The new Kia Carnival fills one of the old model's big gaps (2024)

16/05/2024 09:00

The ‘Covid-compromised’ Kia Carnival has finally been updated with SUV styling, more safety, improved ride comfort and, soon, a new hybrid powertrain.

2024 Kia Carnival

The Kia Carnival is single-handedly making it socially acceptable to drive a people mover.

On a good day, the eight-seater Carnival owns almost 90 per cent of its market and regularly rates as one of Kia's top five best-selling models. It's also the reigning Best Family Car from the 2024 Drive Car of the Year Awards.

To be fair, it's not particularly hard for the Carnival to stand out given it exists in a segment with only three other rivals.

By Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith's own admission, the "Carnival has been one of the great three people movers in the market. The other two I rate – the Tarago and Odyssey – are no longer with us".

In a shrinking segment, the Carnival consistently exceeds expectations. But can it keep bucking the trend?

That's the goal. Heading into the second half of 2024, Kia has updated the Carnival in a concerted effort to fill the major gaps the model had when it launched in 2021.

In particular, the ride quality was "compromised" by Kia's inability to carry out local ride and handling testing – something that has now been remedied, Kia claims.

"The ride and handling tune was a compromised Covid and bushfires tune because we couldn't bring engineers in the country at the time," Roland Rivera, Kia's General Manager of Product and Training, told media at the new Kia Carnival's Sydney launch event.

"With the new Carnival, we finally had the opportunity to apply our local ride and handling program. We don't take that privilege for granted and the aim was to make it the best driving Carnival ever."

There's also a hotly anticipated petrol-hybrid variant joining the Carnival family in June, one month after the updated petrol and diesel models land.

Sold in a single high-spec grade, the hybrid will arrive in limited quantities – around 60 to 70 units a month – with hopes to increase volumes in line with demand.

Otherwise, the changes bring the Carnival in line with its Sorento and EV9 siblings, with expanded standard safety tech, SUV-like styling and more technology.

"As you may recall, there were various features that weren't ready in time for right-hand drive when we did launch in 2021," Mr Rivera said.

Some of the omissions that have now been added include "The digital cluster, the blind-spot view monitor and rain-sensing wipers," Mr Rivera said.

So, did Kia just make a damn good thing even better? I took to the streets of Sydney at the local launch of the facelifted petrol and diesel Carnival variants to find out.

How much is a Kia Carnival?

The Carnival used to be able to claim a starting price below $50,000, but sadly this is no longer the case, with price hikes of $3500 on average across the range.

Initially, the new Carnival will offer an unchanged choice of either a 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, both matched to eight-speed automatic transmissions and offering front-wheel drive.

Across the five-variant range, the petrol V6 is the most affordable powertrain, starting at $50,150 before on-road costs for the S grade and going up to just over $70,000 before on-road costs for the GT-Line range-topper.

Meanwhile, diesel pricing is slightly higher, starting at $52,380 plus on-road costs for the S grade and heading up to $72,910 before on-road costs for the GT-Line.

Naturally, the soon-to-launch hybrid will be the most expensive, available only as the top-spec GT-Line variant and with a starting price of $76,210.

The various specification grades in the Carnival range have also been renamed to mirror other popular Kia models, like the Sorento. The range begins with the unchanged base-grade S, while the Si grade becomes the Sport, the SLi becomes the Sport+, the SE becomes the GT-Line Lite, and the top-spec Platinum becomes the GT-Line.

The price rises aren't unreasonable given the cheapest Carnival grades now get new standard kit, with additions including a smart key with push-button start, rear occupant alert, front parking sensors as well as rear, surround sound for the sound system and a centre airbag.

Meanwhile, higher grades score things like rain-sensing wipers, more seat adjustment options, a blind-spot view monitor, and a wireless phone charger.

Even after the price rises, the Carnival is only a few hundred dollars more expensive than its two key rivals: the Hyundai Staria and the (smaller) Volkswagen Caddy. It’s still cheaper than the LDV Mifa and Volkswagen Multivan.

If you're cross-shopping the Carnival with the Kia Sorento seven-seat SUV, you'll find prices are more or less the same across both the ranges.

MORE: 2024 Kia Carnival price revealed for Australia

How big is a Kia Carnival?

The updated Carnival is the same size as its predecessor, with only a slight increase to its boot space with the third row folded: up from 2785 litres in the old model to 2827L in the new one.

Otherwise, the Carnival remains positively cavernous, measuring just over five metres in length, just under two metres wide and almost 1.8 metres tall, with a three-metre wheelbase and 162mm of ground clearance.

It continues to boast clever storage options throughout, with excellent proportions and good access to each row.

Kia's focus when redesigning the Carnival's interior was to streamline and modernise the existing offering.

From the driver's seat, so much convenience and storage is within reach. Four cupholders are available to front passengers, with bottle holders in the doors, three different storage trays and a big central storage bin.

GT-Line Lite and GT-Line variants also boast an impressive dual sunroof that lets plenty of light into the cabin, even to the third row.

No major changes have been made to the Carnival's seating arrangement, given it was widely regarded as the benchmark for family flexibility.

The seats are finished in artificial leather from the Sport grade and up and, as in the previous version, are endlessly configurable for your needs.

The second-row slides and reclines for access to the third row, the middle seat in the second row is reversible so you can sit facing your kids if you choose, and the third row folds flat and sinks down for added boot storage.

Every row also has its own USB-C chargers, cupholders, air vents and 12-volt outlets.

The third row is roomier than anything a large SUV could manage, but I will say it's still the worst seating position in the car. I had just enough room to move my head without impediment, but if I was wearing a hat I might have struggled. The knee and toe room in the third row are more impressive – allowing even full-size adults to fit comfortably without much contortion.

Of course, the Carnival remains one of the few cars in Australia to offer five child-seat-equipped seating positions, all the way to the third row. We're not just talking top-tether either – all five offer ISOFIX tether points too.

In a stroke of genius, Kia even put in-built sun blinds all the way to the third-row windows on the GT-Line Lite and GT-Line variants.

A temporary spare wheel is standard across the range, except for the hybrid variant that receives a tyre mobility kit.

Does the Kia Carnival have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

Now, all Carnival grades receive a 12.3-inch central touchscreen (replacing an 8.0-inch touchscreen on the lower grades), which is paired with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display from the Sport+ grade and up (the S and Sport get a 4.0-inch multi-function trip meter with fixed digital clock-style speed and rev readouts).

These are incorporated into a singular display panel that looks like it belongs on a much more expensive car.

The infotainment system now has a cleaner, more simplified design and more advanced functionality, including wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard across all grades. The base-spec S misses out on satellite navigation and digital radio.

The Carnival now also has Kia Connect technology, which means the car can receive over-the-air updates, and offers app connectivity and remote access.

This means owners of the higher grades can remotely unlock their cars outside of the range of a traditional key fob, feed footage from the 360-degree camera to their phone, start the engine, or heat and ventilate the vehicle from their phone, among other neat party tricks.

The GT-Line also gains a brand-new head-up display, which is Kia's largest HUD, measuring 11 inches and featuring info on everything from the album artwork of the song you're listening to, through to turn-by-turn Google Maps instructions (just don't look at it through polarised sunglasses).

Underneath the screen is a strip of dual-purpose touch buttons that can switch between climate controls and infotainment controls. They look swish, but I found them a bit fiddly to use on the move.

Otherwise, the infotainment system – in terms of both appearance and functionality – is impressively advanced for a mass-market car, particularly in the higher grades.

Is the Kia Carnival a safe car?

When it launched in 2021, the Kia Carnival received a five-star safety rating from ANCAP that is expected to carry over to the facelifted model (although this is yet to be confirmed).

ANCAP gave the Carnival a 90 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 68 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 82 per cent for its safety assist technologies.

The updated Carnival also scores one extra airbag over its predecessor – a centre airbag to prevent front occupants in the event of a side impact. The curtain airbags in the Carnival extend to the third row.

What safety technology does the Kia Carnival have?

Kia says the updated Carnival is now "safer than ever", with more airbags, more active safety technology, and more driver assistance features offered as standard.

Even the most affordable grade gets front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, a rear occupant alert, intelligent speed limit assist, autonomous emergency braking with junction functionality, and smart cruise control.

As an entry-level offering, this is impressively comprehensive. More benefits materialise the further up in the range you go, with the Sport offering highway driving assist – an evolved version of smart cruise control that incorporates lane keep and lane-follow assist to keep your car centred around curves.

The Sport+ grade also gains additional cameras and sensors, with side parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and a blind-spot view monitor, which displays a camera feed of your blind spot into your digital driver’s display. It's a clever concept, but one I found I didn't rely upon in real-world settings, as I preferred instead to do a head check.

I'd suggest the inclusion of the 360-degree camera is fairly essential for a car of this size – at least for me.

The GT-Line grade gains an extra party trick in the form of a digital centre mirror, which can show you a reflection from the regular mirror or be switched to a camera feed, so you can see what's behind your car even if you have passengers or luggage blocking your view. Again, it feels more gimmick than real-world solution.

The speed-limit assist system is, mercifully, adjustable in its intensity, as it can be overbearing and occasionally inaccurate when moving through different speed zones.

The GT-Line grade also gets Remote Smart Park Assist, allowing owners to manoeuvre their vehicle out of a tight parking space from outside the car using the key fob.

I gave it a go and was impressed with how quickly and effectively it worked. I could see it being especially useful for parents who have to get kids in and out of cars while parked in cramped underground shopping centre car parks.

How much does the Kia Carnival cost to run?

Servicing costs for the new Carnival are yet to be released, but Kia's head of servicing and parts said the Carnival's seven-year capped-price servicing plan will work out to "around $500 a year", including for the hybrid.

For reference, the 2023 model costs a total of $3638 to service over the course of seven years or 105,000km.

Meanwhile, the updated Kia Carnival is too new to get an insurance quote for – but its predecessor cost roughly $1988 per year to insure, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW.

Insurance estimates may vary based on location, driving history, and personal circ*mstances.

All new Kia models are covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Is the Kia Carnival fuel-efficient?

Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are largely unchanged in the facelifted Carnival. Kia quotes 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres and 220g/km for the petrol variant and 6.5L/100km and 170g/km for the diesel – both on a combined cycle.

My driving on the launch was mostly extra-urban on winding roads, but I also spent large periods sitting in traffic.

In terms of fuel economy, while I preferred the petrol engine's on-road polish, the diesel certainly won on the efficiency front.

The petrol Carnival averaged 12L/100km on test, which was more in line with Kia's urban claim of 13.2L/100km – not entirely unreasonable given the heavy traffic we encountered on the drive.

Meanwhile, the diesel Carnival averaged 6.5L/100km overall. In particularly heavy traffic, I noticed the diesel's fuel usage rose to 7.5L/100km, but otherwise it remained impressively low – and in line with Kia's claims.

We look forward to comparing the two cars across a more consistent test loop and in less-trafficked conditions to see where each variant shines.

Finally, the inclusion of a petrol hybrid variant could be a game-changer for petrol car devotees, with Kia claiming fuel consumption of 5.8L/100km on a combined cycle for the hybrid.We hill hopefully get an opportunity to put this claim to the test in the near future.

What is the Kia Carnival like to drive?

The Carnival has always been a big car that doesn't handle like a big car, but that is particularly true of the facelifted version – with the improvements to the ride and handling evident in how the Carnival tackles Australia's less-than-perfect roads.

In updated form, the Carnival feels more balanced and nimble, particularly going into sharper corners.

I spent the first half of our drive in the petrol V6 GT-Line, tackling the Sydney Harbour Bridge and its surrounding freeways in the midst of a heavy rain downpour.

Refinement and performance in the petrol car are impressive – it's relatively quick to get moving from the traffic lights and feels well powered for its size. The eight-speed auto is imperceptible in its delivery of power and glides smoothly through the gears without hesitation.

This polish is a lovely pairing with the Carnival's updated ride and handling tune, which gives it a distinctly car-like feel on the road.

It's also quiet in the cabin, with minimal noise, vibration and harshness.All-round visibility is excellent, with well-sized mirrors and a lovely, wide rear windshield allowing you to have an overall awareness of your surroundings, even when the car is fully loaded.

I later switched to the turbo-diesel Carnival GT-Line for the remainder of my driving, with a short drive in the diesel-powered, entry-level S at the end of the day.

The diesel Carnival is far more economical and delivers a lot more grunt for rolling acceleration range than its petrol counterpart. It does bear some of the less appealing characteristics of a diesel car, including a sluggish feel from a standstill and more engine noise and vibration in the cabin.

Still, it's eminently driveable and more than up to the task of long family road trips, days full of errand-running, traffic-heavy commuting and chaotic school runs.

I didn't find myself moderating my driving as much as I'd expect in a car of this size, particularly going into the bendy corners I encountered on the second half of the launch drive when approaching Palm Beach.

Where I did feel a little hesitant was in the wet conditions, where I was conscious the front-wheel-drive system might have some limitations and, as such, I was wary not to hit the pedal too hard from a standstill in an effort to maintain traction.

However, at one point I had to slam on the brakes when coming around a blind corner, downhill, straight into an amber traffic light on a road with a speed limit of 70km/h.

I’m happy to report the big Carnival hustled to a stop in an impressive fashion, without any lurching or pitching forward as I've previously encountered in cars of a similar size. Bravo to the brakes.

Towards the end of our journey, I hit some bad potholes that unfortunately could not be avoided on a narrow road. While I definitely felt the weight of the car dropping into the holes, it settled quickly and effortlessly and didn't feel thrown off kilter for more than a second. The supple ride also meant I didn't injure my back, which was a win.

Kia’s work on the suspension tune to help it cope with local surfaces, and deliver a ride and level of handling that suit local tastes, has paid off.

I will say that I approached parking and manoeuvring with slight trepidation, and this is why I’d recommend opting for a variant with the 360-degree camera (it’s standard on the Sport+, GT-Line Lite and GT-Line grades). However, including both front and rear sensors from the base grade was a stroke of genius from Kia – you’re going to need all the sensors you can get when parking this beast.

The new Kia Carnival doesn’t feel drastically different to the outgoing model on the road, though in some situations it’s clearly more accomplished. As a family hauler, it's not going to set any records, but it will certainly get you to school on time – and in great comfort.

Can a Kia Carnival tow?

The new Kia Carnival's tow rating is unchanged from the previous generation.

Both the diesel and petrol variants can tow 750kg unbraked and 2000kg braked.

Should I buy a Kia Carnival?

The updated Carnival seems to employ the strategy, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

Existing Carnival owners will likely find the facelifted car feels familiar but with more on-road polish and some extra party tricks up its sleeve.

The benefits of this facelift are most evident in the top-spec GT-Line variant, which is feature-packed and feels the most accomplished in punchy petrol V6 form – just be aware of the thirsty engine.

Of course, budget buyers may decry the price hikes (which see the Carnival’s entry price pop over the $50,000 threshold for the first time), but Kia’s big hauler is still a Swiss Army knife of a car that’s hard to beat for growing families.

We eagerly await the arrival of the hopefully frugal hybrid variant, which has the potential to move the people mover game forward yet again… provided stock levels permit.

How do I buy a Kia Carnival? The next steps.

If you already hold an existing order for a Kia Carnival that hasn't yet been delivered, your order will automatically transition to the new Carnival.

"We've gone into the [update] with around about 2000 back orders," Kia Australia's Chief Operating Officer, Dennis Piccoli, revealed at the launch of the new Kia Carnival.

"Those order holders will transfer to the update and it seems to be going quite well. We've got a program in place, clearly there has been a price rise, but at this stage, the transition phase seems to be going well."

Whether you have a current Carnival order or are placing a fresh order, Mr Piccoli said to expect lead times of "two to three months".

You can find your nearest Kia dealer here, or to see new and used Kia cars for sale, check our Drive Marketplace.

If you want to experience the full benefit of the Carnival's updated tech, safety and connectivity – we recommend opting for either the GT-Line Lite or GT-Line variant.If it’s just safety you’re after, the Sport+ grade gets the full suite of active safety tech not offered on the S and Sport grades.

And while the petrol V6 offers more refinement and polish on the road, the diesel is difficult to beat in the economy department.

Those waiting for the hybrid model should contact their local dealer ahead of its launch in June 2024 for accurate updates on stock levels and wait times.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.

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