Kia Carens, the compact people-mover from the South Korean automaker, was first introduced in early 2022. In just over two years in the market, the model has achieved a sales milestone of 1.5 lakh units, with the manual variants (62 percent) being in high demand. Most buyers prefer the mid-spec and top-end variants, and 57 percent of total sales come from the petrol version. The carmaker says that the Carens now accounts for nearly 15 percent of its monthly domestic sales.
Aiming to further boost sales, the company plans to give it a mid-life update sometime next year. Test mules have been spotted several times with semi and heavy camouflage, revealing a few intriguing details. The 2025 Kia Carens facelift is expected to feature a slightly revised front grille and headlamp clusters, updated front and rear bumpers, new alloy wheels, and taillamps with a new LED pattern. Minimal changes are expected to be made to the interior. Reports suggest that the new Carens could be the first vehicle in its segment to offer ADAS technology.
In terms of power, the updated Kia Carens will continue to offer the 115bhp 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol, the 160bhp 1.5L turbo petrol, and the 116bhp 1.5L diesel engines. Transmission options will also remain unchanged, including a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed iMT, a 6-speed torque converter automatic, and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Kia India has also started testing the electric iteration of the Carens, which was recently spotted with heavy camouflage. The Kia Carens EV is likely to feature a closed-off grille, similar to what we have seen in the EV9which is set to debut on 3rd October 2024. Its front and rear bumpers and alloy wheels might resemble those of the globally sold EV3 and EV5.
As for the powertrain, the Kia Carens EV is likely to share its setup with the Crete EVwhich is expected to hit Indian roads in January 2025. The latter is anticipated to feature a 45kWh battery pack and an electric motor.
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