The Naza Citra was the Malaysian version of the first-generation Kia Carens. Naza rebadged the compact MPV in January 2005, after the car had been on sale in the country as a Kia, and gave it a light update in June 2009.
Naza Citra at a glance
| Maker | Naza, Malaysia (rebadged Kia) |
|---|---|
| Model | first-generation Kia Carens (RS/FJ) |
| Rebadged as Naza Citra | January 2005 |
| Update | June 2009 |
| Class | compact MPV |
| Carens origin | May 1999, South Korea |
| Platform | shared with the Kia Sephia |
| Carens facelift | 2002 |
| Body | five-door MPV |
The Naza Citra is described in a short section of the English Wikipedia article on the Kia Carens; this page is based on that one source.
History of the Naza Citra
Kia introduced the first-generation Carens, known internally as the RS series, in May 1999. It was a compact MPV built on the same platform as the Kia Sephia and was facelifted in 2002. The car stayed in production in its updated form after it was dropped from some markets, including Australia, in 2001.
In Malaysia the first-generation Carens was at first sold simply as the Kia Carens. In January 2005 Naza took the same vehicle and rebadged it as the Naza Citra, keeping the Korean-built MPV underneath but selling it under the Malaysian company’s name. The Naza Citra was updated in June 2009, at the end of a run that had begun with the Carens a decade earlier.
Design and features
- Rebadged Kia: the Naza Citra is a first-generation Kia Carens with Naza badges.
- Compact MPV body: a five-door people carrier in the small-MPV class.
- Sephia platform: the Carens was built on the floorpan of the Kia Sephia saloon.
- Local name change: the car was sold in Malaysia as a Kia before January 2005 and as a Naza afterwards.
Naza Citra versions
- Kia Carens (Malaysia, to 2005): the same car under its original name.
- Naza Citra (from January 2005): the rebadged version.
- Naza Citra (from June 2009): the updated model.
The Citra shared its showroom with the larger Naza Ria MPV and the small Naza Suria. More cars are in the Naza collection.
Sources
- Kia Carens, English Wikipedia: Carens history, Malaysian rebadging, dates
