The battle between sisters; Kia and Hyundai, has always been fierce. From the time of Seltos and Creta to Venue and Sonet; this war proved very beneficial for the buyers. With 2022 right around the corner, the batons have now been passed to Carens and Alcazar. While the latter was released in mid-2021 and has gained experience of the Indian roads, the former brings with it something new and different from its distinct relative. We strongly believe that the Kia Carens has some tricks up its sleeve to de-thrown the Hyundai Alcazar. Here are the 5 reasons to support our claim:
Design
Kia Carens is a brand-new car, with a brand-new look. It is indeed based on the same platform as the Seltos, but it gets a refreshed look all around. It is not the slightest bit like the Seltos. It gets a new and modified tiger nose design of the front, with a bold and edgy appearance. Owing to the latest design philosophy by Kia, the car looks like an amalgamation of an MPV with SUV styling bits. The Hyundai Alcazar also has a bold appearance, but it looks too similar to the Creta. Though Hyundai has put in some efforts to make it look different from Creta, the overall design theme remains the same. The same goes for the interior where the entire dashboard layout is picked out of the Creta.
Interiors/Cabin Space
Carens gets a more sophisticated interior. Unlike the Alcazar, Carens has a wrap-around dashboard, with a piano black finish. It looks much simpler and clean in terms of the vent and button layout. The dashboard on the Alcazar looks busy and does not offer features like ventilated cupholders or a storage bin large enough to accommodate three water bottles. Moreover, Kia claims that Carens has the longest wheelbase in the MPV segment, and thus, it will offer the most luxurious 3rd row as compared to all its rivals. Additionally, the Carens offers a one-touch electronic tumble seat for easier access to the last row.
Multiple-Engine and Transmission Options
Hyundai Alcazar offers only two engine options to the buyers; a 2.0L naturally aspirated petrol and a 1.5L diesel. Furthermore, it offers only two transmission options, either a 6-Speed manual or a torque converter automatic. Carens offers far more options to choose from in terms of engines and transmission. It is offered with three engine options; a 1.5L petrol, a 1.4L petrol, and a 1.5L Diesel. It also offers four transmission options; 6-Speed manual, 6-Speed automatic, CVT, iMT, and a DCT.
Also read: Kia Carens Globally Unveiled!
Turbo Petrol powertrain
While the Alcazar does offer a higher capacity 2.0L petrol engine that puts out 157BHP and 191Nm of torque, Carens offers a turbo petrol option. Carens gets a 1.4L turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 140BHP and 242Nm of torque. Having such good power figures with close to 250Nm of torque coupling this engine to DCT will make sure that Carens MPV is quick.
Safety Features
The safety features of Carens and Alcazar are neck and neck. Both cars offer all-around disc brakes, dual airbags, ABS, EBD, ESC, HSA, TMPS, auto-dimming IRVM, rear defogger and wiper, rear parking sensors, rear parking camera, and ISOFIX child seat anchors. But Carens takes the leads thanks to its 6-Airbags standard across all variants compared to 2-Airbags on the Alcazar. The Carens also gets hill descent control as standard.
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