Kia Carens To Star In Sydney

The Carens show model is being shipped to Australia (where it will go on sale later as the Kia Rondo) so that it can appear on the Kia Motors stand.

The new Carens has been completely redesigned from the ground up, featuring even more space and versatility.

In reducing the overall length of the new Carens by 20mm, Kia has seemingly done the impossible by making it even roomier than the model it replaces, providing ample room for up to seven people.

Clever packaging and sophisticated design elements are how Kia’s Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer describes the achievement.

The trick, he says, is in the combination of increased wheelbase (up by 50 mm) and cab-forward design, which places the base of the A-pillar above the front-wheel centre line, thus boosting effective passenger space and legroom in the three rows of seats. And just as cleverly, Schreyer and his design team have managed to create a car with highly balanced and contemporary styling, which are now a hallmark of Kia’s new and distinctive design DNA.

Both Schreyer and Gregory Guillaume, Kia’s Chief Designer Europe, are candid when discussing the design of the Carens. “A vehicle like the Carens is probably one of the hardest of all to get right because we are very tightly constrained by the car’s functionality,” says Guillaume. “The packaging versatility cannot in any way be compromised by the design of the car, because to do so would eradicate the car’s raison d'être.”

The new Carens features a very versatile interior, including a front passenger seat backrest that can fold forward to create a picnic/work top, a second row of three individual sliding/folding seats split 33/33/33 and a third row of seats that split 50/50 and fold flat into the boot floor when not required.

Among the thoughtful design ideas is a hidden storage area in the floor just behind the front seats, where handbags and other items can be stowed out of view.

Unlike many conventional people-movers, the new Carens sports opening rear doors, rather than sliding doors, due to buyer preference, yet still providing easy entry/exit.

Kia is specifying four engine choices for international markets, including two versions of the 1.7-litre diesel engine, a 1.6-litre GDI petrol engine and a 2-litre petrol engine. It will come with either 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions.

New Carens will continue the Kia tradition of providing a high specification levels and the latest technology, such as LED daytime running lights and Smart Park Assist, which automatically guides the car into a parallel parking space.

Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand is currently reviewing the new Carens to determine if the model is right for our market.

“With the general demise of traditional station wagons in recent years, Carens is a very attractive, multi-purpose vehicle that would suit our market – it’s a very handy size, being a little larger than a Cerato hatchback,” he says.