Offered as a stylish wagon companion to the new Cerato range, the 2013 Carens can take seven passengers in comfort or convert into a roomy carry-all.
The Kia Carens is reckoned the best-priced 7-seater in New Zealand -- $37,990 for the model EX.
“We believe the Kia Carens is without peers in New Zealand,” says Todd McDonald, general manager of Kia Motors New Zealand.
“It can seat seven people, is not an SUV, is easier to get in and out, plus it’s not bulky when trying to manoeuvre in tight city streets and carparks.”
Kia chief designer Peter Schreyer says his aim was to give it a “sleeker look and feel, to create a design that envelops its functionality and versatility in something more athletic and dynamic”.
Its design shares nothing with the previous Carens, being built on a new floorpan with a longer wheelbase: at 2750mm.
The roomy interior has three rows of seats, the second and third rows individually moveable seats for maximum adjustment. And they all fold forward to provide a flat floor capable of holding 1650 litres of cargo, or if five people are carried, 492 litres.
The front passenger seatback also folds forward to accommodate long items such as step ladders. One-touch sliding outer middle-row seats make third row entry and exit easy.
“There are 14 handy storage areas around the Carens cabin, in addition to the multiple ways you can configure the seating – it’s amazingly flexible and versatile,” says McDonald.
