The redesigned Kia Carens compact MPV is making its world debut at the Madrid Motor Show today (Thursday 25 May) and will go on sale across Europe later this summer.
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The car has been specifically created for Europe (though it is also headed for the US as the Rondo, with different engines, in early 2007) and will be marketed on the Continent in five-and seven-seat versions, with ‘European specific’ styling.
The new Carens is an all-new model, only the name of its predecessor has been retained. Longer, wider and taller than the old model (by 55, 50 and 40 mm respectively), the latest Carens does not share a single panel and its smoother exterior, with elegant detailing, results in significantly improved aerodynamics.
The 4545 mm long Carens’ aerodynamic Cd is a highly competitive 0.32 – down from 0.35 for the previous model – despite the latest vehicle’s increased cross-section and frontal area.
Kia said that that consumer clinics in Europe with prototypes confirmed that a significant percentage of today’s compact MPV customers would welcome a larger vehicle that could seat up to seven people – provided that any increase in overall length was kept to a modest level. Consequently, the new Carens is higher and wider than the model it replaces, with a much longer wheelbase (up by 130 mm, a 5% increase), but it is only 55 mm (or 1.2%) longer.
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By GlobalDataMaking best use of the longer wheelbase and wider cabin, Kia engineers also created a ‘shallow’ fuel tank mounted integrally with the rear suspension subframe, which allowed the rear cabin floor to be lowered by 40 mm, boosting interior space and ensuring that the rear row seats in the seven-seater will accommodate two 1.8 metre adults.
In both versions, the middle and/or rear row seats fold down to create a flat-floored luggage area.
The Carens will be offered in Europe with a choice of one diesel engine and one petrol engine (both Euro4-compliant), with the option of manual (five-speed petrol, six-speed diesel) or four-speed automatic transmissions on both.
Kia’s upgraded four-cylinder 2.0 CRDi diesel engine features a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT), that comes with a particle filter as standard. It generates 140 ps and has a six-speed manual gearbox. The twin-cam four-cylinder 2.0-litre ‘Theta’ petrol engine, with continuously variable valve timing (CVVT), produces 144 ps and is mated to a five-speed manual.
Last year, Kia Carens sales across Europe totalled almost 17,000 units.
US-market Rondos will have seven seats and the choice of 2.4-litre I4 and 3.5-litre V6 petrol engines.
