Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar: Engine, dimensions, features compared
Kia Carens is all set to hit Indian roads come February and the latest three-row vehicle is directly aimed at finding the fancy of customers who have large families and have a need for a car that is nimble within the city but is also spacious for highway journeys. The fourth product from Kia, after Seltos, Sonet and Carnival, the Kia Carens will directly face off against Hyundai Alcazar which was launched last year.
While three-row SUVs and MPVs under ₹20 lakhs have emerged as a viable segment for many automotive brands, sales figures aren't exactly comparable to those in the mid-size SUV space. Not yet anyway. But that has hardly deterred OEMs from entering the field of play and the Carens, in this sense, is making big promises.
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So how does the Kia Carens stand its ground against its cousin Hyundai Alcazar? Here's a straight-forward comparison in terms of engine and transmission options, dimensions and the features available on both Korean models.
Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar - Engine options available:
The Koreans are sticking around with diesel engines at a time when many others are going in with a petrol-only strategy. As such, the Kia Carens is offered with a 1.4-turbo petrol, a 1.5 petrol and a 1.5-diesel engine options.
The 1.4-litre T-GDi petrol engine is mated to a seven-speed DCT or a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.5-litre petrol motor comes with a six-speed manual transmission only while the diesel motor is paired with a six-speed automatic and a six-speed manual set up.
| Kia Carens engine and transmission details | |
| 1.4 T-GDi Petrol Engine | |
| Power | 140 ps/6 000 rpm |
| Torque | 242 Nm/1 500~3 200 rpm |
| Transmission | 7DCT/6MT |
| 1.5 Petrol Engine | |
| Power | 115 ps/6 300 rpm |
| Torque | 144 Nm/4 500 rpm |
| Transmission | 6MT |
| 1.5 CRDi VGT Diesel Engine | |
| Power | 115 ps/4 000 rpm |
| Torque | 250 Nm/1 500~2 750 rpm |
| Transmission | 6AT/6MT |
The Alcazar is offered with two engine options. There is a 2.0-litre MPi petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel motor. Both these engines come paired with either a six-speed manual or AT options.
| Hyundai Alcazar engine and transmission details | |
| 2.0-litre petrol engine | |
| Power | 159 Ps/6,500 rpm |
| Torque | 191 Nm/4,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 6AT/6MT |
| 1.5-litre diesel engine | |
| Power | 115 Ps/4,000 rpm |
| Torque | 250 Nm/1500-2750 rpm |
| Transmission | 6AT/6MT |
Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar: Dimensions
In terms of styling, both Carens and Alcazar are a cross between SUV and MPV. But while Alcazar looks more like an SUV, Carens leans significantly towards the MPV styling. Kia terms the Carens as an RV or recreational vehicle.
In numeric terms, there is only a marginal difference in exterior dimensions of the two vehicles. Carens is slightly longer, wider and taller, and with a very slight advantage in terms of wheelbase as well.
In terms of seat layout, both vehicles offer buyers a choice to select between six or seven seats.
| Dimensions (in mm) | Kia Carens | Hyundai Alcazar |
| Length | 4,540 | 4,500 |
| Width | 1,800 | 1,790 |
| Height | 1,708 | 1,675 |
| Wheelbase | 2,780 | 2,760 |
In terms of styling, while Alcazar clearly looks like it belongs to the same family as the Creta, the same cannot be said about Carens and Seltos.
Kia Carens vs Hyundai Alcazar: Features
The Koreans are known to pack their cars with features galore and the Carens and Alcazar both benefit enormously from a cabin that is loaded to the brim with convenience, comfort and safety additions.
Carens will be made available in five variants - Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury, and Luxury Plus. The top variant packs several highlights like a 10.25-inch main infotainment screen, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 64-colour ambient lighting, air purifier, digital driver display and a sunroof, among others.
The Alcazar also gets most of these features but packs in a larger sunroof, a blind-spot detection feed and a central armrest in the second row that has a wireless charger.
It may be a close call when it comes to comfort and convenience features but Carens packs more safety features as standard than the Hyundai. This includes six airbags, disc brakes on all four wheels, TPMS, rear parking sensors and downhill brake control. It also has multiple cabin colour options to choose from.
