Toyota Kirloskar has officially launched the rebadged version of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, the Rumion MUV, that measures almost the same in dimensions, and everything else. So, why don’t we compare the Rumion against one of its rival, Kia Carens and find out how the two compete against each other, and which MUV is better?
From the outside, the Toyota Rumion at the front has few cuts on the bonnet, front grille has small hexagonal pattern with chrome around the grille that resembles the Innova HyCross and Toyota logo at the center. The Rumion has halogen headlamps and below that is the LED fog lamps, and more chrome below the big grille. From the side, the body has cuts and creases and it rides on the 15-inch alloy wheels with new design, and chrome door handles. Moving to the rear, the Rumion gets a chrome strip that connects the LED taillights, and wipers on the rear windscreen.
From the front, the Kia Carens has an LED DRLS and below it is the LED headlamps, and between the DRLs and Headlamps is a blacked out element with chrome line. Below is the hexagonal grille that has a chrome cover that contributes towards the design with LED foglamps right next to it. Moving to the side, it has thin wheel arches, chrome door handles, non-functional roof rails, with a little cut on the body, and has 16-inch alloy wheels. On the rear side, it has roof spoiler with shark fin antenna on the top. It has sort-of a L-shaped connected LED taillamps and the bumpers are finished in matte black to blend with the exterior design of the MPV.
From the inside, the Rumion comes with an 7-inch infotainment system placed between the AC vents and the AC vents at the sides are in rectangle shape that is positioned horizontally to blend with the dashboard design. It has dual-tone dashboard design option as well. The Rumion features a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with analog instrument cluster and a TFT display between the two analog dials, and the pedals are finished in black color. It has an armrest that doesn’t slide and fabric seat upholstery. Moving to the second row, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio and the AC vents is placed on the roof. The third row seats are split in 50:50 ratio and the Rumion is equipped with a 6-speaker Arkamy’s sound system.
The Kia Carens comes with an 10.25-inch infotainment system that is angled in a way that makes the dashboard look one piece and the AC vents are hidden below the dashboard for the seamless look with chrome line. It has the dual-tone dashboard option as well. The Carens features a three-spoke multi-function infotainment system with a digital instrument cluster, and a single-pane sunroof. It has buttons for drive modes, ventilated seats for driver and passenger, parking sensors, parking camera, etc. Moving to the second row, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio and the third row is split in 50:50 ratio. The Air purifier is right behind the driver seats, and a table on the first row passenger seat for the second row passengers, and also has two charging ports at the front, two in second row, and two in third row. The Carens is equipped with the 8-speaker Bose Premium sound system.
So, from the outside and the inside, the Kia Carens looks very premium, spacious, and sort-of luxurious than the Toyota Rumion.
| Toyota Rumion | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4420mm | 4540mm |
| Width | 1735mm | 1880mm |
| Height | 1690mm | 1708mm |
| Wheelbase | 2740mm | 2780mm |
| Ground Clearance | 185mm | 195mm |
| Boot Space | 209 L | 216 L |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 45 L – Petrol 60 L – CNG | 45 L |
| Kerb Weight | 1250 kg | 1,555 kg |
| Gross Vehicle Weight | 1820 kg | 2,040 kg |
In terms of Dimensions, the Rumion measures 4420mm in length, 1735mm in width, and 1690mm in height. On the other hand, the Kia Carens measures 4540mm in length that is longer by 120mm, width of 1880mm that is wider by 145mm, and height of 1708mm that is taller by 18mm. The Rumion features a wheelbase of 2740mm, ground clearance of 185mm, and boot space of 209 Litre while the Kia Carens features wheelbase of 2780mm which is 40mm longer, ground clearance of 195mm that is 10mm higher, and boot space of 216 Litres that is just 7 litres bigger.
The Rumion and the Carens both comes with 45 Litre Petrol Fuel Tank, but the Rumion also comes with CNG Cylinder of 60 L which the Carens doesn’t feature. Lastly, the Rumion has a kerb weight of 1250 kg and gross weight of 1820 kg where as the Carens weighs 1,555 kg that is 305 kg heavier, and gross vehicle weight is 2,040 kg which is 220 kg heavier.
| Toyota Rumion | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5 L 4-Cylinder K15C Petrol | 1.5 L 4-Cylinder NA Petrol |
| Displacement | 1462cc | 1497cc |
| Power | 101.65 BHP | 113.43 BHP |
| Torque | 136.8 NM | 144 NM |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT, 6-speed AT | 5-speed MT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 20.51 kmpl – MT 20.11 kmpl – AT | 15.70 kmpl |
When it comes to Powertrains, the Rumion and the Kia Caren comes with a normal Petrol powertrain. The Rumion is powered by the 1.5 L 4-Cylinder K15C Petrol Engine producing 101.65 BHP, and 136.8 NM of torque paired to 5-speed Manual Gearbox wit 20.51 kmpl fuel efficiency, and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox with 20.11 kmpl fuel efficiency. On the other hand, the Kia Carens comes with a 1.5 L 4-Cylinder Naturally-Aspirated petrol engine that puts out 113.42 BHP and 144 NM of torque mated to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox only with fuel efficiency of 15.70 kmpl.
| Toyota Rumion | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5-litre K15C CNG | – |
| Displacement | 1462cc | – |
| Power | 86.63 BHP | – |
| Torque | 121.5 NM | – |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT | – |
| Fuel Efficiency | 26.11 km/kg | – |
The Toyota Rumion comes with a CNG Fuel Option as well which the Kia Carens doesn’t. The 1.5-litre K15C CNG puts out 86.63 BHP and 121.5 NM of torque paired to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox with 26.11 km/kg.
| Toyota Rumion | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | – | 1.5 L 4-Cylinder Diesel |
| Displacement | – | 1497cc |
| Power | – | 114.41 BHP |
| Torque | – | 250 NM |
| Transmission Type | – | 6-speed iMT, 6-speed AT |
| Fuel Efficiency | – | 18.40 kmpl |
Toyota does not offer diesel engines in the Rumion, but Kia does with the Carens. The 1.5 L 4-Cylinder Diesel Engine producing 114.41 BHP and 250 NM of torque paired to 6-speed iMT, and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox with fuel efficiency of 18.40 kmpl.
| Toyota Rumion | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | – | 1.5 L 4-Cylinder Turbo Petrol |
| Displacement | – | 1482cc |
| Power | – | 157.81 BHP |
| Torque | – | 253 NM |
| Transmission Type | – | 6-speed iMT, 6-speed DCT |
Lastly, the Rumion will also not get a turbo petrol powertrain, but Carens definitely gets this engine as few months ago, Kia updated the Carens with this engine. Its a 1.5 L 4-Cylinder Turbo Petrol Engine producing 157.81 BHP and 253 NM of torque paired to 6-speed iMT and DCT Gearbox.
| Toyota Rumion | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamps | Halogen | LED |
| Taillamps | LED | LED |
| Wheel size & Tyre | 15-inch alloy wheels | 16-inch, alloy wheels |
| Auto Power Window | Yes | Yes |
| Seat upholstery | Fabric | Leather |
| Leather-wrapped steering wheel | Yes | Yes |
| AC | Auto | Auto |
| Rear AC vent | Yes | Yes |
| Instrument cluster | Analog | Digital |
| Infotainment System | 7-inch | 10.25-inch |
| Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Wireless | Wireless |
| Ambient Lighting | – | Yes (64 Colors) |
| Voice Control | Yes | Yes |
| Sound System | 6-speaker Arkamy’s Sound System | 8-speaker Bose Premium sound system |
| Cooled Glovebox | – | Yes |
| Auto Dimming IRVM | – | Yes |
| Height adjustable driver seat | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated Seats | – | Driver and Passenger |
| Sunroof | – | Single-Pane |
| Paddle Shifters | Yes (AT Only) | Yes (AT and DCT Only) |
In Features, the Rumion misses out on Sunroof, Ventilated Seats, Auto-Dimming IRVM, Cooled Glovebox, 8-speaker sound system, Ambient Lighting, bigger infotainment system, digital instrument cluster, leather seat upholstery, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
| Toyota Rumion | Kia Carens | |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | Four Airbags | Six Airbags |
| Camera | Reverse parking camera | Reverse parking camera |
| Parking Sensors | Rear | Front and Rear |
| TPMS | – | Yes |
| Auto Headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise Control | Yes | Yes |
| Traction Control | Yes | Yes |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| ESC | Yes | Yes |
| Hill Assist | Yes | Yes |
| Hill Descent Control | – | Yes |
| ISOFIX | Yes | Yes |
| All 4 Disc Brakes | Front Disc | Yes |
When it comes to safety, the Rumion misses out on Front Parking Sensors, Tyre-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Hill Descent Control, and Disc Brakes for all 4 wheels.
| Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Toyota Rumion | Expected Rs. 8.77 L |
| Kia Carens | Rs. 10.45 – Rs. 18.90 L |
The Kia Carens starts at Rs. 10.45 Lakh for the ‘Premium’ petrol variant and goes up to Rs. 18.95 Lakh for the top variant, ‘Luxury Plus AT’ Diesel, and the Toyota Rumion however is expected to start at Rs. 8.70 Lakh, but Toyota revealed the Rumion will be available in three variants – S, G, and V.
When it comes to the warranty, Toyota offers 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty period for the Rumion and can be extended up to 5 years/2,20,000 km. Kia offers 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty for the Carens and can be extended up to 5 years/1,50,000 km.
In the end, the decision to buy which MUV depends totally on you, however, if you’re looking for an premium-looking, packed with features, very spacious, and best engine performance from an MUV, then the Kia Carens is the perfect choice for you. Although, if you’re looking for an affordable spacious MUV, then the Toyota Rumion is better choice as its good better fuel efficiency than the Kia Carens, and comes loaded with decent amount of features. So, which MUV are you going to choose?