Kia Carnival Review

Kia Motors is the new face of automobile sector in India introduced in 2019 and to be proud of its 2019 numbers. The company made a mark in the market with its first car Seltos and within a few months of its arrival in India, it becomes the largest car selling companies in India. But it also means that making your next car Carnival a success in the market is a difficult task. The luxury MPV was launched at the 2020 Auto Expo in February and in line with its luxury aspect, the Korean manufacturer organized a media drive of the car at the luxurious Taj Falaknuma in Hyderabad.

The size of Carnival is a bit surprising. This car is 5115 mm long, 1985 mm wide and 1755 mm of height. The good thing is that despite being an MPV, Carnival turns out to be a well-designed product. The front has a chrome-filled Tiger Nose grill, which you will find on almost every vehicle of the company.  LEDs have been widely used on fog lamps with headlamps. From the side, the long profile has 18-inch alloy wheels, the door has chrome handles and roof railing. The rear is also offered well. Its parts are - skid plate, a large spoiler and good looking LED lamps. The car is certainly not boxy like other MPVs and its design contributes to premium appeal, and it may work in its favor.



In fact, the real magic of Carnival lies inside its cabin. There are a lot of facilities here, some of which you will not find even in high segment cars. There is a 3-zone climate control, with electronically controlled ventilation in the driver's seat. You will also get a wireless charger, twin sunroof, an air purifier, 220 volt laptop charger, electric parking brake and an 8-speaker Harman sound system. However the 8-inch size of the touch screen system on the instrument cluster does not suit the large size of the car. In the second row, you get a personal entertainment screen for both passengers, which is large in size and the rear row also has roof mounted AC vents.

Too Much Space is perhaps the biggest advantage of Kia Carnival. The car comes in 3 different variants, 7/8/9 seat options. Limousine has comfortable captain seats in the second row with 3 people seating in the third row. It is quite easy to get to the third row because of the electric sliding doors and seats. The doors can be operated in a number of ways - mainly by using the pressing buttons located on the door handle and inside the B-Pillar and also controlled by the driver seat. The seats in the second row, apart from sliding forward / backward, move to the left / right, additional Thai support is also available. But second-row seats do not get ventilated. The third row is also ideal for just 2 adults. The 9 seat variant has 4 rows of seats, with 2 seats separated on 2 and 3 rows. The middle seat on the second row on the 8 seat variant can be converted to armrest or completely removed.  The final row can be twisted and basically merge into the floor of the car. Carnival also offers a 540-liter boot space along the third row.  

The Kia Carnival is powered by a BS6 compliant diesel engine that produces 200 PS of power and a good torque of 440 Nm. These numbers ensure that the car is able to easily pull the weight of so many passengers. The gear ratios on the 8-speed automatic transmission are a bit long, but are helpful in a linear drive. The car offers good stability and impressively a comfortable ride is one of the biggest positivity. With a fuel tank of 60 liters, you can travel long distances without any fatigue. The UVO Connect system, ESC Equipped Hill Assist, Roll on Mitigation, Cornering Brake Control and Side and Curtain Airbags make Carnival a safer car.

Carnival forms a new segment in India. Indians love MPV and when you add luxury to them it becomes a powerful combination. But driving in urban congestion or parking in tight places can be a bit difficult and it will take some time to get used to it. 24.95 lakhs is a good starting price for Carnival and this makes it a great choice for Innova Crysta owners as they currently have very limited options to look elsewhere.