Kia Carnival
People moving MUVs taken to luxurious new levels
KIA manufacturing is in its nascent stages in India. The company’s mega factory in Andhra Pradesh is running ahead of schedule and their first car is expected to be a compact SUV based on the Concept SP, which the company showcased earlier this year at the Auto Expo 2018. However, there’s more to the story. Kia is planning to launch a host of other models in India and is strongly considering the Carnival MPV which will take the Toyota Innova head on.
The Carnival is a full-size people mover. It is longer and wider than the Innova and at the same time has a longer wheelbase too. Attractively-designed with sporty
headlamps and a unique looking grille up front, clearly the Carnival doesn’t resemble an average looking van. In profile one can see that the MPV is properly long. While the doors up front are the usual hinged type, the rear features sliding doors that are power operated and can be opened at the touch of a button from inside, outside and from the key fob. The rear window is also a roll down unit which is power operated as well. At the back, the sporty design trend continues and the tail gate is power-operated too. Overall the Carnival looks classy and up market and is likely to catch the fancy of large families looking to accommodate and transport several people at a time.
Stepping in is a breeze thanks to a low floor height. One does not need a side step both up front and at the back. The dash is a large unit and features a touchscreen infotainment system with a multi-zone climate control system and rear passengers get their own control panel as well. We drove the car when temperatures hit 40 degrees and despite that, the interiors remained cool. Kia has also offered plenty of storage bins all around the cabin. Over 10 cup holders are scattered across the cabin as well.
The interiors sports impressive quality overall. The plastics look good and lids and switchgear operate with a certain degree of precision. It has three rows of seating and is being pegged as a mammoth 9-seater. While the driver’s seat is electrically operable, the rest can be adjusted manually.
Seating is comfortable and there is plenty room up front and in the second row. The third row though can get slightly cramped. The India spec vehicle will probably have a few more goodies in the second row because this is where most owners will be. The story of the boot is also an interesting one. The third row is foldable flat into a recess created in the floor. When
THE REAR FEATURES POWER OPERATED SLIDING DOORS THAT CAN BE OPENED AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON FROM INSIDE, OUTSIDE AND FROM THE KEY FOB
the third row is in use the same recess morphs into usable storage space. This allows the Carnival to showcase a substantial 960 litres of cargo space even with three rows deployed.
The vehicle we had, came fully loaded with all the bells and whistles like cruise control, radar guided cruise control and auto braking. Power comes to the MPV through a 2.2-litre diesel engine which, we thought, was pretty smooth. The NVH packaging is excellent and one can barely hear the engine in the cabin. There is plenty of tug in the offing making overtaking a breeze. The eightspeed automatic shifts seamlessly and this results in smooth acceleration as well. Downshifts are also pretty quick and a good dab on the accelerator is enough to get the massive Carnival speed up to 175kmph plus. There is also a sport mode where the revs are held on to infuse even more fun. On the move, you cannot ignore the fact that this is an oversized vehicle, which comes with a decently comfortable suspension set up. The goal was to keep occupants comfortable and that’s been achieved all right. The steering too is light and even three point turns are easy to make. However, the Carnival is no corner carver and we cannot say that it is a negative as it was not built for that.
VERDICT
There is little to doubt that the Carnival if and when launched will command a certain premiumness over the competition. And we think that it should, since the 9-seater offers a lot more in terms of features not to forget a rather high quality as far as standards go. However, to win, the pricing has to be spot on and not too high above the rest. Lastly, we have little doubts that this should be a splendid offering and will set a new benchmark, atleast in this segment.