In Pictures: Prestige Plus (O), The Cheapest Kia Carens Variant With A Sunroof

Kia has launched the Prestige Plus (O) variant for the Carens, which is based on the Prestige + variant of the MPV. The new variant has made a couple of higher-end features more accessible than before. Let's take a look at the new variant and what it packs.

Design 

Coming to the front, the Prestige plus (O) variant gets LED DRLs, body coloured front bumper and chrome finishes on the front grille giving it a touch of premiumness. That said, it still continues to get halogen headlights. 

In profile, you get to see the 16-inch dual-tone alloys, wheel arch and side moldings, body coloured door handles and a chrome finish below the windows running across the length. However, it misses out on chrome finish for the door handles and chrome accents on the door. 

The rear end of the Prestige Plus (O) variant  features LED taillamps, body coloured rear bumper and a chrome garnish for the rear bumper for that premium look, while rear spoiler adds to the sportiness quotient.

Interior and Features 

The Carens Prestige Plus (O) variant does miss out on many of the features that you get on the higher variants. However, it now gets a sunroof, which  was earlier available from the discontinued Luxury (O) trim.

The Carens Prestige Plus (O) variant gets all the necessary features that you could ask for. The features list includes a sunroof, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, keyless entry with push-button start, rear AC vents, 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, steering mounted audio control, all power windows, rear defogger, cruise control and auto headlamps. 

In terms of safety, it comes packed with ABS, ESC, tire pressure monitoring system, 6 airbags, rear and front parking sensors, ISOFIX Child Anchor and seatbelt reminder for all seats. 

Powertrains 

The Prestige Plus (O) variant of the Carens gets the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine making 160 PS and 253 Nm along with the 1.5-litre diesel engine making 115 PS and 250 Nm. The petrol version gets the 7-speed DCT gearbox, while the diesel version gets the automatic transmission. It misses out on the iMT gearbox which is available on the Prestige Plus variant.

The lower-end variants of the Carens get the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine making 113 PS and 144 Nm 

Price and Rivals 

The Prestige Plus (O) variant of the Carens is priced from Rs 16.12 lakh (ex-showroom) for the turbo-petrol variant and Rs 16.57 lakh (ex-showroom) for the diesel variant. The overall prices for the Carens range from Rs 10.52 lakh to Rs 19.67 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Kia Carens rivals the Maruti Ertiga and Maruti Suzuki XL6, while being a more affordable alternative to the Toyota Innova Hycross and Innova Crysta.