Kia used to be a bargain basement brand, but its new Carens shows it can produce cars that match its ambition, writes Paddy Comyn
Shaking off a poor brand image is not easy, especially in this country. I got a call from a friend of mine the other day, looking for a good value, high performance family car. The car that seemed the most obvious choice was the Skoda Octavia RS. But no matter how many positive points I raised and how long I eulogised about the car, he could not get over the fact that it was a Skoda.
Kia might have a similar problem, but like their German-owned Czech counterparts there has been a rapid improvement in the standard of their cars. Kia for a long time was the bargain basement, pound-shop, and the "I just want a car that goes from A to B" brand.
You bought a Kia because you wanted a new car, not necessarily one that was any good. As a motoring journalist, you would need to come up with a special "game face" for when someone just told you that they had bought a Kia. Terrified at insulting them for their choice, you had to resist the urge to contort your face in disgust. You just ended up looking like you had tasted something foul.
Their first Rio was shockingly bad and their other early efforts were similarly awful. But things have changed since then, and Kia's aim is to become a major force in the car industry. Their tagline is "the power to surprise" and their new Carens has done just that.
Kia is a sister company to Hyundai, and while the aim was to give Hyundai the more upmarket products, such as the Coupé and Santa Fe, it would appear that Kia are starting to get more attention for their good, dare I say, youthful mainstream models.
I will be honest with you here. The prospect of spending a week in a Kia Carens did leave me somewhat cold. The previous version was one of those functional, good value vehicles that did the job fine but was characterless, soulless and purely bought because of its price. It was certainly never good enough to worry the main competition from Renault, Opel and Ford.
So when the latest Carens arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. For a start it looks pretty good. Gone are the days in Kia where cars are made using carbon paper and jelly moulds and now, finally, it seems that a little bit of thought goes into their design. The Carens is a good-looking MPV with styling cues from their SUV range so at least you don't need to feel too hard done by for deciding to have so many children.
The car is much more aerodynamic than before and there has been a lot of attention paid to reducing noise, vibration and harshness. When you are transporting children on long journeys the last thing you want is carsickness. And judging by the price and specification, Kia Ireland have been aggressive with the way they are going to market this car in Ireland.
Seven seats are standard and there is only one specification, which is the EX version. This comes as standard with 16" alloy wheels, all electrics, cruise control, reverse parking sensors and climate control air conditioning.
There is a choice of two engines. Both are 2-litre four-cylinder units. One is a 145bhp 2-litre petrol and the one we were driving was the 140bhp 2-litre diesel. Inside the cabin, we were struck straight away by the improvements in the interior. The fit and finish is miles better than before and the seats themselves are extremely comfortable. Sure enough, there are some cheap plastics still in evidence, but overall things have improved greatly. The impression from the driver's seat is of a stylish, modern cabin with a well-designed centre console. The steering wheel and gear knob, however, are covered with the usual slippery faux leather.
What was probably most surprising was the quality of the drive. The body is much stiffer than before and this is evident in the handling, which has improved greatly. The diesel engine is a cracker. It pulls like a freight train and on the motorway it makes munching miles an absolute breeze. 0-100km/h takes just 11 seconds in the diesel and it maxes out at 187km/h. We haven't yet tested the petrol engine but we can see no possible reason why you would want it over the diesel as acceleration is the same and the petrol is only 3 km/h faster and consumes a lot more fuel. The diesel is good for 6.1l/100km or 46.3 mpg on the combined cycle and that is on par with the best on offer in the segment.
Safety-wise, ABS brakes are standard and come with electronic brake force distribution. Stability control is an option. There are side impact protection beams in the front and rear doors and six airbags are standard. The front passenger airbags can be switched off to enable a child seat to be fitted. In addition, Active Head Restraints are provided to protect from whiplash, neck and back injuries. The rear side doors are fitted with child safety locks and two ISOFIX anchor points are fitted in the middle row with attachments for child safety seats.
In terms of its practicality as an MPV, the seven seater Carens works well. The two rear seats fold into the boot and the second row of seats slides forwards and backwards to sort out legroom when needed. Access to the third row of seats is very good, too. Space in the third row of seats is actually surprisingly good because the floor is lower than in the old model, and the roof is higher and this gives an impressive amount of knee, elbow and head space in the two rear rows.
The pricing, at 26,995 for the 2-litre petrol and €29,995 for the diesel is actually quite good. Asking a further €3,000 for the diesel is a little tough on customers, but the diesel is an infinitely better choice. But even at €29,995 the diesel Carens is good value, coming in less than the basic petrol Ford S-Max and cheaper than the most basic 120bhp diesel Zafira.
The S-Max is the European Car of the Year and with good reason. It offers great looks, space for seven in comfort and a blend of comfort and car-like handling. There really is no compromise with the S-Max. The Zafira has the benefit of being handsome and well thought out. Their Flex7 seating system remains one of the most intuitive on the market.
But there are other worthy rivals worth considering too. The Renault Grand Scenic continues to be a big seller because of its vast dimensions, user-friendly cabin and its reputation for safety. But problems with quality and reliability have dogged ownership for many.
Toyota offers the Corolla Verso, now with a bigger 2.2-litre D-4D engine. Buyers get the famed reliability and now with this powerplant, a seriously good car, but the Verso falls down slightly by lacking proper boot space with all the seats in place. Fiat's Multipla is great value and has a clever 3+3 layout, but owners never really were able to see beyond looks that despite a radical rethink still alienate most potential owners. Honda has the FR-V, another 3+3, but don't offer the diesel in Ireland or a small 1.4-litre - both of which are coveted by Irish buyers. Mazda's 5 is also a very impressive offering that suffers from the same problem of only coming with a 1.8-litre petrol or a 2-litre diesel.
There is a definite split between the more premium compact MPVs at one end and the budget ones at the other. Kia would once have been firmly in the latter, but the new Carens has them climbing the social ladder significantly.
This leads us to the question of whether or not buyers are going to be prepared to take a punt on a Kia that is no longer aimed at being cheap and cheerful, but is designed to take on the big boys head on. From our point of view the answer is a resounding yes. Kia has more than proved itself with its cute and charming Picanto city car. Its Sportage and Sorento SUVs are deservedly big sellers in Ireland, and its Rio is one of the most underrated superminis on the market.
But I will go as far as to say that the Carens is their best offering to date. Not only is it a quantum leap forward in terms of build quality and looks, but also with this diesel engine under the bonnet it is powerful and competent. Residual values are something of a concern.
It takes a long time for a brand to earn credibility on the used market and previous Kias lost money faster than rogue-trader Nick Leeson, so even with the improved image, don't expect the Carens to retain as much of its new value as a Ford S-Max or Opel Zafira. But for anyone with €30,000 to spend on an MPV, then this simply cannot be ignored.
If you are looking for a smaller engined seven-seat MPV, then your best bet is likely to be an entry-level Renault Grand Scenic, Ford S-Max or Opel Zafira, but at 2-litre level, where this diesel certainly holds its own, the better equipped and in many cases more powerful Carens is worth a try.
Factfile
ENGINE: A 1,991cc 4-cylinder diesel engine offering 140bhp @4,000rpm and 305Nm of torque @1,800pm
SPECIFICATION: 2-litre diesel EX comes with 16" alloy wheels, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, cruise control, reverse parking sensors, climate controlled air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors.
L/100KM (MPG)
URBAN: 7.8 (36.1)
EXTRA-URBAN: 5.2 (54.3)
COMBINED: 6.1 (46.3)
CO2EMISSIONS:
163g/km
ANNUAL ROAD TAX: €539
PRICE: €29,995