Kia Carnival

The entire cabin of the Kia Carnival too has been revamped, which now looks a much premium and feature-rich place to be in. The new dashboard and centre console lose out on a few physical buttons, which now make them look less cluttered.

Along with a new multi-functional steering wheel, the new Kia Carnival also gets a large rectangular slab behind the former. This slab houses a new instrument console with conventional rounded analogue dials with a small 4.2-inch TFT MID in between and a large 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system beside it. The entire cabin is finished in a premium-looking dual-tone shade of black and walnut brown, with the use of top-class leather for the upholstery enriching the cabin.

There is abundant space present in the cabin, with the options of captain seats (seven-seater) and a full row of a bench (eight-seater) for the middle row. The seven-seater version has automated leg rests below the captain seats, which are heated and ventilated. The third row too is spacious enough for three full-sized adults, with a large boot space at the back.

The new Kia Carnival is richly equipped with other features like powered front seats with heating, ventilation, and memory functions, wireless charger, powered sliding doors and tailgate, LED cabin illumination, dual sunroofs, three-zone automatic climate control, and many more.

Like its predecessor, the new Kia Carnival has a massive road presence, which has only gotten better with an increase in dimensions and an all-new design language that makes it look sharper and more futuristic than ever before. The sleek-looking lines and unique styling cues everywhere give it a distinctive and modern appeal.

At the front, the new Kia Carnival has a bold looking fascia, with a broad ‘tiger-nose' grille with chrome surrounds and chrome-studded design within it. This grille incorporates a part of the full-LED headlamps, which stretch on the upper sideways and get unique looking zig-zag daytime running LEDs. There is additional chrome present across the width of the front bumper below the small LED fog lamps and at the bottom of the front cladding in between.

The Kia Carnival has a poised look when viewed from the sides, with the incredibly long wheelbase and overall length making it look elegant. The elements adding to its elegance are 19-inch machined alloy wheels, chrome strip on the body cladding at the bottom of the door panels, and the satin chrome garnish on the C-pillar, which extends towards the boot lid in a wraparound fashion. The blacked-out A and B pillars, door-mounted rearview mirrors, and sleek-looking roof rails add a sporty touch to the Carnival.

At the back too, the Kia Carnival has a gracious look with LED combination lamps, which also include an LED light bar running across the width of the boot lid below the windscreen. There is a hidden rear wiper just below the roof-mounted aerodynamic spoiler. The rear bumper comes integrated with halogen fog lamps and reverse lamps, with a thick slab of chrome at the bottom.

The huge dimensions of the Kia Carnival might not make it a too friendly vehicle to drive in tight urban traffic conditions. However, the light steering and comfort-oriented suspension setup make it a comfortable vehicle to drive or be seated in for long journeys. All the seats of the Carnival are comfortable and spacious enough, with no complaints whatsoever.

The only engine and transmission combination with which the Kia Carnival is available in Singapore is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. This is the same powertrain that was there in the previous generation model, but now, it makes a maximum power output of 202 bhp and a peak torque output of 440 Nm. On offer are four drive modes – Normal, Sport, Smart, and Eco.

The new Kia Carnival comes with a longer list of safety features this time, with equipment like the front, side, curtain, and driver knee airbags, surround-view monitor, ABS with EBD, forward collision assist, blind-spot collision warning, safe-exit assist, rear-cross traffic collision avoidance assist, vehicle stability management, hill start assist, smart cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, lane following assist and tyre pressure monitoring system.

With significant changes in and out, the new Kia Carnival has only become much more desirable and comfortable MUV than ever before. The new edgier styling and addition of more features have made the new Carnival one of the most luxurious and premium MUVs on sale today.