71 Customised Kia Carens MPVs Now Part Of The Punjab Police Fleet

These purpose built Kia Carens MPVs get the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with the 6-speed manual transmission

• The specially customised Carens MPV comes with high intensity strobe lights and a public address system.

• It is also equipped with a higher capacity 60 Ah battery to power additionally fitted equipment on the police version of the Carens.

• The Carens also comes with special Punjab police stickers and ‘Dial 112’ body decals.

The purposefully modified Kia Carens MPVs were initially showcased at the Auto Expo 2023 in two versions : a police vehicle and an ambulance. Recently, the purpose-built vehicle (PBV) version of the Carens was also displayed at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024. Kia has now delivered 71 specially customised Carens MPVs to the Punjab police. They will serve as emergency response vehicles, meant for providing assistance to citizens.

How It Looks

Although Kia hasn't made any changes to the bodywork of this purpose-built version of the Carens, it features specific Punjab Police stickers on the doors, bonnet, and bumper, as well as 'Dial 112' emergency response decals. Additionally, high-intensity strobe lights are mounted on the roof, as typically seen on police vehicles. We can also spot the large antenna, likely for police radio communications over an extended distance.

This police version of the Kia Carens comes with 15-inch steel wheels suggesting that it’s based on the base-spec Premium variant.

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Changes Made To The Vehicle

The modified Kia Carens delivered to the Punjab police comes in a 7-seater configuration. It features semi-leatherette seat upholstery, and the biggest change here would be the public address system likely mounted to the centre console. It features 60:40 split folding second-row seats, while the third row can be split-fold into a 50:50 ratio, same as the regular version of the MPV. This police version of the Carens also gets roof mounted AC vents for the second and third-row, and all four power windows for the added convenience. Additionally, all three rows are equipped with adjustable headrests, a 12V Power Socket, and 5 USB Type-C Ports.

The customised version of the Carens comes with a bigger 60 Ah battery to run the additionally fitted equipment. Kia has also equipped it with features such as a semi-digital driver’s display, idle engine start/stop, while its safety kit includes  6 airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, electronic stability control, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

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Carens Powertrain Details

This police version of the Kia Carens is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine which makes 115 PS and 144 Nm. The unit is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

For private buyers, the Kia Carens offers two more engine options: a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol (160 PS / 253 Nm) mated to either a 6-speed iMT (manual transmission without clutch pedal) or a 7-speed DCT (dual clutch automatic transmission), and a 1.5-litre diesel engine (116 PS / 250 Nm) paired with either a 6-speed iMT or a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Prices & Rivals

Kia hasn’t revealed the price range for the purpose built version of the Carens, but the regular version of the Kia MPV is priced between Rs 10.45 lakh and Rs 19.45 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Carens can be considered a premium alternative to the Maruti Ertiga/ Toyota Rumion, or as an affordable alternative to the Toyota Innova Crysta and Toyota Innova Hycross/ Maruti Invicto.

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