Top 5 upcoming MPVs in 2023: From Kia Carnival to Hyundai Stargazer

The sales and popularity of MPV segement in India is increasing everyday. Auto manufacturers are witnessing exponential sales growth in this segment and new cars are being developed and introduced to the Indian market.
In this article, let’s take a look at upcoming MPVs in 2023.
1. 2023 Kia Carnival
The facelifted Kia Carnival was unveiled globally in 2021. While its India launch timeline is yet to be revealed by the carmaker, it’s expected to come sometime next year.
Talking about the dimensions, the new Carnival measures 5155mm in length, 1995mm in width and 1775mm in height.

Globally, the Carnival is being offered with the 3.5L V6 MPi petrol, new 2.2L Smartstream and 3.5L GDi V6 Smartstrem engine options. In India, the 2023 Kia Carnival is likely to be made available with the 2.2L diesel motor making 200bhp and 440Nm. Transmission duties will be done by an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Some features that will be included are blind spot assist, lane keeping assist, surround view monitor, forward collision avoidance assist, and high beam assist.
2. Citroen C3-based MPV
Citroen launched the C3 compact hatchback in the Indian market in July this year as its second product for the country. It seems like the French-origin carmaker is already readying another car for India based on the C3. Test mules of what appears to be a 7-seater version of the C3 have been spotted for the first time.
The prototypes are fully covered in camouflage, but the front fascia and the rear-end design are expected to be more or less similar to the C3. However, the MPV appears much longer than the compact hatchback. It could even get a slightly larger wheelbase to accommodate an additional row of seats.

Styling-wise, Citroen might provide the 7-seat C3 with a few updates on the outside, to make it stand out. Sitting above the C3 in the company’s portfolio, the three-row car will serve as a rival to the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, while also facing competition from the Renault Triber. We do expect the Citroen MPV to be more affordable than the Ertiga though.
It is yet to be seen if the C3-based MPV will make use of the same powertrains as the car it will be based on. That said, Citroen offers the C3 with a 1.2-litre NA petrol engine that puts out 82 hp of max power and 115 Nm of peak torque, as well as a turbo-petrol version of the same engine that generates 109 hp power and 190 Nm torque. The former gets a 5-speed MT as standard, while the latter is only available with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
3. Hyundai Stargazer MPV
The next MPV on the list is the Hyundai Stargazer MPV. Hyundai unveiled the Stargazer in Indonesia last year. The price of the MPV starts from IDR 243,300,000 (about Rs. 12.97 lakhs) to IDR 307,100,000 (about Rs. 16.37 lakhs at current exchange rates).
Talking about the design of the MPV, the overall silhouette of the car looks very different from a typical Hyundai. It has clean flowing lines with one curve design. The curve design makes the MPV look taller, and wider in appearance. It comes with a new parametric grille, flanked by a split headlamp setup. It also gets slim horizontal LED DRLs which are placed on the top and the main LED headlamp cluster is positioned on the lower bumper.

The MPV gets 15-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. At the back, it features the new ‘H’ pattern LED tail lights that run across the tailgate. The overall design looks fresh, unique and different from other Hyundai models.
In terms of dimensions, the Stargazer 3-row MPV is 4,460mm in length, 1,780mm in width and 1,695mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,780mm.
The Hyundai Stargazer MPV will be powered by a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine that produces 115 bhp of power and 144 Nm of peak torque.
The India-bound spec is expected to get the same engine options as the Kia Carens, a 115 bhp, 1.5L VTVT NA petrol, a 115 bhp CRDi, 1.5L turbo diesel and a 140PS, 1.4L turbo GDi petrol.
Hyundai is offering the Stargazer in 12 trims with both 6-seater options with captain seats and 7-seater options with a bench seat in the middle row. Starting with base Active trim followed by Trend, Style and lastly, top-spec Prime trims with single-tone and dual-tone options.
4. Innova Crysta facelift
When Toyota unveiled the new Hycross, the company said that the Innova Crysta diesel will remain on sale alongside the Innova Hycross. Bookings for the Innova Crysta diesel will resume from January 2023.
The Crysta diesel is expected to get minor cosmetic changes and additional features. The Crysta will also get an updated diesel engine as per new BS6 phase 2 norms.

The Innova Crysta will be powered by a 2.4-litre D-4D turbocharged diesel engine which produces 148 bhp and 343 Nm of torque. The engine comes paired with a 5-speed manual transmission only.
5. Hyundai Alcazar facelift
Hyundai Alcazar facelift was launched in India in 2021 and now it’s due to get a minor facelift. The MPV was spied testing without any camouflage in South Korea.
The Alcazar gets minor cosmetic changes over the outgoing model. The MPV gets a new smaller front grille that is in line with the carmaker’s new ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design language. The grille gets rectangular chrome studs and it also gets the chrome stripe connecting the headlamp clusters. Other changes will include redesigned tailgate with newly designed alloy wheels.

The facelift Alcazar will come with ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) that includes features such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic collision, blind spot monitor, autonomous emergency braking with forward collision avoidance and more.
Hyundai Alcazar is expected to be continued with the same engines – a 2.0-litre NA Petrol that produces 157bhp and 191Nm of torque and a 1.5-litre engine that has an output of 113bhp and 250Nm of torque. Both powertrains can be had with a six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.