Kia Carnival (KA4) Review: A Comfortable Van That Drives Well

The luxury MPV segment in India is about to see a major disruption. MG is all set to launch the M9, India's first electric MPV, today. Until now, the luxury MPV segment has been monopolised by the new Kia Carnival. With the M9 joining the game, the fight between Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and electric luxury vans will intensify. We got behind the wheel of the Carnival again to reassess how it holds in the evolving landscape, with just hours left for the M9's launch. Here's everything that managed to impress us, and everything that failed to do so.

New Kia Carnival: An Overview

The Carnival currently on sale is the facelifted fourth-generation, internally codenamed KA4. It was launched in India in October last year. It is larger than the vehicle that was on sale previously (the third generation), packs more visual appeal and has an improved cabin experience. The engine has also been tweaked slightly.

Design

The new Carnival has a tall stance and SUV-like design. It has tried to borrow several cues from Kia's global SUV lineup, especially the Telluride. It gets an upright nose and more angular body lines. There is a massive tiger nose grille at the front. The face now has more aggression to it. The rear looks handsome as well.

This van is huge. It is 5,155 mm long, 1,995 mm wide and 1,775 mm tall. It is longer, taller and wider than the previous model and even has a wheelbase of 3,090 mm- an increase of 30mm. The design doesn't attempt to hide the visual bulk; it stylises it instead. The desirability quotient has gone up for sure.

Interior Design And Features

Due to its colossal proportions, the new Carnival is extremely spacious. (Generous cabin room is, in fact, a characteristic feature of this segment.)

The front seats get electric adjustments with memory function for the driver seat. They are heated and ventilated as well.

The feature list on this MPV is quite comprehensive. It gets twin display screens- both 12.3-inch units. One of these functions as the infotainment touchscreen, while the other serves as the driver display. The new Carnival gets a 12-speaker BOSE audio system, which delivers impressive performance. Other features are multi-zone climate control, ambient lighting, head-up display, wireless phone charger, 360-degree camera, Level 2 ADAS and dual sunroofs.

There are a lot of bins, cupholders and storage spaces as well. We particularly loved the design and tactile feel of the drive selector. It is, in fact, a rotary switch that sits on the central console and offers a pleasant sense of touch.

Biggest Flex: The Second Row !

The Carnival's biggest strength is the comfort offered by its middle-row seats. The second row gets two armchairs which can be adjusted in a multitude of ways to suit one's comfort. Interestingly, these seats get both physical and electric adjustments. Physical adjustments are for moving them longitudinally and laterally.

Why do you have to move them sideways? Well, two reasons. One, the second row lacks the tumble function. If you want to access the third row, first move the middle row fully towards the doors, and walk in through the space in between them.

Secondly, you will have to move the seats to the middle-most position to make them recline to their fullest. The new Carnival lets you bring the seats to an almost 'lay down' position. To access this, however, you'll need to push them away from the doors. Else, the C-pillar would block it from reclining to the fullest.

The middle-row seats come with integrated ottomans which can be adjusted electronically. These armchairs have electric adjustments for all their key movements. There is even a heating/ventilation function offered. We found them to be fancier and more comfortable than the ones offered on the third-gen Carnival. The third row offers ample space for three, but much less comfort than the rest.

Specifications And Performance

Powering the new-generation Carnival is a 2.2L turbocharged diesel engine. You may think this to be the same unit that used to come on the previous generation. It is not! The third-gen Carnival's engine had a cast-iron block. This MPV uses an Aluminium block instead. It produces 193 hp and 441Nm- 7 hp less and 1 Nm more than the previous Carnival. This engine is mated exclusively to an automatic transmission.

There is some lag in the beginning. The turbo spools up around 2000 rpm, post which the strong tug of torque can be accessed. Kia claims 0-100 kph to be achieved in just 10.7s. Considering the vehicle weight of over 2.2 tonnes, this is indeed impressive. But hey, this engine is very noisy! It is very audible from the outside. However, the manufacturer has played it wise with the cabin insulation and soundproofing. The interior stays almost clear of the engine's sound.

The new Carnival excels with its ride comfort. The occupants aren't bothered by bad patches or potholes. It is completely stable on highways and rides flat with good high-speed stability. The suspension is soft, but lacks the bouciness that you'd expect from such a setup. Tackling bumps at low vehicle speeds is very comfortable.

The new Carnival gets electric power steering, unlike the previous one, which used to feature a hydraulic unit. It is extremely comfortable to operate and weighs up well with speed.

What Impressed Us:

• Spacious, flexible interior
• Impressive comfort in the second-row.
• Cabin insulation and sound-proofing.

What Could Be Improved:

• The middle row's pull levers aren't easy to operate. These could have been replaced with buttons for more convenience.
• The climate control switches for the middle row are placed on the right side. The best seat is on the left. There is thus no way that the middle-row occupant gets to access these without stretching much! Interestingly, the previous Carnival has this issue as well.
• Noisy engine.

Price And Verdict

At Rs 63.9 lakh, ex-showroom, the Carnival is indeed an expensive buy. However, when compared to the likes of the Vellfire which is priced over a crore, it sounds desirable. The reason for its high pricing is that the new Carnival is brought in as SKD (Semi Knock Down) units. It will remain expensive till Kia makes a shift to CKDs. Talking of comfort alone, the new Carnival definitely packs good value. Anyone looking for the M9 can consider the Carnival as a comparable ICE alternative.

Vehicle Courtesy: Incheon Kia, Kochi