2022 Kia Carens to be unveiled on December 16 in India

It looks like Kia Motors isn’t done with 2021 just yet as the South Korean automaker is launching a new vehicle but with a familiar nameplate in the form of the 2022 Kia Carens. The vehicle initially entered the automotive market as a small MPV and made its Philippine debut in the mid to late 2000s which was followed by a new model that was launched in the 2010s. Despite the model being a popular pick, the market shifted to SUVs and crossovers overshadowed it, prompting Kia Philippines to discontinue the Carens quietly in 2018.

Now, however, it looks like Kia wants to revive the nameplate but this time as a crossover. The South Korean automaker has announced that it will debut the new vehicle in India on December 16, 2021. That being said, Kia has remained quiet about the official details of the all-new model. They did say that it will be smarter than ever and will come with more space inside.

There are no official pictures yet of the upcoming Kia Carens with only a quick teaser video showing off the new vehicle. The video and teaser image shows the silhouette of the new crossover long with its new set of LED headlights and a part of its grille design. 

There are no reports yet indicating what kind of engine the new Kia Carens could have, but a quick look at its possible Hyundai counterpart the Alcazar could indicate that the Kia crossover could come with either a 2.0-liter gasoline engine or a 1.5-liter turbodiesel motor. Power figures for the Carens are expected to be somewhere between 113 to 157 hp and 191 to 250 Nm of torque.

While the details of the vehicle are still unknown with the information given, the 2022 Kia Carens seem to be an ideal fit for the Philippine market. This could bridge the gap between the Kia Seltos and the Kia Sorento in terms of an affordable 7-seater vehicle. For now, we will have to wait and see if Kia Philippines will bring in the new model.