Practical but dull

There is plenty to complain about in what could have been the perfect MPV, the Carens V-Estate

Published on October 10, 2007

Design is not the strongest aspect of the Kia Carens V-Estate. It can be considered among the most boring-looking vehicles in the Kingdom.

If you're looking for the most boring - yet perfect - multi-purpose vehicle, then you need look no further than the Kia Carens.

Now before you scream obscenities at me, consider what a perfect MPV is. Imagine the average family Joe looking for a vehicle that seats five people, needs more space than the average sedan, is economical in terms of fuel consumption and whose price does not run roughshod over his bank balance.

The Kia Carens is not new to Thailand. It's been around for about three years, in sport-utility vehicle form. Like every other SUV in the market it boasted seven seats. Of course it was only after you got it home that you discovered that the last row of seats was either meant for the family pet or the Incredible Hulk action figure your son plays with.

So now we have the Carens V-Estate, which seats only five and provides plenty of additional space for luggage. Beneath the luggage compartment there are also many small cubby holes, useful for storing all kinds of knick-knacks. Additionally, the second row of seats folds down flat for extra space, but when it comes to seating, the second row is best for only two, rather than three, because of a lack of shoulder room.

So you've got practicality. Next comes fuel economy.

Diesel is picking up in Thailand. I cite the emergence of the Chevrolet Captiva diesel, the Ssangyong Actyon, BMW 520D, Mercedes-Benz E-Class 220Cdi, Volvo S80 D5 and the upcoming Ford Focus diesel. They will all cover 15 kilometres on every litre with ease if you drive sensibly, and acceleration is more than enough once you've started rolling.

The V-Estate has all these features. Low-speed acceleration is impressive up until 140kph, after which the 2-litre commonrail engine starts giving up. Along with all this acceleration though, comes the cranking sound at low speeds and the typhoon-under-the-bonnet sound at higher speeds. But the diesel unit deals easily with both city and highway driving.

However, if you're looking for things to complain about, it is easier to find them in the V-Estate than mooncakes in Chinatown. First off would be the cheap plastic interior that looks like it's been picked out of a 1980s dump truck. But even before getting to the interior, you'll be shaking your head at the vehicle's boring appearance. It's as if the designers held a "make-me-fall-asleep" design contest and began production with the winner.

The centre console has its own little spot of magic. It looks like a shield and seems to have been lifted from medieval times. It doesn't help that the audio system doesn't play MP3, but it does have a tape cassette player. Perhaps the people at Kia have targeted the V-Estate at drivers who believe that Elvis Presley is "new age" music.

The stuffy air-conditioning gives you a sore throat on long drives, but the controls for it look sophisticated. In fact, every passenger who travelled with me in the V-Estate over one week insisted on twisting and turning them, just for the kicks. Headlights that turn off automatically when you leave the vehicle and on-steering audio controls are pleasant and unexpected surprises. There are two cup-holders on the door and two in the centre. Two cubby holes in the centre and a coin hole on the driver's side make life easier.

On the move, the V-Estate gives priority to comfort and cornering means lots of body roll. The result is a tilting vehicle that does not encourage you to enter corners too quickly. Although cracks and bumps on the road cannot be felt inside the vehicle, they unsettle the V-Estate and refinement is lacking. The brakes are set well and offer ample reaction without prodding too deeply, mainly because both front and rear brakes are discs.

So the big question is whether the V-Estate's Bt893,000 price is justified. The regular seven-seater SUV costs Bt990,000. The V-Estate is a sort of jack-of-all-trades and master of none, which is perhaps the correct formula for an MPV. But pause to consider that it will cost you little more than the top-end Toyota Yaris or Honda Jazz.

No, the V-Estate will not wake you up to automotive bliss. It will, however, get the family going when the alarm rings in the morning.

Specifications:

Kia Carens V-Estate

Engine: 2-litre turbo

commonrail diesel

Displacement: 1,991cc

Bore and stroke: 83mm x 92mm

Compression ratio: 17.7:1

Maximum power: 112hp at 4000rpm

Maximum torque: 245Nm at 2000rpm

Transmission: Four-speed automatic

Suspension (front/rear): Independent MacPherson strut with stabiliser bar/dual-link shock absorbers