Kia Carnival
We drive Kia’s promising MPV which offers lots of features and a powerful engine
The Carnival is an MPV but with a contemporary and stylish design. It is perhaps also one of the biggest cars on Indian roads in terms of dimensions. To get an idea of its length, at 5,115mm it is longer than the Ford Endeavour by over 210mm and longer than the Toyota Fortuner by 320mm. In fact it is just shorter than the Mercedes-Benz V-class by 25mm. The best-selling MPV in the country, the Toyota Innova is, at 4,735mm, a full 380mm shorter than the Carnival. In fact the Carnival is also broader than the Innova by 155mm and also broader than both the Fortuner (by 130mm) and the Endeavour. Being an MPV, both the SUVs are of course higher than the Carnival. Even the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Marazzo are higher than the Carnival.
With its low stance, it looks sleek with nice accents and lines. The design effort has been to make it stylistically different from vans and thus a wide planted stance has been accentuated by a wide signature “tiger-nose grille”, wrap around headlamps and a floating roof design. The chrome treatment around the quadruple ice-cube LED fog lamps adds a touch of premiumness to the head-on look. A strong upswept shoulder crease line and sputtering finish alloys (one of two options available along with the crystal cut alloys option) add dynamism to the side profile while the rear with a spoiler-lip just behind and under the shark-fin antenna, a wide and low chrome strip under prominent tail-lamps give a hint of luxury and sportiness to the Carnival.
The interiors are plush and comfortable along with being versatile. A long wheelbase of 3,060mm means that there is a lot of in-cabin space. A large rear overhang also adds for even more space on the inside as well as a standard split bench seat at the last row that can be folded flat inside a well at the rear means that there is plenty (540 litres) of boot space even if the rear-most bench seat is being used in the seven and eight seater variants.
THE BEST-SELLING MPV, TOYOTA INNOVA IS, AT 4,735MM, A FULL 380MM SHORTER THAN THE CARNIVAL. IN FACT THE CARNIVAL IS
ALSO BROADER THAN THE INNOVA BY 155MM
But in the nine seater variant the rear bench is moved right to the back of the Carnival. So there are multiple seating options to choose from and the best is the top of the line Limousine variant that we have been driving. It has a 2x2x3 seating arrangement and 2x3x3 as well as 2x2x2x3 options are also available. In the Limousine variant the 2nd-row has captain seats that Kia calls VIP seats and these are adjustable for recline and side-ways movement in addition to front and back slide. There is a leg-rest that can be raised for under-calf support but is not fully usable because the 2nd row does not slide right to the back even if the third-row bench has been folded and put away. However, on the passenger side, if the front seat is pushed fully forward, the VIP seat can be put to full use. These VIP seats in the top-of-the-line Limousine variant come with a rear seat entertainment system as well as with the front seatbacks having 10.1in tablets which are wired in to the sound system of the vehicle. On the lower variants, the 2nd row gets captain seats or a removable centre seat option with two bucket seats on either side. For the
9-seater option, there are three rows of captain seats plus the 60:40 split bench, that folds to give a nearly flat loading floor.
Three-zone air-conditioning, dual sun-roofs, an in built air-purifier, an 8-speaker 400W Harman-Kardon system are the highlights of an extensive features and equipment list. While the top two variants of the vehicle get six airbags, the lowest variant gets only two. Also, while the top variant, that is Limousine gets the 8in touchscreen with navigation, the other two variants also get the touchscreen but without inbuilt navigation. And if you want to connect to the car through the UVO app and access the over 30 features and conveniences that it offers, you can also do it on the top variant. ESP is standard on the top two variants while ABS is there on all the variants.
The Carnival is powered by a 2.2-litre BS6 compliant diesel engine that produces max power of 200bhp and peak torque of 440Nm that is available from a low 1,500rpm. The engine requires the adding of Ad Blue but Kia feels that the 6-litre tank that it comes with will need to be replenished only when the car goes for service. Mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox means that the Carnival is quick off the mark, and an effortless cruiser on the highways. The seating is comfortable and one sits high enough to get a
THE INTERIORS ARE PLUSH AND COMFORTABLE ALONG WITH BEING VERSATILE. A LONG WHEELBASE OF 3,060MM MEANS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF IN-CABIN SPACE
commanding view of the road. Ergonomics are top class and the 8in touchscreen for the infotainment system is well positioned. Overall, with the comfortable ride quality and great seating, the Carnival will be a breeze on long drives and should get you to a long-distance destination fatigue free.
We drove the car around Hyderabad and although the long Carnival is quite manoeuvrable in city traffic, what counts against it is its sheer size and low ground clearance. With three people on board, the Carnival shaved the speed breakers on broken roads a couple of times and that may be a problem for people wanting to take it on untried roads or to new places in the country as the condition of the roads is suspect.
The engine is smooth and well suited to both the gearbox and the Indian driving cycle. Acceleration is crisp and the car feels stable and planted even at high speeds. There is a bit of body roll but ride quality overall is excellent and the rear seat passengers do get to travel in luxury.
What will make or break the Carnival is its price and an attractive price will complete the package.