Kia Carens: four generations of the compact MPV

The Kia Carens is a compact people carrier that Kia has made since 1999, and it has been sold around the world under several names, most prominently as the Kia Rondo. The first three generations were conventional MPVs; the fourth, launched at the end of 2021, was developed as a strategic model for India with crossover-inspired styling.

Kia Carens at a glance

History of the Kia Carens

The name Carens combines “car” and “renaissance”, while Rondo comes from the musical form. The first generation, the RS series, went on sale in May 1999 and was built on the same platform as the Kia Sephia; it was facelifted in 2002. In Malaysia the car was sold as the Kia Carens and, from January 2005, rebadged as the Naza Citra, which was updated in June 2009.

Second generation (2006)

The UN series arrived in 2006. It followed the Multi-S concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a preview of the Carens whose name stood for Sporty, Spacious and Smart, and which differed from the production car mainly by a dual-panel sunroof running the length of the roof. In North America and Australia the car was called the Rondo and Rondo7, and it made its public debut at the 2006 Los Angeles show, going on sale in Canada in December 2006 and in the United States in early 2007. American buyers could choose a 175 hp 2.4-litre four or a 192 hp 2.7-litre V6, with five or seven seats; the V6 was the last Kia engine to use a timing belt rather than a chain. US sales passed 20,000 in each of the first two model years, then fell sharply, and Kia dropped the Rondo in the United States in August 2010 while continuing it in Canada.

Third generation (2013)

The RP series was shown at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The V6 was dropped in favour of a 2.0-litre Nu GDI petrol engine of 166 PS and a 1.7-litre U2 diesel of 136 PS, with a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox; a 1.6 GDI petrol was also sold in the UK. The car came with five or seven seats, and Korean sales began in March 2013. In North America the third-generation Rondo was sold only in Canada, where sales ended after the 2017 model year. A facelift in September 2016 brought new bumpers, wheels and lights and a larger Tiger Nose grille, and the diesel was retuned to 141 PS with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Fourth generation (2021)

The KY generation was unveiled in India on 16 December 2021. It uses a stretched version of the platform under the Seltos and Hyundai Creta and is aimed mainly at India and other emerging markets, with six and seven-seat layouts and extra space for third-row passengers. Kia markets it as a recreational vehicle. The engines are the same as the Indian Seltos: a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol of 115 PS with a six-speed manual or CVT, a 1.4-litre turbo petrol of 140 PS with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch, and a 1.5-litre diesel of 115 PS.

Design and features

• Compact MPV: car-like size with room for five or seven.
• Global names: Carens in Korea and Europe, Rondo in North America, Naza Citra in Malaysia.
• Engine choice: petrol and diesel fours, and a V6 in the second generation.
• Changing focus: from a European MPV to an India-first crossover-styled model.

Kia Carens versions

• First generation RS (1999–2002): Sephia-based five-seater.
• Second generation UN (2006): Rondo in North America, 2.4 four or 2.7 V6.
• Third generation RP (2013): 2.0 GDI and 1.7 diesel, facelift in 2016.
• Fourth generation KY (2021): Seltos-based, six or seven seats, for India.

The Carens was Kia’s compact MPV below the Carnival, and the fourth generation moved towards the crossover shape of the Sportage. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.

Sources

• Kia Carens, English Wikipedia: all four generations, names, engines, markets