Plus two

When five seats in a car isn’t enough and you’re wondering how you’re going to fit more people in then we’ve lined up three flavours of three-row cars for you to choose from

- Abhik Das

Test No. 242 to 244

Kia Carens 1.4-litre, turbo-petrol, 140bhp vs Hyundai Alcazar 2.0-litre, NA petrol, 159bhp vs Maruti-Suzuki XL6 1.5-litre, NA petrol, 105bhp

If memory serves me right then the VW Kombi/Transporter or Microbus was the coolest multi seater MPV there ever was. Born in a time where flower power was more important than horsepower, the Microbus was just the right kind of carrier for hippies hallucinating on Sixties indulgences. Fast forward to present day and the six/seven-seater car or MPV has now been limited to a practical option preferred by individuals who see it as a means to include the family whenever required. Thus naturally, space is a major factor governing the conceptualization of such a vehicle and the maximum space a vehicle can offer usually comes in a breadbox shape.

A van or an MPV is the right car for the job and that’s what Kia identified in imagining the Carens despite having the option of going the Hyundai way with the Creta and Alcazar. The Carens is unmistakably shaped as an MPV, trying a bit to look like an SUV and the marketing team at Kia has done their bit to put in some excitement in its classification by calling it an RV. Nonetheless, Kia’s futuristic design for the Carens is the first thing to grab people’s attention, some of whom confidently assumed it to be an EV given the closed grille look. The proportions are generous, dimensionally larger than the other two cars in this comparison and it does look attractive if you fancy the shape. If you don’t then you’re part of a global majority that prefers the proper silhouette of an SUV and that’ll make you turn towards the Hyundai Alcazar.