It is finally here! Kia India has revealed the prices of its fourth offering – the Carens. The least expensive variant costs Rs 8.99 lakh, whereas the one with all the bells and whistles has a price tag of Rs 16.99 lakh. The carmaker has devised five primary trims – Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury and Luxury Plus – for the Carens. And, there’s a choice of three engines and as many transmissions for buyers. But, before getting to those details, here’s the complete price list for you to fathom:

Let’s start with the powertrain options. The range starts with the 1.5-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine that produces 113bhp and 144Nm of torque. That engine is available solely with a 6-speed manual transmission. Next up is the 1.5-litre diesel mill that pumps out 113bhp and 250Nm of torque. You can have that with a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed AT (torque converter). Lastly, we have the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, with 144bhp and 244Nm of torque on tap. If you don’t want that with a 6-speed MT, there’s another option – the 7-speed DCT. Mileage? For petrol-fed powertrains, the magic figure goes up to 16.5kmpl. As for the diesel, that goes as high as 21.3kmpl.

Next up is the list of features and creature comforts. Now, Kia has done an incredible job with what you get as standard. The list includes six airbags, Downhill Brake Control, disc brakes for all four wheels, tyre pressure monitoring system, 60:40 split second row with a one-touch electric tumble function, five USB Type-C ports and a 7.5-inch LCD display in the instrument cluster. Obviously, as you move up the trim tree, the list of creature comforts expands. So, the range-topping version will have stuff like a Sky Light sunroof, ambient lighting linked with drive modes, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, a wireless smartphone charger with cooling function, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Kia Connect and a 12.5-inch digital instrument cluster.

Rivals? Well, the Kia Carens falls in the same sort of price bracket as the Hyundai Alcazar, Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV700 and the MG Hector Plus. Yes, the Carens is tech-laden, but some rivals offer more room and punchier powerplants. However, all things considered, the Carens is a fine addition to the Indian market. Do you agree?