[Aditya]

2024 Kia Carnival Review

Kia Carnival Pros

• A ​t​op-class luxurious MPV that’s also high on practicality​ - beats most same price SUVs on both parameters
• ​H​as a sturdy build and excellent fit & finish
• Large size and imposing road presence​
• Spacious & comfortable interiors. 3rd-row is usable for adults too
• Fantastic engine & gearbox combination! 2.2L diesel & 8-speed AT impress
• Comfortable ride quality & neutral road manners​ - ride comfort is superior to the Toyota Vellfire
• 627L boot space with all three rows up​; massive cargo space with the third row down
• Impressive kit (2 sunroofs, ​12-speaker Bose sound system, relaxation seats, electric rear doors, sunshades, drive modes, paddle shifters​ which the outgoing Carnival didn't have, ​e​tc.)
• 5-star safety rating​ in the ANCAP. Kit ​includes ​8 airbags, ADAS Level 2, ESC, HSA, 360-degree camera etc.

Kia Carnival Cons

• ​Twice as ​expensive​ as the outgoing car! ​E​x-showroom price is 64-lakhs (IMHO, it's fully worth the asking price)
• Massive size can make it cumbersome in the city, while parking & in narrow lanes​. Majority of Kia Carnivals are chauffeur-driven for good reason
• Available in ​m​erely 2 colour options, 1 variant and 1 seating configuration
• No petrol​ or hybrid powertrains on offer
• Ordinary urban fuel economy due to the heavy weight, 190 BHP engine & AT gearbox
• 3rd​-row access is difficult for larger adults and the elderly
• Quality of some of the interior materials ​i​s more comparable to a Hyundai Tucson than a Mercedes
• Some misses such as a ​f​ull-size spare tyre​ (you get a skinny 135 mm space saver which will cap your cruising speed to 80 km/h), cooled glovebox, fully electric second row seat adjustment, etc.

This review has been jointly compiled with Samurai. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Introduction

Kia had displayed the 4th-gen Carnival MPV at the 2023 Auto Expo in Greater Noida. However, the company launched the car in India only earlier this month. This is the facelifted version of the 4th-gen Carnival which went on sale in global markets in 2020.

Based on the 3rd generation "N3" platform shared with the Hyundai Tucson, the Carnival is available in 3-row configurations and can accommodate up to 7 passengers. While it is available with petrol, hybrid, and diesel powerplants internationally, only the 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel finds favour here in India. An 8-speed torque converter automatic is the only transmission available.

Kia Carnival Price & Brochure

Kia has priced the Carnival at Rs. 63.90 lakhs (ex-showroom), which we feel is at a premium. After all, the outgoing model was priced significantly lower at ~Rs. 35 lakhs (ex-showroom). So we feel that the 2024 Carnival is very expensive, especially considering Kia being perceived as a mass market carmaker and the fact that the car is assembled in India from SKD kits.

However, Kia is very clear about its target customer. The company wants to sell this car to businessmen, executives / CEOs of companies, politicians, celebrities, sports stars and rich families. Taking this into consideration, you realise that while there are many MPVs in the market, the only somewhat luxurious MPV in the market is the Toyota Innova Hycross which has a maximum price of ~Rs. 31 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Then, there is a big jump to the Toyota Vellfire, a proper luxury van that costs between Rs. 1.2 and 1.3 crores (ex-showroom Delhi). The Carnival slots in nicely between these two extremes.

Bookings for the Carnival began on September 16, 2024, and Kia claims that it received over 1,800 bookings in less than 24 hours of opening. The company claims to have a negligible amount of cancellations after the price was revealed. Let's be honest, even at this price, considering what the Carnival brings to the table, it has no real competition.

The official brochure of the Kia Carnival can be downloaded here: Kia Carnival Brochure.pdf.

[Aditya]

Exterior

Design & Styling

The Carnival's design is boxy for sure, but very appealing at the same time. It looks a lot more SUVish compared to the outgoing model. It is large and has a great road presence. Features include LED headlamps, DRLs and foglamps, black & chrome tiger nose grille, sliding rear doors, dual sunroof, LED tail-lamps and a powered tailgate. While there are some character lines on the car, they are quite subtle and not overdone.

The Carnival measures 5,155 mm in length, 1,995 mm in width and 1,775 mm in height (with roofrails). It has a wheelbase of 3,090 mm. All these figures are greater than the outgoing model.

Kia is selling the Carnival in just two single-tone body colours – Glacier White Pearl and Fusion Black. We feel more colours could have been added to the palette. Coming to the variants, there is only one available - Limousine Plus.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

The build quality is what one would expect of a premium car. The doors have some heft to them and shut with a nice sound. The bonnet and tailgate are on the heavier side too. Overall, the car feels solid and well put together.

The fit & finish and paint job are also impressive.

Wheels & Tyres

The Carnival gets a set of 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels which look quite funky. They are shod with 235/60 section tyres and the spare is a space saver.

Ground Clearance

Kia hasn’t specified the ground clearance of the Carnival. However, it appears to be more than adequate for Indian conditions. Our test car had no issues tackling speed breakers and even some mild off-roading. That said, a fellow road tester did complain about scraping the undercarriage on a couple of occasions.

Standard & Extended Warranty

The Carnival comes with a 3-year / unlimited km standard warranty. You can also purchase an extended warranty of up to 5 years and we strongly recommend you get maximum coverage.

Maintenance

Kia has a nationwide Care network with the availability of genuine spare parts and IoT-based workshops with live vehicle tracking. Additionally, there is the Scratch Care program for one-time free repair. You also get 3 years of free maintenance and a 24x7, 3-year RSA.

Safety

Safety has become paramount these days and a lot of people are basing their buying decision on the safety of a car. The 4th-gen Carnival has received a 5-star crash test rating from Australian NCAP.

In terms of features, the car gets Level 2 ADAS with 23 features, 8 airbags, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control with Hill Assist Control, Highline TPMS parking sensors, 360-degree camera, ISOFIX child seat anchors and more.

[Aditya]

Interior

Cabin Design & Quality

The Carnival gets a dual-tone Tuscan and Umber 2-tone theme. The interior is a lot more modern compared to the previous generation car. The dashboard is black with piano black and silver inserts and the steering wheel is wrapped in leatherette. There are dual panoramic (12.3”) curved displays. Leatherette is used on the seats and doorpads and soft touch material has been used in multiple places. While the quality of the materials used is pretty good, we do think that considering the price of the car, the plastics could have been better.

Space & Comfort

Ingress and egress are very easy at the front and rear as the Carnival's roof is high and the floor is not as high as traditional SUVs. The wheelbase of 3,090 mm translates into good space inside the cabin. The cabin width is also very healthy and in the front, you do not sit close to the front passenger.

Front seats are draped in black and brown 2-tone leatherette upholstery. They’re broad and accommodating and come with ventilation and heating. Driver seat gets 12-way adjustment, while passenger seat gets 8-way adjustment. The cushioning is on point and should be comfortable over long drives.

Driving Position & Ergonomics

The driver seat gets 12-way adjustment (with 4-way lumbar adjustment and memory function) and has a good travel range too. The steering is adjustable for height and reach which means finding a comfortable driving position is easy. At 5'10" with my slightly laid-back driving position, I could get comfortable quite easily. From the driver’s seat, you get a clear view of the road ahead. Frontal and side visibility is good, but the rear visibility isn’t great due to the sheer length of the vehicle. You will have to depend on the rearview camera while reversing.

Other controls like the steering-mounted buttons, stalks, air-con controls, etc. are well within reach. We will say that ergonomically, the Carnival is well sorted.

Cabin Storage

There's a decent amount of storage space for passengers. All the door pockets can hold 1-litre bottles and you get a well-sized glovebox with illumination but no cooling. In the centre console, you get a phone tray and a wireless charging pad, two cupholders another slot to keep a smartphone or loose change and a deep storage box under the centre armrest. The front seats have seatback nets for the rear passengers to keep stuff and there are cupholders for the third row passengers on the sides. It must be noted that the outgoing car came with a second glovebox which was located on the top of the dashboard. This has been omitted in the new car.

Air-Conditioning

The Carnival gets a 3-zone climate control system. The cooling was good and we found no reason to complain.

Features

Unique & Noteworthy Features

Kia has loaded the Carnival with almost every feature you could think of. Noteworthy features include keyless entry & go, dual panoramic (12.3”) curved displays, an 11-inch head-up display, a 3-zone climate control system, a 4-spoke leatherette-wrapped steering wheel with tilt and telescopic adjustment, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, power sliding rear doors, ventilated first and second-row seats, powered relaxation second-row seats with leg support, 12-speaker Bose sound system, navigation, Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Kia Connect with OTA software updates, sunshade curtains for the second and third-row windows, reclining and sinking third-row seats, roof-mounted A/C vents for the second and third rows and powered tailgate.

You also get two USB charging ports for every row of seats, a wireless charging pad, ambient lighting, glovebox illumination, auto-dimming IRVM, puddle lamps, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and more. However, the infotainment screens that were available in the outgoing car have not been provided in the new one.

Audio System & Sound Quality

The 13.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is mated with a 12-speaker Bose sound system. The touchscreen gets navigation and wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity. In terms of usability, the touchscreen is very responsive and doesn't lag. Even the display is crisp.

The system allows several settings and most users will find the the audio quality satisfactory. We tried many songs of different genres and found the output enjoyable.

Those who own recent vehicles from Hyundai or Kia are familiar with the connected features of these vehicles. The Kia Connect or Blue Link app for smartphones are identical except in name. However, Kia has moved to the next generation set of features with Kia Connect 2.0, which is available first in the Carnival, and later will be available on their cheaper models too. The Kia Connect 2.0 is built on the CCNC platform which supports the industry-standard MQTT protocol, a popular messaging standard in the IoT industry.

Earlier, the connect feature was used to upgrade only the infotainment centre and navigation systems. In India Kia had tied up with Vodafone, using 2G for voice and 4G for data services. With Kia Connect 2.0, the company has switched to Airtel and uses the VOLTE, a communication standard that can use either 4G, 5G or even your WiFi [I am not sure Kia is supporting WiFi right now, but VOLTE has that ability, which is seen in most modern smartphones]. This makes fleet management of Kia vehicles very easy.

Rear Passengers

Rear Seat Comfort & Space

Ingress & egress into the second row is very easy. The powered sliding doors open wide and one simply walks in or out of the car. If necessary, users can take advantage of the grab handles provided on the B-pillars. Once inside, there is plenty of legroom and headroom available for even tall occupants.

The second row is where the Carnival excels. The second row features two individual “relaxation” chairs that are heated and ventilated. These seats are very comfortable with soft headrests as well as foldable individual armrests. They can be electrically reclined and come with leg support (ottomans). Boss controls have been provided for the front passenger seat so that the second-row passenger can stretch himself / herself out. The second-row seats get manual fore & aft as well as side-to-side sliding adjustments.

For storage, the second-row passengers get 1-litre bottle holders on the doorpads, two cupholders on the end of the centre console with a cubby to keep a smartphone below, nets on the front seatbacks and grab handles with coat hooks. To charge their gadgets, they can use Type-C USB ports on the sides of the front seats and a 12V power outlet below the cupholders on the centre console. A/C vents have been provided on the roof with a control panel on the right.

To get into the third row, the second-row seats need to be slid outwards. One has to use the space between the two second-row seats to get in or out of the third row. This is difficult for larger people or the elderly. While the third-row seat is designed to take three occupants with headrests and 3-point seatbelts for all occupants, it is best suited for just two adults. There is adequate legroom available if you move the second-row seats forward and headroom is just about adequate. The seat is split in a 60:40 ratio with the middle passenger's seat attached to the LHS seat. The backrests can be reclined to find a comfortable seating position. However, the third-row seats are placed lower than we would have liked which results in a knees-up sitting position.

Third-row occupants get two Type-C USB charging ports, roof-mounted A/C vents and cupholders on the sides.

Boot Space

Even with all the seats in place, the Carnival has a healthy 627 litres of luggage space available. You can stow away the third row of seats to obtain a massive cargo area with a flat boot floor.

[Aditya]

Driving the Kia Carnival 2.2L Diesel AT

The 2.2-litre diesel engine produces 190 BHP and 441 Nm. It's mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission:


The Carnival is powered by a 2.2L, 4-cylinder Smartstream D2.2 turbo-diesel engine. This makes it less powerful but more torquey than the outgoing car. Kia has shifted from cast iron to an aluminium block for the new Carnival. Kia claims that the changes made to the engine make it more fuel-efficient and less polluting. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox with a rotary shifter. The way this engine-gearbox combo has been tuned is impressive.

In the city, the engine has enough pep & the torque converter ensures that there is a good bottom end. Driveability is very good. Drive with a light foot & it will result in a smooth & refined experience. The car's occupants won't even notice the changing gears.

You can quickly close the gaps in traffic and even keep up with it easily. Putting down your right foot hard sees the gearbox drop a gear or two and the car lunges forward. With the tall seating position & clear visibility, driving in the city is not difficult. However, one must keep in mind that this is a long vehicle and darting in and out of traffic or parking will not be easy.

On the open road, the engine & gearbox ensure that the Carnival is a strong performer. During the media drive, never once did I feel that this heavy MPV was underpowered. It can easily keep up with other cars and pass them if necessary. Kia claims that the MPV can do the 0-100 km/h sprint in 10.7 seconds and 80-120 km/h in 8.2 seconds. These are pretty good numbers for a car as big and heavy as the Carnival. What we found a little disappointing was that the engine revs till just 4,000 rpm (4,100 rpm on some occasions) before shifting up. Still, there is enough performance available to satisfy most users.

In terms of cruisability, the Carnival's diesel engine spins at ~1,600 rpm while doing 100 km/h in 8th gear. This is an extremely relaxed and competent long-distance cruiser with a very silent and vibration-free cabin.

The Carnival gets drive modes that basically alter the throttle response as well as the behaviour of the engine. There are 4 drive modes: Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart.



The Normal mode is the default mode which is in the middle of Eco and Sport modes. It works well in town and on the highway and offers a good balance between efficiency and performance. In fact, you really don't need to change it unless you're driving uphill or want to overtake a vehicle quickly on an undivided highway.

In Eco mode, the throttle response is the dullest and fuel economy is the highest. In the city, this mode is the smoothest to use because of the relaxed power delivery. Even on the highway, it is quite useable thanks to the amount of power and torque that the engine provides. Only when you need to overtake a slower vehicle very quickly you will find a need to change to another drive mode.

In Sport mode, the throttle response is the sharpest and the transmission holds on to a gear longer than the other modes. On undivided highways, this is the mode to use to pull off safe overtakes. Don't use this mode in the city as power delivery can get a little spiky.

The Smart mode alters the power delivery according to the driving pattern of the user.

As mentioned earlier, the 8-speed gearbox is smooth in operation and very well-tuned. It responds pretty quickly to throttle inputs and doesn't get confused easily. It also comes with paddles behind the steering wheel for the driver to change gears manually. You'll like the engine braking on offer.

Insulation under the bonnet:


Clear markings on the fuel flap and diesel filler cap indicate the car's diet. You can also see the AdBlue filler next to it. Fuel tank capacity = 72 litres:

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

Just like the outgoing car, the NVH levels of the 4th-gen Carnival are top-notch. There is no significant body shake on start-up or shut down and there are no vibrations felt anywhere. The engine is barely audible inside the cabin except when revved hard. Even then, it's never intrusive.

Wind and road noise at 100 km/h or even higher speeds is well-controlled. One never needs to raise his voice while talking to fellow occupants.

Mileage & Fuel economy

The ARAI-certified FE figure of the 4th-gen Carnival is 14.85 km/l. However, don't expect too much in the fuel efficiency department. Considering the weight, power and AT, we expect single-digit figures in the city (depending on driving style). On the highway, we got an average of just ~10 km/l. This included a 50% mix of redlining as well as relaxed cruising. The tall 8th gear helps improve efficiency, and some of you might be able to extract another couple of km/l if you drive calmly.

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Carnival sports a McPherson strut suspension with coil springs at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. Urban ride quality is soft and compliant. Owners will be satisfied. There is no excessive side-to-side swaying that body-on-frame UVs suffer from on bad roads. Low-speed ride comfort is definitely impressive. The highway ride is comfortable as well. Smaller bumps are flattened quite easily. While larger bumps do come in, they do not cause any discomfort.

Handling & Dynamics

Straight-line stability is very good at triple-digit speeds. Unlike the previous-gen car, we didn't find the suspension too soft at high speeds. The car doesn't lose composure over undulations on the road.

Even when the road gets twisty, the Carnival responds well for the type of vehicle it is. Body roll is very well controlled through corners for a car (or should I say van) of this size and weight. Of course, it's not a corner carver, but it does inspire some amount of confidence in a driver while tackling curves at speeds. Credit must also be given to the 235/60 Continental CrossContact tyres that come with the car. Never once did they squeal or feel like losing grip while hard cornering.

Steering

The Carnival gets electric power steering that is well-calibrated. It feels one-finger light at parking and slow speeds and gets heavier as the speed goes up. This along with the healthy rake and reach adjustment, makes the Carnival easy to steer. That said, the steering could do with more feedback.

Braking

The Carnival gets disc brakes at the front and rear. Its stopping power is good and we have no complaints at all. The braking system gets "auto hold" which helps in traffic as you don’t have to continuously keep the B-pedal pressed while waiting.

[Aditya]

Kia Carnival Exterior Images

The front end is dominated by the tiger nose radiator grille that is found on most Kia SUVs. Overall appearance is a lot more squarish compared to the old-gen Carnival:


Rear features connected LED tail-lamp clusters and prominent creases on the tailgate:


While the overall look of the Carnival has become more SUV-ish, one look at the side profile is enough to remind you that this is an MPV. Rear doors slide electrically:


One of the best angles to view the Carnival. Not many cuts and creases on the body:


The Carnival has grown in size. It is 40 mm longer, 10 mm wider and 20 mm taller than the old-gen car. Its wheelbase is longer by 20 mm too. The sheer size is evident when viewed from this angle:


Vertically stacked Ice Cube LED projection headlamps with Starmap LED DRLs look unique. DRLs double up as turn indicators:


Black and chrome tiger-nose grille gets a thick matte chrome insert running along the sides and lower border. The front camera sits in the middle:


Bumper features a wide air dam with LED fog lamps, parking sensors and a radar sensor. It also gets a matte chrome skid plate:


A fair amount of underbody protection at the front, though it does not stretch back too far:


ADAS camera sits at the top of the front windshield, behind the IRVM. 23 ADAS Level 2 features have been provided. These include forward collision warning, forward collision avoidance assist, smart cruise control, blind spot warning, blind spot collision avoidance, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, high beam assist, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance among others:


ORVMs get integrated LED turn-indicators and house cameras for the 360-degree view system:


Body-coloured door handles get request sensors and chrome inserts:


Sidestep is available as an accessory. Doors feature a black applique with a matte chrome insert:


Cube detailing design C-pillar:


Cut behind the rear doors to accommodate the door-opening mechanism. It will attract dust and should be cleaned regularly:


18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels shod with 235/60 section Continental CrossContact tyres:


Disc brakes have been provided at the rear as well:


A healthy amount of wheel well cladding at the front and rear:


Space saver spare tyre is located on the right below the second-row passenger footwell:


Dual electric sunroof. The roof is ribbed and the shark fin antenna sits at the end:


Bridge-type roof rails are finished in silver:


Roof-mounted spoiler is prominent:


The rear wiper is concealed below the roof spoiler:


Tail lamps have a similar styling to the headlamps:


With the tail lamps and indicators in action. Large "KIA" lettering sits in the middle of the tailgate with the model name and variant listed in the lower left and right corners respectively:


Rear camera is located above the number plate. The rear bumper houses the parking sensors, a matte chrome skid plate, a rear foglamp (in the middle) and slim reflectors with reversing lamps at the ends:


The towing point is located in the middle:


Exhaust pipe is placed on the right:

[Aditya]

Kia Carnival Interior Images

The all-black dashboard is well put together and nicely finished. It features soft-touch materials. We feel that the quality of the materials is not that much better than say the Hyundai Tucson:


Leatherette-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel is adjustable for height as well as reach, making it easy to get a good driving position. It comes with piano black and silver insert buttons for the infotainment system. Telephony and voice commands are placed on the left spoke while the buttons on the right spoke have the ADAS controls:


Silver engine start/stop button is backlit:


11-inch head-up display is clear to read and shows even turn-by-turn navigation:


12.3-inch instrument cluster is fully digital and easy to read:


MID shows all the necessary information including a TPMS, urea level and turn-by-turn navigation:


The Carnival comes with Level 2 ADAS and has 23 features. The display for some of the functions comes up in the MID:


Other information relayed by the instrument cluster includes the cruise control status, blind spot monitor, parking sensor display and door open warning:


Wiper and light stalks get piano black inserts. The Carnival is equipped with auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers:


Switches for traction control, headlight adjustment, rear doors and tailgate are located on the right:


Doorpads get leather and piano black inserts. The driver unit houses the buttons for the seat memory function. The door handles are finished in satin silver:


Door sills are not very wide. No illuminated scuff plates here:


Seats get leatherette upholstery and power adjustment with ventilation and heating. Driver seat gets 12-way adjustment with lumbar support, while passenger seat gets 8-way adjustment:


The footwell has lots of space. The dead pedal is perfectly angled and wide:


The ORVMs are well-sized, providing a good view of the action behind. They come with blind-spot warnings:


IRVM size is just adequate & it comes with an auto-dimming function:


The 12.3-inch touchscreen has a crisp display and is very slick to operate. Visibility is good even under direct sunlight:


Music is played through a 12-speaker Bose sound system. It is quite an enjoyable audio setup:


There are different settings for the driver assistance system and you can choose to turn off the ones that you don't want to use. You have different vehicle-related settings as well for the lights, door, climate control and even the cluster. You also get voice commands and connected car features with OTA (over-the-air) updates. Additionally, you get on-board navigation and multiple language support. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have been provided:


Navigation is accurate and very easy to use:


The 360-degree camera feature is very usable while parking in tight spaces. The display is clear and there’s no lag:


Apart from the two rotary knobs for adjusting the volume and radio station, all the controls for the infotainment head-unit and climate control are touch-type:


Two Type-C USB ports and a 12V power outlet are located low on the centre fascia:


Wireless smartphone charging pad and storage space for another smartphone at the base of the centre fascia:


Centre console houses two cupholders, a rotary gear selector, buttons for the drive mode selector and auto hold and the electric parking brake. Switches for the seat ventilation, parking sensors and 360-degree camera are also placed here:


Deep storage bin with soft lining under the centre armrest:


The glovebox is well-sized. It gets illumination but no cooling:


Both sun visors get ticket holders, vanity mirrors with covers and illumination:


Like before, the Carnival gets two openable sunroofs. While the glass can electrically opened or closed, the cover needs to be closed manually:


Rear doorpads get the same theme as the ones in the front. Door pockets can hold a 1-litre bottle and nothing more. The piano black area features ambient lighting. Switches for the power windows and seat ventilation are placed on the doorpads too:


B-pillars house the buttons to open and close the powered rear doors:


Sturdy grab handle on the B-pillar to aid entry into the second row:


The second row gets captain seats with electric adjustment for the backrest & leg support, ventilation & heating. They also get individual armrests. Headrests are winged and soft:


While the manual levers for fore & aft and seat-to-side movement are located on the other sides, the electric adjustment switches for the other functions are placed on the inner side. These can take some time to get used to:


Second-row seats are very comfortable. There is adequate under-thigh support, headroom...


...and legroom for anyone. In this case, the seat has been slid fully back:


The front passenger seat can be moved forward and its backrest adjusted by the rear passenger using these buttons. Notice the USB charging port behind for the rear passenger to use. There is one on the driver's seat too:


One can recline the backrest and raise the leg support. Of course, you can't put the leg rests up and completely stretch your legs because it doesn’t have that kind of legroom, but they are still very comfortable:


Climate control panel is located on the right. A/C vents for the second row are mounted on the roof. It should have been placed in the middle as it is out of reach for the left seat occupant. Grab handles with coat hooks have been provided:


Two cupholders have been provided at the end of the centre console for the second-row passengers. 12V power outlet and a slot to keep a smartphone are located below:


The access to the spare tyre is located on the floor, behind the driver's seat:


The second sunroof is placed above the second row of seats. It does not cover the third row:


Third-row seats are meant to carry three passengers and come with 3-point seatbelts and adjustable headrests for all occupants. ISOFIX child seat mounts have been provided:


Entry and exit are from between the second-row seats. A fit Samurai managed this with some effort. Larger adults and elderly people will find this difficult:


At 5'7", Samurai had just adequate legroom and headroom:


As the third-row seats are placed on the lower side, under-thigh support is lacking:


One can recline the seatbacks to get more comfortable:


Cupholders and cubbyholes have been provided on the sides...


...as are Type-C USB ports:


The second and third-row windows get these manual sunshades. Much needed for privacy & protection from the harsh sun:


Even with the third-row seats in place, there is an awesome 627 litres of luggage space available! There's a deep pit that adds to the cargo capacity (remember, the spare wheel is below the 2nd-row footwell):


Third-row seats are split in a 60:40 ratio. They can be stowed away in the pit to increase cargo space massively. You get a flat floor too:


Straps to pull the third-row seatbacks up are kept in place with the help of Velcro:


Cubby holes, tie-down points and a 12V power outlet have been provided in the boot. Tailgate has electric operation:


Disclaimer: Kia invited Team-BHP for the Carnival test drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[saikishor]

Curious on how the market will respond to this. Nice car, but will people pay so much for this?

I mean, you have the Hycross below this and the Vellfire above this. So it slots in nicely. But how many people are ready to settle for this is the question. Only time will tell about this answer.

[GTO]

In a sea of cramped European SUVs & Crossovers for 65-lakhs, the Carnival is a breath of fresh air. And Kia has smartly avoided a direct confrontation with the Innova Hycross by going above it. There is definitely a market for MPVs between the Innova Hycross & Vellfire.

If I was looking for a family MPV & needed the room, this would be one of my top choices in the price band. I remain a big fan of the Carnival after spending 2 months with the previous gen car (it was stuck at my place during the Covid lockdowns). I love big cars and would think nothing of driving it around Bombay, in all but the tiny lanes which I avoid even with my 5-Series.

[Utopian]

This is really an evolution over the last gen Carnival with Kia evolving the car and loading it even more with the right features. The last gen model seems even more VFM with the pricing of this one. I am also curious as to how many takers would be there for Carnival considering the steep pricing. It is an entirely new price point though in the less contested MPV segment. Maybe an petrol/hybrid option would have also helped considering the complex diesel of today's era.

[peddagunda]

The boot space is huge! I did not expect that. On Road price in Bengaluru will be north of 75 Lakhs for sure. I don't know if people would buy this vehicle at that price.

[nitrogary]

Very nice review. I have been watching the carnival very closely for the past year or so. Will it make sense to replace the 2019 GLC with this car? It has certainly got more features! The two are not really in the same segment, but are comparable in a price segment.

The price makes a pre-owned Mercedes V Class an extemely interesting purchase for anyone looking for a van.

[Zinda]

Great review of the car - thank you very much!

In my opinion, the pricing is unfair:
1. Snob value: 75L on-road for a Kia, even though it is a luxury mpv. Plus, no Hybrid tech/V6 etc
2. Carvinal v1 vs v2: Within ~2 years of discontinuing the outgoing car, the price goes 2x for the new one
3. Both reference points are overpriced themselves: Innova Crysta's steep pricing has been discussed in several threads, and Vellfire too is overpriced when compared to Merc V class (last recorded price was ~85L ex-showroom)

So, more than justifying the pricing, it is an attempt to levarage a H U G E gap in the mpv pricing space between Innova and Vellfire. Plus, Kia knows the Carnival will not bring in volumes hence CBU route was the obvious pick.

[Thatautoguy46]

The fact that the top end variant of Carnival is available in Australia for AUD 79,000 ~ INR 45L makes price in India at INR 75L look obnoxious.
I'm currently staying in Australia, so that made me compare the prices
The tax on CBUs should be reduced for sure. Even Australia has no manufacturing units locally and CBUs are imported. But the pricing is a lot better here.
Difference between developed country vs developing country I guess.

[buzzy_boy]

Excellent strategy by Kia.

Everyone, including Kia with the Carnival's earlier version, who tried to compete with the Fortuner was unsuccessful in undercutting it.

This time around, Kia targeted the Fortuner's biggest weakness: there is very little scope to upmarket the Fortuner due to its body-on-frame (BOF) underpinnings.

If not for the Hycross, I'm pretty sure that the Carnival would've had the haughty Toyota sales associates sweating!