Exclusive: Kia Wants Nothing Less Than A 4-Star Safety Rating For The Carens

… and Kia is confident it will succeed thanks to the smorgasbord of safety features it has thrown into the Carens

Update: The Kia Carens has received an average 3-star rating in Global NCAP crash tests.

• Standard safety kit includes six airbags, electronic stability control, and traction control.

• To be offered with the same petrol and diesel engines as the Seltos.

• For reference, the Seltos had received a 3-star rating when it was crash-tested in 2020.

• Expected to be priced between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom).

Kia’s fourth product for India, the Carens, is being readied for its launch this month. The MPV’s numerous safety features, many of which are available as standard, have become a talking point since its unveiling. Now, as per a leaked document, Kia is aiming for a minimum 4-star crash test rating at the Global NCAP for the Carens. The well-equipped safety net of the Carens justifies why the carmaker might be targeting this feat.

If the Carens does manage to achieve this 4-star score or above, it would mean the MPV fared better in the tests than the Seltos (on which it is based) and even the Maruti Ertiga, both of which had secured 3 stars each when they were crash-tested back in 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Mahindra Marazzo, a Carens rival, had scored 4 stars in Global NCAP’s 2018 crash test round.

*based on leaked document

The Carens’ standard safety package includes six airbags, electronic stability control, downhill brake control, hill-start assist, and traction control. Its safety net also includes ISOFIX child seat anchorages, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and rear parking sensors. The leaked document also suggests that Kia has used a lot of high strength steel in the Carens’ construction for a stronger structure.

• Why 6 Airbags Will Only Make A Small Impact On Improving Car Safety In India

• What Does Your Car’s NCAP Safety Rating Really Mean?

• Kia Carens Reaches Dealerships Ahead Of Launch

Kia will be providing the MPV with the same petrol and diesel engines as the Seltos: a 115PS/144Nm 1.5-litre petrol, a 140PS/242Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, and a 115PS/250Nm 1.5-litre diesel. A 6-speed manual gearbox will be offered as standard with all three engines. If you want an automatic option, the 1.4-litre turbocharged and the 1.5-litre diesel engines will get a 7-speed DCT (dual-clutch transmission) and a 6-speed torque converter, respectively. We recently got our hands on the powertrain-wise mileage figures of the MPV.

The Carens is expected to be priced from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom). It will take on the MG Hector Plus, Hyundai Alcazar, Tata Safari, and Mahindra XUV700 as well as other MPVs like the Mahindra Marazzo and the Maruti Ertiga-XL6 duo.