Carens of the first generation offered quite a lot for what was invested, but despite everything, it lagged behind the fierce European competition both in terms of external appearance, as well as in terms of interior space and content. These are precisely the aspects that Kia's experts tackled with a great deal of enthusiasm when changing the model and, judging by what we saw and drove, successfully.
From a design point of view, the Carens is light years away, or rather ahead, of its predecessor, as it is now much better tailored to the European buyer, and the sinister front end provides it with a sufficient amount of freshness and individuality.
The horizontal windshield ensures a harmonious continuation, and the side and rear of the vehicle are also above average dynamic. The designers managed to do this with minimal roof supports, which drag the lower height of the vehicle behind them, while the side and falling roofline, resulting in narrower side windows towards the rear. The rear is less interesting than the front, but we also missed it lights in LED technology.
READ MORE: Kia sorento – The third generation of the Korean SUV is even more prestigious and performing
The interior has gained about as much as the exterior, which means that passengers are greeted by a modern dashboard, with beautiful details and quality materials. Maybe it's just the first time for a shade of black and various shades of gray, but in this segment, color playfulness is the exception rather than the rule. The steering wheel is nice to look at as well as to the touch, a welcome addition steering wheel stiffness adjustment system, which offers three regimes, but there is less difference between them than we expected. The buttons for it, like many others, are scattered around the steering wheel, and the fact that there are quite a lot of buttons and where each one is actually located, you quickly get used to it. Only the cruise control could be digital, and it also reacts a bit harshly in carens.
The number of drawers and other storage surfaces is average, but they are all useful and convenient. The central screen is based on the fact that it "hides" a screen inside parking cameras, of average size, but the display of what is happening behind the vehicle is completely "ok". The camera also has rear parking aids for company, so you shouldn't have rear bumpers, but visibility to the sides (both forward and backward) is limited due to the bulky pillars. Due to the reduction of the side windows towards the rear, the brightness of the cabin itself is more average, and for those who are bothered by this, there is an additional charge on the list panoramic roof. In the second row, passengers are greeted by three separate seats that are easy to move, and the same applies to folding only these. Considering the single-compartment design, the only thing that bothers me is the fact that the center seat it does not have an isofix anchor point. There are also covered drawers in the floor, but the tables on the backs of the front seats are missing.
The smile on the face of the passengers is drawn when inspecting the standard equipment of the LX family package, we will not list everything, but we will highlight only the "sweets", namely heated front seats and a parking camera, and for navigation and xenon lights you have to pay an extra not too salty thousand (for each separately).
A weaker version was spinning under the hood 1.7 liter diesel, which develops 85 kW which is more than enough for the average driver, and we also praise the fact that it is six-speed gearbox unlike the ISG system serial already in this version. However, the limited power starts to be felt when you load the car, as the engine already has a lot of work to do when the engine is in medium gear and driving uphill. We took notes on the test consumption between 6.5 and seven liters, which is an encouraging figure considering the dimensions and weight.
Finally, when we include the price in the equation, we arrive at a typical situation for this brand. Namely, the price according to the price list is quite inflated, but when the buyer comes to the dealer, the latter offers him many discounts that add up to each other. this creates a good deal of confusion, and above all, when a potential buyer looks at the price list, the high price can also deter them from buying or even visiting the salon. The price of the test carens according to the price list amounted to salted 26,750 euros, which considering the content and also the competition is just a little too many, many discounts lower the price in the vicinity 20 thousand, which, considering everything, is a much more decent price.
More information at: kia.si
