Kia has begun work on an all-electric Carens MPV. A heavily camouflaged mule has been spied testing in South Korea, and by the looks of it, it's wearing the bodyshell of the Carens MPV. The Carens EV is likely to share its underpinnings with the Creta EV that’s also in the works and could see a global debut by 2025.
- Carens EV will have some unique design cues
- Battery, powertrain likely to be borrowed from the Creta EV
- Global debut expected by 2025
Kia Carens electric MPV: what do the spy shots reveal?
This is the first time a prototype of the Carens electric MPV has been seen undergoing testing. That this is a Carens is apparent from the raked A-pillar, the belt line and the glasshouse area, all of which are very similar to the ICE-powered Carens that’s currently on sale in India. And that it is an electric prototype can be understood from the aero-optimised wheels that it seems to be riding on.
The all-electric Kia Carens is expected to get unique, EV-specific design cues, such as the alloy wheels and a few other styling differences to distinguish it from its ICE counterpart.
Kia Carens electric MPV expected powertrain, platform
While details on the Carens EV's battery and powertrain are scarce, we are told that it will share most of its underpinnings with the upcoming Creta EV, which has even been spotted testing in India and is expected to go on sale by 2025. As the ICE-powered Carens already shares its underpinnings with the Creta and Seltos SUVs, the same is likely to be applicable to their respective electric versions as well. Essentially, it's likely to be a direct ICE to EV conversion.
Upcoming Kia launches for India
The Carens EV could also make it to India given that its ICE sibling is already manufactured here and exported to markets abroad. Until then, the company has its hands quite full in India for the foreseeable future. First on the cards is a mid-lifecycle update for the Seltos SUV that is due in the coming months. This will be followed by a facelift for the Sonet compact SUV that’s expected later in the year, most likely by December.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Glenn Noronha
Dhruv Dhaka
