High ground clearance, a wide cabin and tall stance all mean that the Carens glides over bad roads with ease and comfort and an engine performance that is adequate in terms of the power of this vehicle, says Pavan Lall.
India may see its busiest EV festive season in 2025 with SUVs, luxury cars and scooters set to launch, but rare-earth supply bottlenecks risk delaying rollouts.
South Korean carmaker Kia was on Tuesday declared the top mass-market performer in the overall customer experience index (CEI), an annual survey done by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada) to assess and quantify customer experience across 97 parameters related to sales, product, and after-sales quality. Fada conducted this survey in collaboration with consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, with a sample size of 8,685 respondents.
Kia India unveiled its new purpose-built vehicle version of the Kia Caren at the Auto Expo 2023.
The Carens is a warning for cars such as the Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, Maruti Ertiga, Toyota Innova Crista and Mahindra XUV 700, because Kia punches much harder than others in its weight category.
Suspension that has fully acclimatised to Indian roads and handles potholes and bumps with ease, plush interiors that feel premium beyond just surface level, and aggressive and imposing design cues give this SUV a presence and profile that has little competition, says Pavan Lall.
'India is the sixth-largest market for the Kia Corporation, and contributes 8 to 9 per cent to our global sales.' 'We are eyeing 10 per cent market share over the next few years depending on customer demand and new product innovations.'