Kia CARENS
Koreas Value For Money Approach Has Now Been Applied To The
Mini-MPV. June Neary Takes A Look
When it comes to meeting the needs of small but growing families, the major vehicle makers seem to agree on one thing: mini-MPV people carriers are the Next Big Thing. That means
Renault Scenic-sized cars like the
Kia Carens featured here. So how many seats should a vehicle like this have? Five (like the Scenic, the
Mazda Premacy or the
Nissan Almera Tino)? Or six (like the
Fiat Multipla or Toyotas Picnic)? Or even the seven, which the
Vauxhall Zafira can manage at a squeeze? The answer depends on your priorities of course, but its useful that the Kia alone offers the option at the showroom stage of going for either five or six seats. Its also interesting that it looks remarkably like the
Toyota Picnic.
The second row of seats has been redesigned to incorporate three-point seatbelts and a central head restraint. It also splits 60/40 down to a flat floor. Pop the load area floor up and youll reveal a removable luggage tray that helps solve one perpetual mini-MPV concern security. This can be used to keep valuables out of sight or alternatively as an easily washable container for dirty boots or sandy beach wear.
| Build |
 |
| Comfort |
 |
| Depreciation |
|
| Economy |
|
| Equipment |
 |
| Handling |
|
| Insurance |
|
| Performance |
|
| Styling |
|
| Value |
 |
The six-seater version is probably a better bet though two large adults wouldnt want to be in the rearmost places for long. Use all the passenger room and youll struggle for luggage space so save up for a roof box or consider Kias larger Sedona MPV.
The cabin has been redesigned for greater flexibility; one area where the Carens lagged behind newer and more ingenious rivals. The fascia has been revised with metal grain trim, a smarter steering wheel and instrument cluster and restyled door trim featuring a map and bottle holder. The materials quality has been beefed up considerably. Probably the most sincere compliment it can receive is that few who sampled it identified it as the cheapest true
mini-MPV on sale.
On the road, the Carens 2.0-litre diesel engine seemed willing enough. It develops a useful 112bhp and plenty of pulling power via a light but rather vague-feeling five-speed gearbox. Id expect to average around 29mpg around town and 40mpg overall, figures that should fall significantly should I opt for the four-speed automatic.
The sub-£11,000 price tag buys you only the fairly basic Carens LX model. But even the plusher £11,995 LE manages to undercut the most weedily-powered, stripped-out versions of its two main European rivals. If youre concerned that shopping at the bottom of the market means making economies on safety equipment, you can rest assured that
Kia, as the adverts proclaim, cares. The entry-level Carens LX features anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, ISOFIX child
seat fixings, front seat belt pretensioners and load limiters and twin front airbags.
To this the LE adds side airbags and parking distance sensors. Passive safety has been augmented across the range, benefiting from extensive computer simulations into real-world accident scenarios. This has led to the bodyshell being strengthened in key areas, vastly improving the Carens protection against frontal collision, side impact and rollover.
In some ways the Kia Carens falls short of the standards set by the European makers. But just think of the price. If you take that approach, youll be getting a brand new mini-MPV with room for a family for less than the second-hand price of most rivals. Small wonder, then, that this model is already Koreas second-best selling car.
<< Back to Kia car reviews
<< Back to car reviews homepage
Find New & Used Cars in the UK |
New & Used Kia Cars For Sale UK
