Maruti Ertiga vs Kia Carens: Price, features, specs compared

Maruti has launched the third-generation Ertiga facelift at a starting price of ₹8.35 lakh. The lower trims of Kia Carens three-row SUV, which starts at ₹9.59 lakh, is one of the key rivals for the new Ertiga.

Maruti Suzuki has launched the facelift version of the popular MPV Ertiga on Friday. The new Ertiga starts at a price of ₹8.35 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes up to 12.79 lakh for the top-spec Zxi+ automatic variant. At its price point, the new Maruti Ertiga will compete directly with some of the lower trims of the recently launched Kia Carens three-row vehicle. The price of Carens starts from ₹9.59 lakh (ex-showroom) and goes up to ₹17.69 lakh for the top-spec diesel automatic variant of the Luxury Plus trim. Here is a quick comparison between Maruti Ertiga and Kia Carens based on their price, features and specs on offer.

Maruti Ertiga vs Kia Carens price comparison

Kia had launched the Carens three-row RV at a starting price of ₹8.99 lakh (ex-showroom). However, within weeks of its launch, the carmaker removed the introductory price and increased the base price to ₹9.59 lakh (ex-showroom) from this month. According to the latest price list, the Carens has received hikes ranging between ₹20,000 and ₹70,000 depending on variants.

Kia offers Carens in five trims which include Premium, Prestige, Prestige Plus, Luxury and Luxury Plus. Going by the current price list, Maruti Ertiga will be competing against the three lower trims. While Premium variants of the Carens with the 1.5-litre petrol manual is priced at ₹9.59 lakh, the Prestige variant starts from ₹10.69 lakh. The Prestige Plus variant of Carens has a starting price of ₹13.89 lakh (ex-showroom).

In Comparison, Maruti Ertiga is more affordable. The base variant Lxi of the 2022 Ertiga starts at ₹8.35 lakh. However, the mid-spec trims of Vxi and Zxi are more likely to compete with base variants of Carens. The price of the Vzi base variant with the 1.5-litre petrol manual starts from ₹9.49 lakh and goes up to ₹10.99 lakh for the automatic variant. The Zxi automatic variant costs ₹12.09 lakh. The top-end Zxi+ variants with manual transmission costs ₹11.29 lakh while the automatic version is priced ₹1.50 lakh more.

Maruti Ertiga vs Kia Carens features comparison

As far as features are concerned, Kia has an upper hand over the new Maruti Ertiga. All Carens models come with six airbags as standard, while Maruti offers Ertiga with only four. Ertiga gets safety features like ESP with Hill Hold Assist, ABD with EBD, rear parking sensors as standard. Carens gets all of that and more. It has other features like Vehicle Stability Management, Downhill Braking Control, All-Wheel Disc Brakes among its safety features.

In terms of space, Carens is bigger than Ertiga in all respects. From length, width and height to wheelbase and ground clearance, Carens scores over Ertiga. Even in terms of boot space, Carens has an edge over Ertiga with an extra 7 litres.

Having more wheelbase means Carens has more room for passengers inside. The additional 40 mm space translates into a spacious cabin loaded with features such as 10.25-inch HD touchscreen display, digital driver display, wireless charging, connected car tech and one-touch tumble down feature on the second-row seats to access last row. Maruti offers Ertiga with 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, semi-digital driver display and more than 40 connected car features.

Both Carens and Ertiga offer paddle shifters in their automatic variants.

Maruti Ertiga vs Kia Carens specs comparison

While Kia offers Carens in both petrol and diesel options, Maruti offers the new Ertiga only in petrol and CNG versions.

2022 Kia Carens is available with three engine options which include a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor, a 1.4-litre turbo petrol unit and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The engines come mated to either a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic or a seven-speed DCT, which is only reserved for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol unit. The 1.5-litre petrol units can deliver an output of 115 PS and 144 Nm, while the diesel engine has a better torque output of 250 Nm. The 1.4-litre turbo petrol unit can churn out 140 PS and 242 Nm of peak torque.

The new K15C series 1.5-litre DualJet petrol engine of the 2022 Maruti Ertiga can generate an output of 101 hp and 136 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to either a five-speed manual gearbox, or the newly-introduced six-speed automatic torque converter.

The new Maruti Ertiga scores over Kia Carens when it comes to mileage. While Ertiga offers a mileage of more than 20 kmpl irrespective of powertrain and transmission, Kia Carens offers no more than 16.5 kmpl in the petrol variants.

First Published Date: 16 Apr 2022, 11:30 AM IST