Running costs
Kia Carens running costs
Fuel for a Kia Carens costs about £1,050 to £1,983 a year, depending on the version, at 7,810 miles a year and today's pump prices. Vehicle tax and the MOT take the yearly bill to £1,305 to £2,238, before insurance, servicing and repairs. That is the mileage Kia Carenses really cover, from their MOT odometer readings, against 6,727 miles for the average car.
- Fuel a year £1,050–£1,983 at 7,810 miles
- Vehicle tax a year £200 registered from April 2017; older cars £20–£445
- MOT £54.85 maximum fee, once a year
- Fuel per mile 13.4p the most economical version
What the fuel costs
Each version's official combined figure, turned into a yearly cost at 7,810 miles and the current UK average of 171.5p a litre for petrol and 198.7p for diesel, from 8,148 forecourts. Figures are NEDC for versions listed between 2000 and 2018.
| Version | Official mpg | CO2 | Fuel a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel 1.7 24 versions, 2013–2018 | 46.3–67.2 | 109–159 g/km | £1,050–£1,524 |
| Petrol 1.6 12 versions, 2010–2018 | 38.2–45.6 | 143–174 g/km | £1,335–£1,594 |
| Diesel 1.6 7 versions, 2011–2015 | 49.6–51.4 | 146–149 g/km | £1,373–£1,422 |
| Diesel 2.0 15 versions, 2003–2010 | 37.2–47.1 | 159–205 g/km | £1,498–£1,896 |
| Petrol 1.8 9 versions, 2000–2004 | 30.7–34.9 | 191–216 g/km | £1,745–£1,983 |
| Petrol 2.0 9 versions, 2005–2010 | 32.8–34.9 | 192–206 g/km | £1,745–£1,856 |
The spread is worth knowing: the diesel 1.7 costs about £1,050 a year in fuel, the petrol 2.0 up to £1,856, a difference of £807 a year on the same mileage.
Vehicle tax
What a car pays depends on when it was first registered, not on when you buy it.
- Registered on or after 1 April 2017 £200 a year, whatever it emits
- Registered March 2001 to March 2017 £20–£445 CO2 bands B to K for this model
- Registered before 1 March 2001 £375 by engine size
- List price over £40,000 when new +£440 a year for 5 years
DVLA rates as published on GOV.UK, checked 19 September 2026. Rates change in the Budget. Paying monthly or every six months costs more than a single yearly payment.
MOT and what it tends to find
The test itself is capped at £54.85 for a car, and a Kia Carens needs one every year once it is three. 37.0% of Kia Carenses fail first time, so on roughly one test in 3 the fee is the small part of the bill.
What actually fails one, and what it means: Kia Carens common problems.
Kia Carens running costs: common questions
How much does a Kia Carens cost to run a year?
Fuel works out at £1,050 to £1,983 a year, from the official economy figures for each version, the 7,810 miles a Kia Carens averages, and today's average pump prices. Add £200 vehicle tax and up to £54.85 for the MOT and the yearly total is £1,305 to £2,238. That is before insurance, servicing, tyres and repairs, which we have no figures for.
How many miles a year does a Kia Carens do?
7,810 on average, worked out from the odometer readings DVSA records at consecutive MOT tests. The average car covers 6,727 miles, so Kia Carenses do more than average. It is the reason these costs are the model's own rather than a figure for a notional 10,000 miles.
How much is the road tax on a Kia Carens?
£200 a year for one registered on or after 1 April 2017, whatever it emits. One registered between March 2001 and March 2017 is taxed on its CO2: Kia Carenses fall in bands B to K, which is £20 to £445 a year. One registered before March 2001 is taxed on engine size, at £375. Cars with a list price over £40,000 when new pay £440 a year on top for 5 years.
Are the official mpg figures realistic?
These are NEDC figures, the older laboratory test, which is optimistic: real economy is commonly 10 to 20 per cent worse. Treat them as a way of comparing versions rather than a promise.
What is not in these figures?
Insurance, servicing, tyres, brakes, repairs, parking and depreciation, which is usually the biggest cost of all. We publish figures we can source: fuel from official economy tests and live pump prices, tax from DVLA rates, the MOT from its maximum fee. We do not estimate the rest.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official economy and CO2 | Car fuel and emissions information Vehicle Certification Agency | July 2000 to 15 September 2026 | 107 VCA records | 15 September 2026 |
| Average annual mileage | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 13,720 MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
| Pump prices | Fuel Finder open data Fuel Finder statutory scheme ONS Postcode Directory Office for National Statistics | Prices at 19:32 on 31 October 2026 | 8,148 filling stations | 31 October 2026 |
- Fuel cost is miles ÷ mpg × the price of a gallon, using the model's own average annual mileage and the current UK average pump price. A gallon is 4.546 litres.
- Official economy figures come from the laboratory test in force when each version was sold: WLTP from 2018, NEDC before it. NEDC figures are optimistic against real driving.
- Plug-in hybrid figures assume a charged battery at the start of every journey, so no yearly cost is shown for them. Electric cars are priced per kWh, which depends on where they charge, and we do not publish a charging price.
- Vehicle tax rates are DVLA's, published on GOV.UK and checked on 19 September 2026. The MOT fee is the maximum a test station may charge, from GOV.UK.
- Insurance, servicing, tyres, repairs, parking and depreciation are not included.
Source: Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data. Crown copyright.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Source: Fuel Finder, the UK government’s statutory fuel price scheme.
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026.