Kia Carens (2013 – 2018) Review

For those who choose cars by ticking off a list of must-haves, the Kia Carens will suit mid-size MPV buyers to a tee. It does everything very competently and works well as a used choice. If, on the other hand, you want something with a bit of heart-tugging appeal, the Ford Grand C-MAX or more stylish Renault Scenic have more to offer. Read on for our full Kia Carens review.

Seven-seat MPVs are likely to be bought with the head, rather than the heart – and they don’t come much more sensible than the Kia Carens.

The easy-to-drive, comfortable people carrier does everything a family could ask of it with consummate ease, making it a decent choice for many.

This model from 2013 is larger than its predecessor because it filled two roles, replacing both the previous-generation Kia Carens and the larger Kia Sedona.

It bridges the gap between the two very well. It’s comfortable and easy to drive, plus has a sizeable load area, usable extra seats and a good level of standard equipment. Furthermore, it should be cheap to run, thanks to frugal engines.

The Kia Carens was offered with a 1.6-litre 135PS petrol engine or a 1.7-litre CRDi diesel with either 115PS or 135PS.

The diesel engines are particularly impressive, offering a usefully broad spread of torque for easy driving, coupled with excellent refinement and good economy.

Those who need an automatic transmission are restricted to the 135PS diesel engine.

Despite being a tall MPV, the Kia Carens rolls very little through corners, yet it is still comfortable over broken surfaces and speed bumps.

The cabin is plush, classy and easy to get to grips with, while quality is up there with the best in the class.

There are other people carriers that offer more space, such as the SEAT Alhambra, while the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is more attractive and the Ford Grand C-MAX is better to drive.

However the Kia Carens is a well rounded, easy-to-recommend MPV that offers good value for money to used car buyers.

Fancy a new Kia Sorento instead? Read our Kia Sorento review here.

All variants of the Kia Carens come with seven seats, the rearmost pair of which fold out from the boot floor.

They’re simple to raise or lower and offer enough space for children, but adults won’t be very comfortable, even on short trips.

They will fit easily into the middle row, though, which has three individual seats that recline and slide.

The rear two seats are designed for occasional use, so will spend most of their time folded flat. That leaves a well sized, flat load deck with a capacity of 492 litres, expandable to a huge 1650 litres with the middle row of seats folded.

For a growing family, the Kia Carens is ideal, as there’s enough space and versatility for trips away.

A 30/40/30 split arrangement in the middle row adds even more practicality. It’s possible to carry a pair of back row passengers with enough space left over for long items such as DIY gear or ski equipment.

There are also plenty of cubby holes for storing bottles or small objects and, on upper trim levels, picnic tables in the seat backs. 

Not only is the Kia Carens practical, but it’s well finished. The plastics on the dashboard and doors feels durable and plush, with classy gloss black details. 

The top-level 3 trim in the Kia Carens comes with a 4.3-inch touchscreen for the stereo, and it also doubles as a screen for the reversing camera.

The infotainment system isn’t the most modern and flash, but it does everything you’ll need it to and is about as intuitive as they come.

When the Kia Carens was updated in 2016, the 2 trim (now the second of four trims on offer) came with a seven-inch touchscreen.

Higher trim versions gained an eight-inch screen, and all featured Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All models also gained a new JBL stereo with six speakers and subwoofer.

A budget of £5000 will see you net a Kia Carens that is around 10 years old and has 75,000 miles on the clock. This will be for a 2 trim with the frugal 1.7-litre turbodiesel engine.

If you prefer a higher spec, you could pay another £1000 and bag a Kia Carens 3, with its leather upholstery.

Look for a newer Kia Carens and a six-year-old model with the diesel engine will cost from around £14,000 with just 20,000 miles to its name, and in one of the more generously equipped trims.

It will be able to travel into low emissions zones without requiring you to pay any penalty.

Whether you choose the Kia Carens with a petrol or diesel engine, it offers good fuel economy.

With the 1.6 petrol, you get a claimed 45.6mpg, and that works out to 33mpg in mixed driving.

Take the diesel in its less powerful 114PS form, and 62.8mpg is claimed. Our Real MPG data shows 48mpg to be more likely.

The best engine for the Kia Carens is the 139PS 1.7-litre diesel, which has an official economy of 58.9mpg as an auto, or up to 62.8mpg with the manual gearbox.

Our Real MPG information shows you can reckon on fuel economy in the low 40s, which is on a par with most competitors.

The same is true for carbon dioxide emissions, which place the petrol Kia Carens in the £200-per-year road tax bracket for cars sold before 1 April 2017.

Diesel versions of the same age fall into the £35 or £150-per-year road tax ratings.

For cars registered from 1 April 2017 on, both petrol and diesel versions pay the flat rate of £180 per year.

Service costs for the Kia Carens are much the same as for the Kia Ceed hatch it shares its platform with, so it won’t be expensive for routine maintenance.

When it comes to getting an insurance quote for the Kia Carens, the range stretches from groups 12 to 17, so no model will break the bank to get covered.

The Kia Carens is a very easy car to drive. The seating position is comfortable and commanding, while the main controls are light and accurate.

Ride comfort is excellent over all but the harshest lumps and bumps, yet everything remains composed through corners, with little body roll and a feeling of stability.

It’s not the most enjoyable car to drive, though, so keen drivers will be left wanting when they find themselves on a twisting country road that could be exploited in another car.

That’s more or less to be expected with an MPV, but the Ford Grand C-MAX and Mazda 5 both offer fun handling, despite being people carriers.  

The steering on the Kia Carens has three weight settings – Comfort, Normal and Sport. However, there’s little point in changing out of Normal, which offers enough weight at speed and through corners, but is light enough for parking.

The Sport setting makes everything a little too heavy, while Comfort is a bit too light.

There are two engines on offer – a 1.6-litre petrol with 135PS and a 1.7-litre diesel, which is available with either 115PS or 135PS.

All Kia Carens come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, while a six-speed automatic is available with the 135PS diesel. 

The diesel engines are particularly impressive thanks to their ample torque output, which is available over a wide rev range.

The 115PS model develops 260Nm, available from as low down as 1250rpm, meaning you don’t have to work it hard, even when fully loaded. The 135PS has a greater peak torque figure of 330Nm, and feels even stronger as a result.

That said, neither will leave you wanting, with plenty of accessible performance for overtaking or joining motorways.

Those who regularly carry a full car might benefit from the larger engine, but for most the 115PS diesel will probably be suitable.

The 1.6-litre petrol is perfectly decent too, though its lesser pulling power relative to the diesels might pose problems for people who carry a full complement of passengers most of the time.

It’s ideal for town use though, plus it’s reasonably efficient and refined.

The Kia Carens scored a full five stars when it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2013. It performed especially well for occupant safety, which is good news in a people carrier.

Even though testing procedures have been updated since the model was tested, it still makes for a good, safe used car buy as all versions come with six airbags, ESP traction and stability control and a speed limiter.

There are also Isofix mounts in the outer seats in the middle row, an airbag cut-off switch for the front passenger seat to fit a rear-facing child seat, and ABS anti-lock brakes.

Top-spec models were also offered with a Park Assist System. This was an option for lower trim levels.

With the petrol engine fitted, the Kia Carens can pull an unbraked trailer of up to 730kg, while the diesel-powered models raise that to 750kg.

Hitch up with a braked trailer and the petrol Kia Carens is good for up to 1300kg. The diesel has even more in hand, as it can tow a braked trailer of up to 1500kg.

The Kia Carens 1 was the entry trim in 2013, and it comes with 16-inch steel wheels, tinted glass and automatic headlights.

You also get black cloth seats, a leather-trimmed wheel, leather-trimmed gear lever, air conditioning, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, cruise control, speed limiter, stop/start, USB connection, aux-in, twin 12v sockets, and remote central locking.

The Kia Carens 2 adds 16-inch alloy wheels, gloss black details, roof rails, front fog lights, rain-sensing wipers, electrically folding door mirrors with puddle lights, faux-leather door trim and dual-zone climate control.

This trim also has front seatback picnic trays, a luggage area 12v output, a luggage net and reversing sensors.

The Kia Carens 3 comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, ‘aeroblade’ windscreen wipers with de-icers, 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, leather upholstery, heated steering wheel, second row window blinds, a 4.3-inch touchscreen audio system and a reversing camera.

A Kia Carens 3 Sat Nav came with – you guessed it – satellite navigation.

In 2016, the model was revised and the Kia Carens 4 was introduced in place of the Kia Carens 3 Sat Nav.

The biggest change here was that the upper trim levels gained a larger infotainment screen as standard, with the 4 offering an eight-inch screen, while lesser trims – except the 1 – now had a seven-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Kia Carens 4 also gained keyless entry and self-parking.