Kia Carens Engines & Performance

I first drove the turbo petrol engine in the first half of my day with the Carens. This 1.4 litre unit puts out 140 horsepower and 242 Nm of torque. Power builds up nicely but you don’t get that sudden surge. Things get nicer as you hit the 2000 rpm mark. The engine is mated to a 7 speed DCT which has smooth shifts but doesn’t feel very slick as say a DCT should. It takes a moment to go down a gear when you want a kickdown. There is a Sport mode that makes things better and responsive. And you have paddle shifters too. That said, driving in a relaxed manner is just perfect for the Carens.

The other engine I got to try was the 1.5 litre diesel motor that puts out 115 horsepower and also does dty in the Hyundai Alcazar. This is the first time I got a chance to drive this engine. The figures didn’t get me excited at all but I was surprised when I took to the wheel. The motor is smooth and you don’t get that underpowered feeling at all. It just feels so smooth and nice to drive NVH levels are well controlled too, and though I spent less time with this than the petrol, this one makes for a fantastic long distance cruiser and a great companion for road trips. The 6 speed torque convertor is super smooth in its shifts and responds rather nicely if you want to make an overtaking move. However at this point I have to say that I was alone in the car, so it will be interesting to see how it performs with a full load of passengers and luggage. I have put the request to Kia to lend me the diesel for a longer duration. Will report on that in due course.