Kia Carnival review - More Money, No Problems!

The Kia Carnival first set foot in India in February 2020 and it was a bold statement from the brand. It was much pricier than the Seltos that came before it and a lot more pricier than the Sonet that followed it. Kia India made it clear that they wanted to offer a different idea with the Carnival that made stand out from the rest of its portfolio. The stylish MPV did enjoy a few moments under the sun but lived most of its tenure in the shadow of its much more affordable rival, the Toyota Innova.

This new Carnival now moves itself away from any competition and looks to inspire a new sense of direction that luxury cars have to offer. It brings along an imposing new look and an interior which could give the German luxury carmakers a run for their money. Unlike the previous car that was offered across various variants and 7, 8 and 9-seater configurations, there is just one, single 'Limousine Plus' variant to keep things classic. But can it justify the hefty Rs 63.90 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag it comes along with?

Also, note, that the new car is the facelifted version of the 4th generation Carnival. The Carnival that was discontinued in India in April 2023 was the 3rd generation model and Kia decided to skip the 4th gen (KA4) to bring India more in line with its global profile.

Kia Carnival: Design

The first time I ever saw the Carnival I thought to myself "This must feel like a punishment to drive around Mumbai." I mean it's massive from every angle. The new car though has only grown from every corner. The wheelbase has gone up by 30mm to 3,090mm wheelbase and length, width and height have gone up by 40mm, 10mm and 20mm respectively. Turns out though, it isn't as punishing to drive but we'll talk about that a bit later.

The Carnival has moved over from its conservative MPV look and has adopted a rather more stylish SUV kind of demeanour. The 'Tiger Nose' grille with the chrome details within it looks very aggressive and upmarket. The DRLs are by far my favourite bit as they look cut-throat sharp and make their towards each other with only the Kia logo separating the two. The new bumper completes the look upfront with the radar sitting right in the middle of it.

From the side is where you are reminded that this Carnival is still an MPV. The sharp lines kind of make it look like a huge fridge has been tipped over. A very posh-looking fridge though. The lovely silver panel on the C-pillar gives the expensive car feeling but right below it is a very noticeable gap that is on display for the sliding rear door and that is probably the turn-off about the entire exterior.

The rear accentuates the face of the car and those rear connected taillights are extraordinarily large. Very fitting for a car of this stature. Also, I like how the rear wiper is hidden away under the roof-mounted spoiler. You don't have too much to pick from in terms of colours as there are just two - Fusion Black and Glacier White Pearl and both look equally stunning in their own way. Everything just comes together wonderfully in a big package.

Kia Carnival: Cabin

Things have taken a big turn for the better on the inside as well. The previous car didn't have the most impressive-looking cabin so this here feels more like 2 steps forward. The dual-tone colours work well with black being primary but the seats and door pads are dressed in this lovely shade of brown. The dashboard is pretty neat with no physical buttons.

The HVAC and audio controls under the AC vents take some getting used to but once you figure it out, there's no hassle. The ambient lighting brings a touch of mindfulness around the cabin but the speaker grilles could've been crafted keeping the rest of the premium cabin in mind. The gear selector knob is a bit too much though but it works fine so I'll let that slide.

The twin screens sit proudly on top of the dashboard the graphics too are crisp with all the necessary information you would ever wish to view. My only complaint would be that Kia didn't make these screens feel any more special than the ones you get on the Seltos or Carens. Sure, they work almost flawlessly but at this price point, you kinda expect more.

Kia Carnival: Rear seats

But you don't buy a Carnival to experience it from the front but instead, the back seats are where the party is at. The sliding doors open automatically to welcome you to the best seats in the house. The captain chairs are fitting to the size of the car, have dual armrests and are super comfy to enjoy your journey in. They are on the heavier side when you have to move them front and back or even sideways and these functions can only be done manually. Seat adjustment and reclining are a powered function.

The rear left seat has a boss mode as well where you can fully recline the seat with the ottoman rising from the bottom to give you an almost bedroom kind of environment. It's quite a gimmick but I did find myself catching snooze while in that position.

Like I said the seats move left and right also and that is for one particular reason. When both seats are closest to each other there is no passageway in between them to access the third row of seats. When they are furthest from each other you cannot completely recline the seats. Once in their outermost position, you will notice there is more than enough space to get to the last row which you will be using on multiple occasions.

To be very honest, this is easily one of the best third-row seats I have used. I'll be generous towards myself and say I'm almost 6ft tall and I had a decent amount of knee room (which can be extended if the 2nd-row passenger isn't a prick), under-thigh support is alright and headroom is also generous, to say the least. I could easily do a few hours on a road trip in this last row. Now Kia says that the last row is for 3 passengers and has added a centre headrest to prove the point, realistically, only 2 grown adults would be able to fit in. This here is where I would say "Three's a crowd".

Kia Carnival: Boot space & Features

The Carnivals length is its strongest suit on the outside as well as on the inside, cause with all the seats in place, you still have a cargo capacity of 672 litres. The boot lid pretty much opens the entire rear of the car and if you want more space, the third-row seats collapse quite easily to give you a flat floor and if that too isn't enough, you can even drop the 2nd row of seats down and be able to access a ginormous 2,900 litres of storage space. Maybe I didn't exaggerate enough on how big this car actually is!

You would expect the Carnival to have more features than you could ask for at this price. Kia delivers in that manner with the twin 12.3 inch HD infotainment and gauge cluster, 8 speaker Bose sound system, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, a total of 4 USB Type-C ports for 2nd and 3rd-row passengers, wireless charger, 11-inch head-up display, 64 colour ambient lighting, paddle shifters, 12 way powered driver seat (8 way for passenger) with ventilation and heating, dual sunroofs and tons of more amenities. Safety features include 8 airbags, ABS with EBD, all-wheel disc brakes, front, side and rear parking sensors as well as ADAS level 2 with 23 autonomous features.

Kia Carnival: Driving impressions

The new Carnival retains the old car's 2.2-litre but Kia has tweaked around this engine and reduced the power output to 193PS down from 200PS in the previous. The torque number remains hefty at 441Nm and all that is sent to the front wheels via an 8-speed torque-converter automatic. With strong acceleration and highway cruising capabilities, it provides a smooth and elegant driving experience.

For such a big car, the 2.2-litre engine surprisingly doesn't feel lethargic in any way. Once you get beyond 2,000 rpm, the engine really gets into its zone and moves about doing its business very gracefully. Heading into it we never expect it to be quick by any means but it's far from being a slouch too. You do get to choose from 3 different driving modes - Eco, Normal and Sport and while all 3 modes deliver a different accelerator pedal feel, once you switch to the most aggressive mode which is something you wouldn't do quite often, even then the engine is in no hurry to blow you past 100 kph. Now Kia claims that it can hit the century in 10.7 seconds but it would be criminal for us to put this MPV to that test as comfort here triumphs over performance.

The gearbox too compliments the engine quite beautifully as it is not in any hurry either. Although we would've preferred that aspect to be a bit more responsive because while making sudden overtakes, the transmission takes a noticeable second to figure things out before you could breeze past. It's not easy to ignore the fact that the Carnival is a massive vehicle but that doesn't translate directly to it being a task to drive as visibility is solid and the steering is also isn't too heavy so even if you have to drive it through everyday traffic, it is no punishment.

Most customers purchasing this vehicle won't spend as much time behind the wheel as they would in the second row. In that aspect the ride quality is phenomenal. The suspension is well-tuned for comfort, effectively absorbing bumps and road imperfections. Kia's decision to utilise the 18-inch wheels instead of going up a size bigger has paid off well. That paired with those well-fed 235/60 Continental tyres serve for a smooth sail with just a minimum amount of undulation travel inside the cabin. That being said, I think Kia could've worked on the noise insulation in the car. The rear cabin is relatively quiet but if you're in the front two seats and cruising along the highway at triple-digit speeds, you do hear the rubber on the road.

The South Korean brand also claims a respectable 14.85kmpl (ARAI) fuel efficiency but the real-world figure would be somewhere between 10 and 11kmpl. But keeping in mind the fuel tank can store 72 litres of diesel till the brim, you would need to make fewer stops at the fuel pump.

Kia Carnival: Verdict

So is the steep price tag justifiable? Well, almost. Yes, it is quite luxurious and the ride quality is second to none. The rear seats are almost as good as something you would find on any German luxury car on the market and even the features and tech are to the roof. So no complaints in that department. But there are some areas that leave us begging for more. The display screens could have had a dash of a car that's worth over Rs 50 lakh and the engine doesn't resonate a sense of luxury either. But that's the part of the deal that your chauffeur would be dealing with on a daily basis. Look beyond that and the Carnival shines beyond every other Kia on the road and makes for one of the best family haulers money can get you.