Launched in 2020, the third-generation Kia Carnival helped the carmaker make a mark on the premium MPV market. Positioned a segment above the all-conquering Toyota Innova Crysta, this MPV became popular among those seeking a more premium experience this side of the likes of the Mercedes Benz V-Class and Toyota Vellfire. Fast forward to October 2024, and the nameplate re-enters our market in its latest avatar – the KA4 fourth-gen version, complete with the mid-life facelift for the MY2025. Undoubtedly, the latest version is a remarkable improvement over the outgoing model, but, at Rs 63.90 (ex-showroom), it’s twice as costly (For reference, the previous generation made its India debut at Rs 24.95 lakhs onwards). Moreover, at this price point, it gets dangerously close to the likes of BMW X3 and Audi Q5. We spent a few hours driving the 2024 Kia Carnival in and around Bangalore to help you find out if it’s worth all that moolah. Read on for our analysis.
CAAArnival!
At 5,155 mm, the 2024 Kia Carnival is a full-size MPV that pretty much dwarfs every other passenger vehicle in its price bracket. To put things in perspective, it’s a full 400 mm longer and 150 mm wider than the Toyota Innova Hycross. In fact, it’s even 40 mm longer and 10 mm wider than its predecessor. All of this, of course, translates into a massive road presence. But it’s not just the sheer size that steals the show. The overall aesthetics are deftly executed, with the front and rear fascias looking very SUV-esque. In fact, the general look of the soft parts almost mimics the theme of the carmaker’s latest EV lineup. To an uninformed, the Carnival would pass off for a premium SUV, at least until positioning of the rear door handles and their sliding tracks come into sight. This is arguably as cool as MPVs get – while it’s not uncommon for carmakers to offer SUV-like styling cues to make their MPVs more interesting, nobody has been as successful with pulling off this trick as Kia.
The Lounge Wagon
Kia has brought the latest Carnival to our shore exclusively in its fully loaded Limousine+ trim. What this simply means is that you get a full bag of bells and whistles, including the Ottoman seats for the middle row, which are arguably the best thing to have happened to rear passenger comfort since the introduction of the rear aircon vents. These captain chairs can be moved forward, backwards and laterally. Heck, they even come with full power adjustment and a Relaxation mode for a lounge-like experience. Sounds great in theory, doesn’t it? In real-world usage, they translate into great practicality and comfort. Not only are these immensely cossetting but the gazillion adjustments ensure there’s a setting that works well for every body frame. Being able to push the two captain chairs together can help you create a great perch for your pets.
Not like your canines, and, in fact, your two-legged friends would mind being seated in the third row. It’s certainly nowhere as roomy as the middle-row but it’s far more practical than what you would have probably experienced on any three-row SUV to date. And what’s the point of an MPV if it can’t transport a week’s trip worth of luggage or, maybe, your refrigerator? Well, with all the seats in place, the Carnival offers a massive 627-litres of cargo-carrying capacity. The third row can be easily folded flat to multiply this a few times! And then, there’s the long list of equipment on offer. The highlights include:
- 2nd Row Powered Relaxation Seats
- Ventilated, Heated 2nd Row Seats with Leg Support
- Electronic Parking Brake
- 12-Speaker Bose Premium Sound System with sub-woofer
- Kia Connect 2.0 Suite
- 12-way Power Driver’s Seat with 4-way Lumbar Support and Memory Function
- 8-way Power Front Passenger Seat
- Front Seat Ventilation and Heating
- 3rd Row 60:40 Split Seats
- 4-spoke Leatherette-wrapped Steering Wheel
- Sunshade Curtains for 2nd and 3rd Rows
- Glovebox with Illumination
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Shift-by-Wire Mechanism
- Drive Modes – Eco, Normal, Sport and Smart
- 64-Colour Ambient Mood Lighting
- Auto Anti-Glare IRVMs
- 3-Zone Automatic Climate Control
- Dual-Panoramic 12.3-inch Curved Displays for Infotainment and Instrumentation
- 11-inch Advanced Head-up Display
- Powered Tailgate
- One-Touch Smart Power Sliding Doors
- Dual Electric Sunroof
- Level 2 ADAS with 23 Advanced Features
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- 360-degree Camera
- All four disc brakes
- 8 Airbags
- Premium Leatherette Upholstery
- Highline TPMS
The in-cabin experience offered by the 2024 Kia Carnival Limousine is in a league of its own. There’s actually little that’s left to be desired, except, perhaps a wireless charger pod for middle seats and a sliding feature for the front armrest.
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Element of Surprise
Abroad, the latest Kia Carnival is available with a range of engine options that include a 3.5-litre petrol V6 as well as a 1.6-litre turbo petrol-electric hybrid. However, akin to the outgoing version, the India-spec MPV gets the highly acclaimed 2.2-litre turbo-diesel that outputs 190 hp and 441 Nm. The 8-speed torque-converter auto ‘box has been carried over, albeit, with suitable updates. Importantly, the engine has received some major upgrades in the form of an aluminium block (vs iron block previously) and higher pressure injectors (2,200 bar vs 2,000 bar previously).
With an ARAI-certified FE of 14.85 km to a litre, the Carnival is surprisingly frugal for a vehicle of its size and weight – the MID’s average fuel efficiency readout hovered around 11 km/l on the expressway, in spite of some spirited driving on certain sections. The transmission is a smooth operator that offers a seamless driving experience, while the mid-range punch makes this MPV an amazing mile muncher. It’s truly amazing how this XL-size MPV easily touches speeds that are way above the legal limits on any public road this country offers. But like most diesel vehicles, it comes with some downsides, such as a somewhat sluggish response from a standstill, and the typical clatter that creeps into the cabin at idle. That said, the NVH is remarkably well-controlled and the Carnival is eminently drivable on family trips, inter-city business runabouts, airport runs, and large family outings in general.
What’s actually commendable is that I didn’t feel the need to adjust my driving style as much as expected for a vehicle of this size. Where I did feel a little hesitant was going too fast around the corners, with much of this scepticism arising out of the sheer size of the vehicle. But it’s surprising how this MPV shrinks around you and the initial reluctance was quick to make way for some spirited corner-carving. Don’t get me wrong, the Carnival is not meant for the sort of stuff seen below, but it’s remarkable how confident I felt attacking corners at a considerably high speed. As seen, there was quite a bit of understeer from the mammoth FWD MPV, but all it took was a bit of an opposite lock to get back into line!
Well, the Carnival has always been a big car that doesn’t handle like one, but this gets all the truer in the case of the latest generation. I didn’t encounter bad roads during my drive to Nandi Hills and Adiyogi statue from Bengaluru airport, but I finally hit a rough patch of non-paved land at a parking lot. I did feel the weight of this mammoth car dropping into the undulations, but the body roll was well-contained and the ride remained supple. Which simply means the chauffeur-driven will nary complain of too much discomfort.
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Should You Still Buy that Mid-Size Luxury SUV?
If MPVs suffer from a stigma of being “uncool,” the 2024 Kia Carnival clearly missed the memo. Its aesthetics definitely make it look more interesting than most SUVs in the price bracket, while even the features list stands at par. True, it isn’t as nimble and doesn’t offer a petrol engine either, but that supremely practical cabin along with the punchy oil-burner helps it outdo many vehicles even positioned a segment above! At Rs 63.90 lakh (ex-showroom), the Carnival is a lot of car for your money. All in all, it makes for a rather interesting proposition – it’s much more suave, practical and feature-loaded than the Toyota Innova family but costs only half as much as the Vellfire. So, in spite of that major increment in the price, the Carnival comes out as a great value proposition that could very well eat into the popularity of similarly priced SUVs.
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