Kia launched a mid-cycle facelift of the Seltos in August last year and followed it up with a launch of the facelifted Sonet in January this year. The next big launch by Kia in India will be the all-new Carnival. Showcased as the KA4 concept at last year’s Auto Expo, the upcoming Carnival is the facelifted fourth-gen model in Kia’s global lineup.
In India, however, the fourth-gen Carnival never came to India and the third-gen model was on sale until recently. Now, there are more insights regarding the launch of the all-new Carnival in India. As per a recent media report, Kia will bring the new Carnival in October this year initially as a fully-imported Completely Built Unit (CBU).
The report states that local assembly of the flagship MPV will commence at a later date. Being a CBU, the new Carnival will attract heavy taxes and will be priced very steeply around Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom) or even more. In essence, the Carnival is deemed as a more affordable luxury MPV over Toyota Vellfire which is priced between Rs 1.22-1.33 crore (ex-showroom).
Kia Carnival: Exterior Updates
Based on the brand’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, the new Carnival embodies ‘Modern Boldness’ with notable styling changes. The production version features a more upright nose with a wide grille, flanked by L-shaped headlamps with integrated DRLs. The grille boasts fin-like inserts with chrome treatment, while the bumper houses a small air intake and a faux brushed aluminium skid plate.
The side profile remains largely unchanged, except for new alloy wheel designs inspired by Kia’s electric models, such as the EV5 and EV9. The rear features inverted L-shaped LED taillamps connected across the tailgate, with a reprofiled bumper showcasing a matte black and chrome fusion.
Kia Carnival: Interior sand Features
The new Carnival boasts a twin-screen setup, comprising a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The dashboard features a dual-tone design with yellow ambient lighting, while controls for HVAC and stereo are conveniently located below the central screen. The smart entertainment system receives over-the-air updates, and Carnival is expected to offer multiple seating configurations (7, 8 or 9) with optional massage seats for the second row.
Other notable features include an updated digital key, ambient lighting, front and rear dash cameras, a digital rearview mirror, and more. The 2024 Carnival benefits from an Advanced Driver Assistance System suite, offering features like forward and rear collision avoidance assist, blind spot collision-avoidance assist, rear parking assist, lane assist, and more. Additionally, the Carnival offers eight airbags and a 360-degree camera.
Kia Carnival: Engine Options
Globally, the Kia Carnival is available with two engine options: a 3.5-liter V6 naturally aspirated petrol engine and a hybrid powertrain combining a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine with a 54 kW electric motor. Transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed automatic gearbox. In India, the Carnival is likely to continue with the existing 2.2-liter diesel engine (197 bhp and 440 Nm of peak torque), paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Source: Autocar India
