Kia Carens facelift spotted in latest spy shot near Manali. See what has changed

Kia Carens is expected to get its first facelift version since launch back in 2022. The three-row Recreational Vehicle (RV), which rivals the likes of Hyundai Alcazar and Maruti XL6 among others, is the third best-selling car from the Korean auto giant in India. The carmaker has been spotted testing the facelift version of the Carens on Indian roads. In the latest spy shots, the Carens test mule was seen trying negotiate high mountain roads near Manali, Himachal Pradesh.

The latest spy shot of the Kia Carens, shared across social media, shows the vehicle retaining its silhouette. However, there are several changes that the Alcazar rival will come with in its new iteration. The spy shots reveal that the Carens will get a new set of taillights. It is expected that Kia will introduce connected LED taillights in the new Carens. The spy shot also reveals that the Carens will come with alloy wheels with a tweaked design.

One of the significant changes in the Carens facelift is expected at the front of the car. Recent spy shots hint that Kia is likely to offer a new set of LED headlight units, a redesigned grille and revised bumper.

The interior of the Carens in the spy shot is barely visible, giving away little detail about the kind of changes in may go through in the cabin. However, Kia is likely to retain the layout available in the existing model with some new features added to it. Changes in the interior could include introduction of new digital screens, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay among others. The cabin layout is likely to continue with six seat and seven seat configurations.

Kia Carens facelift: Engine, transmission

Kia is likely to retain engine options offered under the hood of Carens currently. This means it will continue to be powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirate petrol engine that generates 113 bhp of power, a 1.5-litre turbocharged version of the petrol unit with an output of 158 bhp and the 1.5-litre diesel engine which can churn out around 113 bhp. Besides a six-speed manual gearbox, the Carens is likely to get a six-speed iMT and a torque converter transmission unit. The petrol turbo variants will come mated to the same 7-speed DCT gearbox.

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Kia Carens facelift: Launch timeline

As of now, Kia has not officially confirmed about the launch date of the Carens facelift. However, it is expected to hit the markets by early next year. Kia is likely to unveil the new Carens around the time when Auto Expo will be held in 2025 before the official launch.

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