2020 Kia Carnival Review
Car Tested: 2020 Kia Carnival Limousine 7VIP; Road Test No. 1160; Test Location: Hyderabad
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 30 – 35 lakhs (est.)
After the immense success of the Seltos, Kia is all set to disrupt the MPV segment with its spacious & feature-loaded Carnival
Kia, one of the biggest car companies in the world, entered the Indian market with the Seltos. The Seltos became a runaway success and now it is amongst the top-selling midsize SUVs in the country. Overwhelmed by the Seltos’ success, Kia is aiming to diversify their portfolio and their next car is the Carnival. Although an MPV, it is unlike anything else we have seen before. Available as a 6, 7 and 9-seater, the Carnival is slotting between the Innova and more expensive MPVs like the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and Toyota’s upcoming Vellfire. Will Carnival create a segment of its own and will it lure buyers away from more conventional alternatives like luxury sedans and SUVs? We find out.
Motor Quest: In Kia’s diverse global portfolio, the Carnival is hardly all-new. What we see here is the third-generation model introduced globally in 2015. The ‘Carnival’ nameplate has been around since 1998. The Carnival is also known as ‘Sedona’ in some markets. The India-spec model is a mid-cycle facelift and Kia says it gets more equipment than the model sold overseas.
At over 5-meters in length, the Carnival is strikingly long
Exteriors – The Carnival boasts of a typical mini-van design. However, in India mini-vans weren’t really popular, so the design appears rather novel. You get a mono-volume shape with a relatively stubby bonnet and the long body following it. In fact, the length is a highlight of the Carnival as it is a little over 5-meters long. The front features the now familiar ‘Tiger-nose’ grille with swept-back headlamps. Kia has made generous use of chrome, especially in the top-spec Limousine variant, which we took for a test drive.
The MPV gets automatic sliding doors
A generous use of chrome and some smooth flowing lines give the Carnival an understated yet upmarket look
From the side, the sliding door mechanism cannot go unnoticed. The long footprint gives the Carnival a stately appeal. The polished alloys and subtle chrome garnishes do make the MPV look quite premium. We like that Kia has not over-styled the Carnival and the only design experiments include smooth flowing lines and the smartly done kink for the rear quarter glass. From the rear, again, its simplicity that rules. Despite the straightforward approach to design, the Carnival looks sophisticated and fitting to the class. It gets an automatic tailgate that can open and close at the touch of a button. In case your hands are full and the key fob is in your pocket, the tailgate opens up to ease things up for you.
The simple dashboard has a lot of knobs and buttons
Interiors – Stepping in the Carnival is rather an easy affair, thanks to the car’s relatively low ride-height. Once inside, what you see is what you get. The dashboard is fairly ordinary in its appearance and so is the instrument cluster. But many would prefer it that way. The equipment level in the Carnival is exhaustive with even the base Premium trim getting goodies like a touch-screen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, four-speaker audio-system, reverse camera, cruise control amongst others. The top-spec Limousine variant adds Nappa leather, air purifier, 10-way adjustable driver’s seat with ventilation, wireless smartphone charging, rear-entertainment screens and UVO connectivity which will be free for the first three years.
The Carnival feels premium thanks to the use of high quality materials
Even the base trim of the Carnival comes loaded with equipment, with the top-spec getting ventilated seats among others
The fit, feel and finish on the inside is superb. Kia has done a great job with the quality of materials and the general sense of premium-ness. There is are enough soft-touch materials and the quality of switches and buttons feel more than satisfactory. In this digital age, some customers may like that Kia has kept physical buttons and knobs.
The second row has acres of space & the sliding doors make ingress easy
Space is lavish upfront and the same can be said for the second-row of the 7-seater version. You can truly stretch out and the Limousine-spec also offers an option of ‘Luxury VIP’ seats which get an option of an individual leg-rest. Getting in the second row is an occasion with electronically sliding doors. There is corridor levels of space to get in and out and grab handles have been provided for easy entry. What you will truly appreciate is the twin-sunroof that aids light into the cabin. Kia has also played it safe by keeping beige as the sole interior theme. The seats are supremely comfortable and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that the Carnival feels more expensive than what it would be from the second row. An ideal chauffeur-driven car then!
The third row feels narrow but has adequate legroom and headroom
The Carnival can seat 7 people in absolute comfort, making it ideal for chauffeur-driven owners & long journeys
The third row is spacious by class standards and ingress and egress won’t be an issue, thanks to the sliding door. However, we did feel that the last row won’t be ideal for seating three adults abreast as it is a bit narrow. But the all-important legroom is plenty and tall passengers won’t complain about the headroom. As mentioned earlier, Kia will also offer the Carnival in the 9-seat configuration with four-rows. Because there won’t be any changes to the wheelbase for this configuration, don’t expect it to be too spacious.
With all the rows up, the boot space is limited to 540-litres
The MPV scores really high for equipment, quality, versatility and space on offer.
The diesel engine has a fantastic mid-range but lacks in the top-end
Performance – The India-spec Kia Carnival is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It produces 200 PS of power and 440 Nm of peak torque. The motor is a little lazy in the lower rev-band but truly shines and picks up in the mid-range. Sadly, it seems a little out of breath as it reaches higher up the ladder. In case of a quick overtake, the manual mode of the in-house transmission helps take matters into our own hands. While Kia claims a range of 13.7kmpl on the Carnival, expect anything close to 9-10 km/l in real-time driving conditions.
The Carnival has superb ride quality and good high speed stability
Driving Dynamics – What the Carnival does best, is that it doesn’t pretend to be a driver’s car. It’s here to extend comfort and extend a sublime ride quality and it does that extremely well. As per Kia, the suspension has been tuned to meet the Indian driving and road conditions. Yes, it delivers, atleast at the first 2 rows. The feedback from the steering is decent and it also weighs up well at triple-digit speeds. The MPV is heavy, weighing over 2 tonnes, but it feels equally distributed. Having said that, avoid hard-cornering, its an MPV after all. The tyres offer a decent grip around the corners and don’t screech on heavy braking.
The mid and top-spec variant comes with 6-airbags
Safety and After Sales Service – Kia has equipped the Carnival with 2 airbags for the base model and 6 airbags for the middle and top-end variant. The company has ensured a good safety kit with the Carnival as it offers ABS, EBD, ESC, hill-start assist and other electronic aids. In a short span, Kia has worked well on its dealer and after-sales network. Moreover, Kia has the reliability record which is at par with the Japanese car brands.
The Kia Carnival seems like a value-for-money MPV
Verdict – Kia claims to offer 20 unique features with the Carnival that makes it a great buy. It also claims to have created an entirely new segment placing the MPV between the Toyota Innova Crysta and the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. Though the company is yet to reveal the prices for the 3 variants, we expect the top of the line Limousine trim to cost somewhere between Rs. 35 lakhs, on-road Mumbai. Yes, it’s not very easy on the pocket, but it delivers for every penny it asks for.
The beige theme and dual sunroofs give the cabin an airy feel
What’s Cool
* Pleasant and premium design
* Sliding rear doors with footboards
* Feature-loaded and spacious interior
* Punchy performing diesel engine
* Comes with 6-airbags
What’s Not So Cool
* Body roll could have been more controlled
Alternatives: – Toyota Innova Crysta
The Limousine trim also gets rear infotainment screens
2020 Kia Carnival Specifications
* Engine: 2199cc, 4-Cyl, Diesel
* Power: 200 PS @ 3800 RPM
* Torque: 440 Nm @ 1750-2750 RPM
* Transmission: 8-Speed AT
* Fuel Consumption: 9-10 km/l
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Tyre Size: 235/60/18 (Front & Rear)
* Suspension: McPherson Strut (Front), Multi Link (Rear)
* Brakes: Disc (Front & Rear)
* Safety: 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, Hill Start Assist, Brake Assist
2020 Kia Carnival Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 5115 mm X 1985 mm X 1740 mm
* Wheelbase: 3060 mm
* Boot Space: 540-litres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 60-litres
* Kerb Weight: 2195 kgs
Do you think the Carnival will be another success from Kia?
Further Reading –
Kia Carnival Video Review
2019 Kia Carnival Review
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