Kia Carens Vs Hyundai Alcazar: MPV Or SUV?

Design

Starting with the design of the Hyundai Alcazar, it is a 7-seater SUV based on the highly successful Hyundai Creta 5-seater SUV.

However, the Hyundai Alcazar looks substantially more premium and bigger than the Hyundai Creta, thanks to its redesigned front grille and taller roofline.

On the inside, the Hyundai Alcazar SUV looks similar to the Hyundai Creta in terms of design yet looks more premium, courtesy of its large 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and premium-feeling glossy black panels on the dashboard.

Moreover, the large panoramic sunroof and the horizontal AC Vents on the Hyundai Alcazar immediately grabs attention and makes the cabin look a lot more premium and spacious.

On the other hand, the design of the Kia Carens looks very MPV-like. However, it is a very well executed design and looks very stylish with a lot of premium-looking bits such as the sleek split headlamps and Y-shaped DRLs at the front.

However, from the sides, the Kia Carens feels a bit less premium in comparison to the Alcazar despite using diamond-cut alloy wheels and chrome elements.

Despite the MPV-like silhouette, the rear portion of the Kia Carens looks very stylish and premium with its full-width taillamps.

Features

Both Hyundai and Kia are known to pack their cars with many features and technology. The 7-seaters from both manufacturers are no different.

The Hyundai Alcazar SUV comes packed with features such as a large panoramic sunroof, large and crisp 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 360-degree camera system, 6-way power-adjustable driver's seat, seat ventilation at the front and 2nd row (6-seater version), a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, electrically operated ORVMs, follow me home headlamps, Air Purifier and many more.

Moreover, the 7-seater SUV from Hyundai also comes with standard safety features such as multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, Traction Control (TC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Hill Start Assist Control (HSAC), Central Locking and many more.

In comparison, the Kia Carens also comes packed to the brim with all the latest features and goodies the South Korean car manufacturer has to offer.

In terms of features, the Kia Carens comes with an equally large and imposing 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, full-digital driver's display, air purifier, Kia's UVO connected car tech, ambient lighting, cooled glove box, 8-speaker BOSE sound system, and many more.

However, the sunroof on the Kia Carens is not a panoramic sunroof as in the Hyundai Alcazar, thanks to the MPV's roof-mounted AC vents for 2nd row and 3rd-row passengers.

Moreover, the Kia Carens only comes with seat ventilation and charging at the front, unlike the Hyundai Alcazar which offers ventilated seats and wireless charging on the 2nd row as well.

However, the Kia Carens counters this by offering 6 USB-C ports that are accessible to passengers sitting in all three rows. This setup allows all the occupants in the MPV to charge their digital devices at the same time.

In terms of safety, the Kia Carens also comes with safety features such as 6-airbags, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), ESP, BAS, hill-hold, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), ABS, EBD, ISOFIX Mounts, All-Wheel Disc Brakes and a few more.

Powertrain

The powertrain is another area where these 7-seater vehicles differ. While Hyundai offers two engine options, the Kia offers one more to the Hyundai.

As mentioned above, the Hyundai Alcazar comes with two engine options. This includes a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol unit with 156.90bhp and 191Nm of torque.

The other engine is a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine. This engine produces 113.45bhp and 250Nm of torque. Moreover, both these engines on offer can be specified with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a more urban-friendly 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

The Kia Carens on the other hand is powered by three engine options. The base petrol engine is a tried-and-tested 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine with 113bhp and 144Nm of torque, whereas the 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine is the same unit as in the Alcazar and produces 113.5bhp and 250Nm of torque.

The third engine option on the Kia Carens is a torquey 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Though this engine produces less power than the 2.0-litre engine in the Hyundai Alcazar at 138bhp, it produces a lot more torque at 242Nm.

Unlike the Hyundai Alcazar, engines in the Kia Carens come mated to a 6-speed manual transmission as standard. Moreover, only turbocharged engines offer automatic transmissions.

Another differentiator is that the turbocharged petrol unit comes with a 7-speed DCT unit.

Price

This is where the Kia Carens scores well above the Hyundai Alcazar.

While the Hyundai Alcazar prices start from Rs 16.34 lakh (ex-showroom, India) for the base variant and goes up to Rs 20.14 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

In comparison, the Kia Carens redefined the word "Value-For-Money" with a starting price of just 8.99 lakhs (ex-showroom, India).

Thoughts About Kia Carens & Hyundai Alcazar

Generally, if you like the design of any car and ready to shell out a bit extra money for more features, its always recommended to follow what you like.

However, the Carens redefined the term "Value-For-Money" with its introductory pricing and makes most cars feel overpriced.