Kia Carens: Can It Stand Off Against Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, XL6?

Kia launched the Carens seven-seater in India, priced aggressively at INR 8.99 lakh. The global product first made its world debut in December last year and is now on sale. However, the South Korean automaker Kia, is a bit late to the party, as usual.

When Kia launched the Seltos, it was placed in a well-established segment dominated by the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Duster. Later, with the Carnival, Kia took a dig at the luxury MPV segment, dominated by the Innova Crysta. Later, with the Sonet, Kia aimed at a segment led by the Maruti Suzuki Brezza.

Now, with the launch of its fourth product, the Kia Carens, the carmaker has wandered into Maruti’s territory again, this time, the Ertiga, the best selling vehicle in its segment.

The MPV market accounts for a decent figure in India. In January 2022, a total of 20,087 MPVs were sold between Maruti Suzuki, Renault, and Toyota. Maruti Sold 11,847 units of the Ertiga and 3085 units of the XL6, while Renault sold 2,722 units of the Triber, and Toyota sold 2,433 Crystas.

In this segment, the Ertiga has been the best-seller for a long time now, and with the launch of the Kia Carens, can Maruti Suzuki hold onto its crown?

To answer that, we need to take a look at the newly-launched Kia Carens and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, along with the XL6, Maruti’s premium offering through its Nexa outlets. While all three vehicles are meant to carry seven people in comfort, they do it in their style, perhaps one better than the rest.

Pricing is an important factor because if a vehicle does not fall under a customer’s budget, they move on. The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is the most affordable of the three, with prices starting at INR 8.11 lakh, followed by the Kia Carens at INR 8.99 lakh, and the XL6, priced at INR 10.01 lakh.

All three vehicles have multiple variants, however, the Kia Carens is the only model to be offered with a diesel engine.

Moving on to creature comforts, the Kia Carens has the longest wheelbase in its class, while the Ertiga and the XL6 are identical in dimensions. In terms of features, all three vehicles offer similar equipment to start with, however, once you start looking at the higher variants, it’s quite evident that the Carens offers more, but is also priced significantly higher, enticing the Innova Crysta customers.

On the features front, all three vehicles offer automatic climate control, rear aircon vents, push start button, multiple power outlets, manually adjustable driver and passenger seat, integrated touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity and connected car tech, and voice command amongst others.

Where the Kia Carens starts to leave the Ertiga and the XL6 behind is with the electric sunroof, wireless charging, an 8-speaker Bose music system, ventilated front seats, wireless charging, cruise control, one-touch folding second-row seats, and more. Even on the safety front, the Kia Carens gets six airbags as standard, while the other two get one for the driver and one for the passenger.

The Kia Carens has an advantage over the engine specifications as well since the Ertiga and the XL6 come with a standard 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 103 bhp and 138 Nm of torque. The Ertiga and the XL6 get a choice of either manual or an automatic gearbox.

The Kia Carens comes with three engine options that include a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol, and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel. Gearbox choices include a 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, and a 7-speed DCT with paddle shifters. The Ertiga gets a CNG variant, while the Carens does not, which could be a deal-breaker for a customer looking at alternate fuel vehicles.

On paper, and on-road, the Kia Carens is a much better package given the pricing. The Carens has better styling (opinions may differ), engines with more power, and more room with a long list of convenience and safety features that has the potential to attract Innova Crysta buyers.

However, Maruti Suzuki does have a vast service network in the country. So answering the question, with the new Carens, can the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga hold on to its crown? We’d leave that answer to you.

The MPV segment has been a competitive market, with sub-4 metre 7 seaters to the luxurious Kia Carnival. In the past, big products have folded under pressure, such as Honda Mobilio, Renault Lodgy, and Chevrolet with the Enjoy. However, looking at the 19,089 bookings garnered by Kia for the Carens, Maruti needs to have an eye on the South Korean carmaker as Kia has a reputation of arriving late, but with a competitive product.