seat configuration, the Indonesian market also has a six-seat (2+2+2) version for the higher variants, with captain chairs in the second row. Whichever trim level you get, a sunroof, auto A/C controls, a wireless charger, an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen with Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and an eight-speaker Bose system (!) are standard across the range.
For safety, the Indonesian spec sheet lists six airbags, hill-start assist, downhill braking control, and electronic stability control as standard. There’s no mention of a suite of safety features like Hyundai SmartSense on our top-spec Stargazer, which comprises features like forward-collision avoidance, lane-follow and lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alert. Most competitors have this sort of kit in their range-toppers.
After they look at pricing, quite a few local car buyers anchor their purchase decisions on a car’s looks, and Kia has made good use of its corporate design cues to give the Carens a distinct appearance from its competitors. It might not look as boldly futuristic as the Stargazer or as traditionally people-pleasing as the Honda BR-V or the Toyota Veloz, but those front and rear lighting signatures make it easily recognizable as a Kia, with elements that are similar to those found on the Seltos and the Sportage.
So, should it be brought into the Philippine market? To see what it’ll be up against, check out our Big Test—more like Mega Test—of the Honda BR-V, the Hyundai Stargazer, the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, and the Toyota Veloz.
More photos of the Kia Carens 2024:
