NEW 2023 KIA CARENS 1.5 TURBO REVIEW

Buying a car nowadays can get really confusing, meaning which car should we buy, the one which is more practical, which has a lot of features or the one which looks more beautiful. Well, what if you can get all that in a single package, yes, I am talking about the Kia Currents. The car is practical to its core, looks attractive and modern and is loaded to the brim with features. I have been driving the Currents for quite a few days and I am going to take you through all the details you need to know about this very car. I am Shubham Parashar, you are watching Park Plus, your car app and let's get going. Now, before we get behind the wheel of the Kia Currents, let's take a moment and see how the car looks like. Now, design obviously are subjective but in my opinion, I quite like the flat front end of the car and the EV flavour going on in its front design. This piano black treatment, you have quite a bold treatment right here, the applicants, the width of the face and also I like the contrast you see here. So, subtle chrome treatment on the black element right here and it quite nicely integrates the whole split headlight setup. Here, you get this arrow pattern in the DRLs and you have the LED unit headlamps right here integrated very nicely in the bumper. Also, you have chrome treatment on the bash plate right here, knurled finish and you know, quite a bold, chunky cladding as well. So, in terms of contrast, in terms of that SUVish flavour, you have that quite strongly in the Kia Currents. Just that the width of the face, you know, it looks a bit narrow, which can be a bit bothersome for some people but in my opinion, looks quite urban and quite classy. So, yes, it's a contemporary design and also the hood line is quite flat and it's not kept too busy. You don't have too many character lines, so that is one thing I like about the car and that was what about the front end. Let's see how the car looks in the profile. Now, the biggest USP of Kia Currents is the space management and practicality it offers on the inside. Could see how well the profile has been designed. If we talk about the wheelbase, it's class-leading at 2780mm. It's 30mm longer than the XUV700 and around 20mm longer than the Hyundai Alcazar. Whereas, it's length, 4540mm, is not that long. So, the space is managed because the overhangs are kept quite tight. The front overhangs are also quite tight and the rear overhangs are decently sized for, you know, good luggage space on the inside. Again, if we talk about the wheels, then 16-inch alloy wheels do you have. They are available in dual-tone finish but they look a bit small. In terms of ride quality, they score really well. 1708mm with roof rails is its height. That gives you a good headroom on the inside. And, if we talk about the width, it's 1800mm. In terms of space management, it's been highlighted quite well here. So, let's see how all that translates on the inside. How do we get space in all three rows? So, let's start with the second row experience. If I talk about space and comfort, then the seats are quite comfortable. We have the captain seat configuration right here. It's a six-seater configuration. Seven-seaters also come with carents where you get a bench seat. Now, if I talk about the captain seats, they are very comfortable. I have got good lumbar support. Cushioning is quite soft. So, you know, good for longer commutes. And, the under-thigh support is also quite good. Curved seat, the flat floor right here. So, I can spend long hours on these seats. So, very nice in those terms. I have ample knee room. Legroom, I can have more by tucking in my feet under this driving seat which is set according to my height. So, in terms of space, quite a decent space. And, that despite setting the second row seats to create some room for the third row passenger. Even after that, I get decent space here. So, good in those terms. Now, if I talk about width, then it feels a little narrow here. That would be for three passengers. For two, again, it's very comfortable. Now, if we talk about features, then I have separate AC vents here for all the passengers. I get controls here on the central console. Then, two type-C charging ports and small services to keep my belongings. If we talk about other features, then you get a parcel tray here for the left-side passenger. Now, he or she, they can use this table to work. They can use it as a laptop. Also, when the car is standing, they can use it to eat something. The air purifier is integrated behind the driving seat. And, you also get a rear sunblind here. Which is a feature that I quite like. Now, also, the glass house area of the second row is quite big. So, the sense of space on the inside is quite good. The passengers, they won't feel hemmed in. And, that is a big plus because you don't get a panoramic sunroof here. So, you only have a single sunroof. In terms of headroom, quite good in the Kia Currents. So, that is also one reason you don't feel clustered right here in this cabin. So, this would be the experience according to the second row seat. Let's see how passengers in the third row will feel like. Because, again, in terms of practicality, the promises are quite big there. Now, if we talk about the third row, then the first thing which will really feel convenient is single row access. On one touch, this seat gets tumbled. And, this wellhead door is quite big. So, going inside is quite easy for even people of my frame. So, if I talk about space in the third row, then even for a person of my frame, I can manage pretty long commutes right here in this seat. Because, the knee room here is just about adequate. And, I have got good under-thigh support thanks to the low floor again. So, the space management here looks quite good. Then, in terms of comfort, this glass house area is a little small. But, still, you have a good sense of space. Because, the cabin materials, the treatment, the coloured film is quite light. So, that helps. Here, I also have a recline position for the seat. So, I can recline the seat to make myself more comfortable. And, there are features as well. So, again, both the passengers get separate AC vents here. On both the sides, you get Type-C charging ports. And, you have storage space as well which can double up as armrests. So, in terms of comfort, even people of my frame can manage longer commutes even in this third row. And, what's even more impressive is that despite all the seats being up, you get 216 litres of boot space. So, the luggage can easily fit here. Like, I have a cabin luggage, a duffel bag, my laptop bag and a picnic basket right here. So, yes, even with all the seats up, good amount of luggage you can store. And, if you want to expand it, then you can simply fold these seats. And, you can open up a lot more luggage room to store more luggage. But, then, only four people can sit in the car. Now, on to the front row of the Kia Currents. And, I personally love this design because it looks very seamless and very flush. The integration of the touchscreen looks like a uni-panel in the dashboard. It looks like a single piece. So, I quite like this setup. And, I prefer this over the standalone touchscreens we have seen in modern cars these days. It's the same 10.25-inch unit that we have seen in Hyundai and Kia cars. It comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. But, it has wired connectivity, not the wireless connectivity one. And, the graphics are quite sharp. The response is quite good. And, it comes with the premium Bose surround sound system which is best in the business. Now, if I talk about the design, then I love the colour treatment. The contrast here, you know, based upholstery on the top, on the seats, below on the dashboard right here and on the central console. So, it enhances the sense of space you have inside this cabin. And, then you have good contrast in terms of piano black treatment. And, in the dashboard, you get a very good finish of piano black, even down on the dashboard around the aircon area. And, the steering wheel here is flat bottom and very premium to hold. So, overall, the sense of premiumness that is maintained inside this cabin. If I talk about the features, then you get a digital instrument cluster in the front. We have already talked about the touchscreen. Auto climate control you have and ventilated seats. Both the front seats come with ventilated operation. I also have a wireless charger here. We get cooled cup holders here. And, good amount of storage space in the central console to keep my wallet. I have a dedicated space. And, you get more storage space down here. Then, powered ORVMs you have here. Sunglass holder and a single-pane sunroof. Now, the headroom is quite good. The sunroof is not panoramic. But, again, there is no issue in the sense of space because you get a large glass house area at the back. And, there is another benefit of this. You can mount a carrier at the back of the roof if you want to have more space and with all the seats being occupied. So, yes, in terms of features, it's loaded to the brim. You get auto-dimming mirrors, which I forgot to mention. And, in terms of appeal, you know, it feels very premium. The sound system is quite good. The ambient lighting system is quite good. So, yes, quite a value for money cabin this is. Then, if we talk about the value for money quotient, then you have more practical touches. Like, you get very neatly integrated cup holders in the dashboard. And, you also get a ticket console on the driver's side. You get quite decent sized pockets in the door pockets to store big water bottles. And, the cup holders are of decent size to store flasks and bottle sanitizers. You can also keep the bottles easily. And, you get both reach and rake adjustment in the steering wheel. And, it feels very good to hold sporty flat bottom steering wheel here. So, yes, value for money quotient and premium quotient, both are really well taken care of. Also, what I quite like is that you have physical buttons. These toggle like switch for fan speed control and climate control operations. So, it's quite easy access. I like that these are not integrated in the touchscreen because that used to be a multi-process. And, you have ventilated seat operations right here as well. A very useful feature in the Kia Currents is park assist which assists you while reversing. And, there are front parking sensors to assist you in the front as well. Though, you don't get a 360-degree camera view here. You just get a rear camera view. And, finally, behind the wheel of the new Kia Currents that gets the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine now. But, still, this is an MPV. And, performance will be measured even better with more people on board. Come inside. Guys, seat belts. And, let's go. So, with all the rear seats occupied and five people on board, let's see how the Kia Currents 1.5 turbo feels like behind the wheel. Now, the new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, it belts out around 158bhp at 5500rpm and around 253Nm of peak torque at 1500rpm. So, yes, quite low, that is. You get very easy access, you know, when it comes to peak torque. And, you know, in terms of roll-on acceleration or in terms of when you are launching the car, when you are starting your drive, at that time, it feels, you know, very easy and the progression in speed comes in a very linear way. So, no head-knot as such, which, you know, is very comfortable in terms of driving nature as far as MPV standards are concerned. Now, you also get a very good positive feedback in power output because you can rev it till around 50-5300rpm and there is progression still. Yes, there is a little bit of engine growling, you can hear the engine noise, but, again, if you want to make quick overtakes on the highway, you know, it comes very easy. Obviously, we get drive modes. In Eco mode, I think, you will get a good fuel economy on the highway, but the progression in the speed is compromised to an extent and the cooling of the AC also reduces a little bit. So, normal mode is something which will give you a very balanced, you know, output in terms of power delivery and in terms of fuel economy. I am getting around 9.5 kmpl on the highway when I am in sport mode. Normally, you know, I was doing 13-13.5 kmpl with all the people being on board. In sport mode, now it's showing around 10 kmpl. So, in sport modes, the power delivery gets aggressive. You get maximum out of the engine and the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. So, that is something which, again, is a very positive in my book. Now, you get a very good linear power output here. In sport mode, overtaking comes very easy and paddle shifters are also there on the steering wheel. So, you know, if you want to make a quick move, you just need to do a downshift and the car responses quickly. So, in those terms, the feedback is very good. Now, what I really like is ride quality hasn't been compromised. Ride quality, from MPV point of view, is very good again. And I get a very comfortable drive there. On undulations, the car feels settled. 16-inch wheels obviously favour that ride quality. And there is so much load in the car. We have luggage, we have four people at the rear and I am driving the car. But still, it feels quite settled on the road. So, again, a very positive feedback. Now, when it comes to driving dynamics, if I talk about steering feedback, then we are approaching a corner and obviously, you will need to slow down a bit because you will feel body rolls a little here. This is an MPV. Its height is also good. So, yes, body rolls are inevitable, especially with more people on board. But nothing that can be a deal-breaker. If you are in a lot of speed, then it will be a bit unnerving for your rear passengers. But can be easily managed. When changing lanes, again, if you are doing decent triple-digit speeds, then also, you won't find any significant difference in body rolls. So, again, something which still is manageable. So, in the handling department, I think it is sorted as far as MPV standards are concerned. Don't expect it to behave like a sedan or even like a crossover. But when it comes to ride quality, this car scores really, really well. In terms of engine performance, I don't have any complaint. Now, that was, you know, my opinion from a driver's perspective. Let's hear what our rear passengers have to say. So, Surya and Nitin, you guys are in the second row seat. How do you feel about its ride quality and overall space, comfort? What's your opinion? So, first thing, starting with the seat. It's very comfortable. It's not too soft. So, I'm very much comfortable. And I guess, there won't be any problem on a long route. It will be very comfortable. I have a very good knee room. Thigh support is very good. And I'm actually loving this armrest. So, because these are long-run captain seats. It's very comfortable. If we are doing long routes, it will be very comfortable. I guess, another thing which I think not many cars have is the air duct which is there on the roof. The roof-mounted AC vents, right? Yeah, roof-mounted AC vents. So, usually, we get these things in other cars. And the air flow is not very good. But because it's right above my face, it's very comfortable. And it's not blasting on your face also. No, it's not blasting. Because I also have control over there. So, I can control if I want a blast or I don't want a blast. So, it's all right over here. And Nitin, in terms of ride quality, how are you feeling? Like, when I was speeding, there were some undulations. Were you comfortable at your place? Yeah, as you said, in terms of ride quality, I think this car is scoring very well. Because as you can feel in the front, I'm feeling more comfortable in the back. I didn't feel much body rolls. Yeah, there were some in the corners. But the knee room, the support in the seat, the captain's seat is very good. The air purifier is in front of me, the smart purifier. But still, my knee room is enough. I mean, I don't feel that my feet are touching this. I'm not comfortable. It's very good. So, you don't feel that it's a compromise. I think you're happy with what you have there. No, it's a very good feature. And as long as I'm getting proper space in my zone, it's a very good thing. Nice. And you know, what about the sense of space? Because I have a sunroof here, so I can let the light come in. But in the back, you have the blinds on now. Because obviously, it's afternoon right now. But in general, are you feeling clustered or are you happy with the sense of space that you have there? No, I don't feel claustrophobic at all. In fact, I feel comfortable with the blinds because there's a lot of sunlight. It's very hot in the summer. So, it's actually comfortable. And although there's no panoramic sunroof, but still, that sunroof is actually creating more sense of space inside the cabin. So, all around, it's comfortable. And I don't feel claustrophobic at all. So, as I said earlier in the review, the large glass house area, light color treatment, I think it helps, right? Yeah. And, you know, we have just entered the city from the highway. And what I am noticing is that I have switched to normal mode. And still, the response from the engine, just when the car is crawling in the traffic or when I am making the launch, it's quite positive. In terms of engine response, with 5 or 6 people on board, with luggage on board, you don't feel underpowered. And that, in my book, is a very big positive. Because, again, the MPV that is comfortable, decently powerful, I think it really helps. But the biggest critical aspect of any MPV is the third row. In fact, any third-row car. Because, generally, the compromise is felt by third-row passengers. So, let's hear what is the feel of Aum and Ashwini there. What do they feel there? So, Aum, let's start with you. In terms of legroom, I think you have sat for more than half an hour. So, how is your experience? Legroom is quite good here. And the seats are quite comfortable. I have sat for more than half an hour. And I didn't feel at all that it was claustrophobic. And I can commute further comfortably here. Okay, Ashwini, now let's come to you. So, you tell me, you have covered exactly the same distance as Aum has. How is your comfort? Comfort is very good here. Because the seat arrangement at the back, which has been given to adjust, it feels much better than that. Because of which I don't feel any fatigue. I don't feel any problem in my legs. You can spread your legs comfortably, right? This is a good thing. Now, you know what? Also, I feel that you don't feel too much vertical movements inside the cabin. Because the suspension tuning has been calibrated quite well. It's not too firm. And, you know, it's not too soft. So that it doesn't bounce too much on undulations. Or it doesn't get too much shock from the back when you're going over rough paths. So, I think that, according to Indian road conditions, it's a well-calibrated suspension tuning. What do you think, Surya and Nitin? Definitely, the suspension that is tuned is very comfortable. It's not too soft, it's not too stiff. When we were on the turn, we felt a little body roll. But still, I guess, the suspension is not too uncomfortable. As far as the undulations are concerned, you can feel it a little. Because there are 4-5 people in the car. We have luggage as well. Our boot space is full. So, that's fine. It has MPV, it has its characteristics. But I am in such a comfortable zone. Because I have it completely flat. Whatever I'm wearing underneath is flat. I don't feel like I have to sit here or there. It's a very good thing. So, overall, we can say that, as far as modern MPV standards are concerned, I think the Kia Carance scores pretty well in those terms. Because on a longer commute, I think we are all comfortable in our seats. And we can manage longer commutes easily, right? Yeah. Now, let's get to the pricing part. And the best thing here is that, the Carance has a widespread range of variants. And one thing is common in all variants. Incredibly good space management and seating comfort. Now, it's offered with three engine options. 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol, which is offered in two base variants. Which starts at Rs 10,45,000. And Prestige, which is priced at Rs 11,20,000. And goes without saying that, these are the most affordable variants. Then comes the new 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine, which is the sportiest engine of the lot. Its price starts at Rs 12,00,000. And goes up to Rs 18,45,000 for the range-topping Luxury Plus trim with captain seats and 7 DCT automatic gearbox with us today. And finally comes the Bari diesel, whose price range starts at Rs 12,65,000 and goes up to Rs 18,95,000. And like I said, buyers have enough variants to choose from according to their budget. And you get all the basic features you need in all the variants. That's why I can safely say that the Kia Currents is quite a value for money proposition. So what's our take on the new Kia Currents? Well, if you're shopping with a budget of Rs 20,00,000 and you're looking for a practical and comfortable people mover, you don't need to look any further. The Kia Currents is all the MPV you need. In fact, I'll go further and say that this is a small version of Kia Carnival and is very practical and comfortable on the inside with reasonably good space for all the passengers. So that's one aspect of owning the Kia Currents. Second is the kind of service and maintenance you get. Kia India is promising big on that front as well. So wide network spread and quite easy turnaround in terms of service delivery. That's another story coming up in the next video. So stay tuned for all the updates in the Indian Car Bazaar and that very story. I'm Shubham Prasad signing off.