Introduction
Being a late entrant is never easy in any market for any product and more so in the case of cars. In India, this problem is even tougher to overcome as our market and buying tendencies are quite different from most of the world. Hence, it comes as a surprise that there are still carmakers trying to sell cars on the basis of being cheap despite the fact that the cheapest one (Tata Nano) ever failed spectacularly.
Fortunately for Kia Motors, the company did all things right and understood that Indian buyers don’t mind paying a premium for a product that offers class-leading features and stunning design. No holds barred is the approach they took with the Seltos and succeeded instantly.
This piece, however, isn’t about analysing Kia’s success but reviewing their second product, the Kia Carnival. The Kia Carnival will be positioned as a premium MPV, a segment where there’s been just one lone wolf in the form of the Toyota Innova Crysta. Any attempts to take on the Innova brand in the past have been half-hearted and lame at best as again everyone took the wrong approach of launching cheaper vehicles. Kia though has managed to get a great understanding about Indian consumers and have gone the premium way with the Carnival MPV. So how is it and will it be another successful launch from Kia? Here’s what I found out.
Kia Carnival Design & Images
The Kia Carnival looks very much like an MPV but not a bread box or a fridge like many other MPVs. It looks rather interesting, welcoming and if I might add, it looks a bit delightful too! One thing that stands out about the Kia Carnival’s design is that it looks thoroughly premium and sophisticated. The sleek headlamps house LED projectors and LED DRLs, which give the front some youthful appeal. The LED fog lamps with chrome surrounds and a chrome studded grille also look good and will appeal to people who love chrome. The front skid plates do add a bit of ruggedness and are integrated well with the bumper.
The side looks fine and the sheer size of the vehicle is what is the most appealing factor here. A slightly upswept window line around the C-pillar and the roof rail try to make things interesting successfully. Even the rear merges well with the rest of the design and the tail lamps look good while exuding an expensive feel overall. One thing, however, I would want to change is the extra blingy chrome alloy wheels. Kia doesn’t call it chrome but it does look exactly like chrome does and is too loud. Then again that’s just me and if you’re someone who loves chrome wheels then you’re in for a treat.
Kia Carnival Interiors, Features and Space: 7,8 and 9-seater options
Well, this is the party piece of the Kia Carnival and even entering it has the dramatic effect of electric doors sliding to greet you inside. Once inside, it’s instantly clear that space is not a parameter that would fail to impress anyone regardless of body size. Heck, the space inside is so much that if Lilliput were a reality and its residents were left in the Kia Carnival they would think of it as a continent.
Our test car was a seven-seat Limousine variant but if you want Kia will sell you eight and nine-seat options too. Our car naturally had captain seats in the middle row and these were the Luxury seats as Kia calls them. This means that these seats wrapped in Nappa leather come with extendable support for lower legs. The seats are adjustable for back recline and front and rear travel along with the sideways adjustment. As a result of this, the comfort on offer in these seats is pretty close to that of a business class seat in a plane. The seats themselves sport impressive cushioning and side and head support if brilliant as well. Headroom is ample and even taller occupants won’t find reasons to complain. The dual electric sunroofs add further to the airy feel of the cabin while giving a great view of the skies.
As far as the third row is concerned, I was left surprised by the legroom on offer. This is where the 5 metre plus length of the Carnival and the three-metre plus wheelbase comes into play. Entry to the third row is easy with the middle seat making way with the flick of one lever.
While legroom is ample, headroom can be a bit of a bother for tall occupants here. Also, since one’s legs are pointing upwards the lack of under-thigh support can be discomforting over long drives. For short ones though and as long as a couple of hours most people should find themselves to be fine.
Now coming to the front seats and cabin, the experience is once again rich and impressive. The dashboard has a dual-tone finish with a soft-touch top part done in black and the lower beige in plastic. In the centre console, there’s an 8-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Kia’s UVO app support as well.
Just like the Seltos, the UVO tech in the Carnival will let you remotely view vehicle data on your smartphone/ watch. One can also remotely start/turn off the engine, track stolen vehicle, geofence, track speed limit and access vehicle location among many other functions including SOS alert for emergency services in case of an accident.
The touchscreen itself responds quickly to inputs and the interface is quite simple to use. For middle-row occupants, there are two 10-inch screens at the back of the front seats. The Digi-analogue instrument cluster looks good and offers a host of information but could have looked more modern.
Build quality all round is impressive and there are a lot of cubbyholes including big door pockets to store the small things. The centre armrest compartment is in fact so big that you can place a 10-inch tablet in it. Overall, the Kia Carnival offers an exceptionally good cabin experience, which no other vehicle south of Rs 50 lakh offers presently. The premium feel of the cabin will leave occupants impressed and spoilt for choices due to the kit on offer and this is exactly how one impresses potential buyers, by going all out and not for a cheap price-tag.
Kia Carnival Engine, Gearbox and Performance
With its massive dimensions and weight, one wouldn’t expect the Kia Carnival to be able to move around quickly. Surprisingly though, it does! That’s courtesy the 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine with Variable geometry. Power output is healthy at 197 hp along with a torque of 440 Nm. The engine pulls cleanly from as low as 1,750 rpm and one can ride the torque wave till about 3,000 rpm after which things start to taper off. There’s only one transmission on offer, an eight-speed automatic unit, which is mated well to the engine. Shifts aren’t very quick but they aren’t sluggish either and performs in sync with the positioning of a luxury MPV.
Refinement levels are high and the cabin is quite silent while cruising at high speeds as well. Only while accelerating hard the diesel clatter does make its way into the cabin. If you do decide to push the Carnival around the MPV won’t disappoint as velocity is built quickly and throttle response is decent. Overall, the Kia Carnival might not be exciting to drive but that’s not its purpose either. Importantly, the Carnival is comforting and relaxing to drive and that’s exactly what a potential customer would look for.
Kia Carnival Ride & Handling:
The Kia Carnival is a big MPV so naturally, it’s quite heavy as well and as a result of this straight-line stability is rock solid. Even during quick lane changes at speeds as high as 130 kmph the Carnival didn’t display any unwanted side movement. Around corners, the Carnival likes to go a relaxed pace and so would the occupants. Push it hard and the long wheelbase and height do put up some protest and body-roll is noticeable as well. However, very few people in the world would lose their senses to the point that they would be pushing an MPV around corners so for everything else the Carnival offers flawless performance.
Braking on the carnival is good and the vehicle comes to a stop in a reassuring manner but the pedals lack feedback and so does the steering. This means that it takes some time to understand the dynamics of this vehicle but once you do things are quite easy.
Safety
The Kia Carnival continues to impress with its safety offerings as well. The MPV comes with six airbags, ABS, ESP, Cruise Control, Hill Start Assist, Parking Assist and the added safety UVO. The structure also uses a mix of materials including Ultra high-strength, high strength steel, aluminium and a lot more to minimise structural deformation and damage to occupants in the event of a crash.
Conclusion
Ever since the Kia Carnival became known to people, there have been comparisons with the Toyota Innova Crysta. However, these two aren’t direct rivals as the Carnival will be positioned above the Crysta. Kia hasn’t given any price indication but for the kit, it offers a price range of Rs 25-30 lakh would be competitive. Not just that, at this price, some people looking at top variants of the Toyota Innova Crysta or some other similarly priced SUVs can consider the Kia Carnival. With the Carnival, Kia has once again proven that it has been able to understand Indian consumers very quickly. This is exactly why the Carnival, just like the Seltos is loaded with multiple segment-first features and sets a new benchmark for all carmakers to beat. This is how new models should be planned and now I just hope that Kia Motors India doesn’t get carried away with the success of the Seltos and price the Carnival beyond an acceptable range.
