Milestone – Kia Carens crosses the 50,000 bookings mark in just 25 days after launch
Kia India today announced that the bookings for Carens have crossed 50,000 as of today. Notably, the company has attained this milestone in just under two months since its booking opened on January 14, 2022. The vehicle has struck the right chord with modern Indian families across the country, as around 60% of the bookings came from Tier 1 and 2 cities. The Luxury and Luxury Plus variant has been a popular choice for our customers, as their booking contribution stands at 45%.
The demand for the petrol and diesel variant of the Carens is balanced, with around 50% of the customers preferring the diesel variants of the Carens. Furthermore, the demand for the automatic variant of the vehicle also attracted close to 30% of the customers. Last month, the company sold 5,300 units of the Carens amid the semiconductor shortage in just 13 days of its launch, resonating an overwhelming response for the car.
Commenting on this milestone, Myung-Sik Sohn, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India said, “This response for the Carens has created a never before excitement in family mover segment and it matches the excitement that our other SUVs have generated, and it is very encouraging. The Indian automotive industry is going through a tough phase as we face an acute shortage of semiconductors, hampering our production and hence the supply to the market. However, we hope that the shortage of chips will start improving from Q2 onwards. To curb the long delivery period on our cars, we have started the third shift at our Anantapur manufacturing facility starting March 2022. We are proud that our customers’ trust remains undeterred in these challenging times, helping us carve a niche in the Indian automotive market. We assure our patrons that we are working around the clock with our suppliers and partners to reduce the waiting period for the Carens and other models.”
The Carens is available with a choice between three engine options. The three-row MPV can be had with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine or a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The 1.5-litre petrol unit has 113 bhp with 144 Nm with a six-speed manual gearbox. While the 1.4-litre turbo petrol unit makes 138 bhp with 242 Nm mated to a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with paddle shifters. For the Diesel buyers the Carens also comes with the 1.5-litre diesel engine that makes 113 bhp and 250 Nm. This powerplant comes with a choice between a six-speed manual gearbox and six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
