Kia Carnival: Variants and features list revealed

Kia Motors has announced additional details of the Carnival MPV, that is set to be its second product in India after the well-received Seltos. We were already privy to what engine the Carnival would feature – a 2.2-litre BS6 diesel engine that puts out 197bhp and 440Nm, mated to an eight-speed automatic. What we now also know is that the Carnival will be sold in three trim lines namely Premium, Prestige and Limousine, and will be available in different seating configurations as well (7, 8 or 9 seats). The Kia Carnival is larger, and will be equipped with more equipment than the Toyota Innova, so expect it to be priced at a Rs 4 lakh premium.

Design

The Kia Carnival is a smart looking MPV. The front-end features Kia’s signature Tiger Nose grille in black, with a chrome surround. The projector headlamps (with LED DRLs) are angular and sharp, offsetting the softer lines that are otherwise typical of MPVs. The bumpers feature foglamps, and they too get chrome styling elements to break the monotony on the front. The nose isn’t too soft looking, and is actually quite flat, giving the Carnival a sense of premiumness. Move over to the side, and the A-line runs all the way from the headlamp to the taillamp, enhancing the already long dimensions of the car. It features roofrails for the possibility of mounting a luggage rack, and sliding doors that will be electrically control. Another chrome element here that breaks the monotony of the design runs from the front wing mirror all the way to the rear windows. The Limousine trim that we have pictures of is running 18-inch alloy wheels. At the back, the Carnival features a lot of horizontal elements: both the LED taillamps and the chrome trip between them enhance the width of the car. The old Kia logo takes centre stage, with the Carnival badge prominently positioned in the bottom left corner of the boot. In terms of dimensions, the Carnival is 5115mm long, 1985mm wide and has a wheelbase of 3060mm. Just to give you perspective, the Toyota Innova Crysta is 4735mm long, 1830mm long and has a 2750mm wheelbase.

Seating layouts

The Kia Carnival can be specced in a number of ways when it comes to the seating layout. There are two different seven seat layouts: the first has four captain seats, along with a third row as a bench. The second is the 7 VIP, which gets more comfortable seats with under-leg support. The eight-seater gets four captain seats, along with a smaller seat in between them in the second row and a third row as well. The nine seater option gets four rows of seats, two captain seats on the first three rows and a fourth row with three seats. Legroom in this layout will obviously be compromised, but will be able to hold more people.

Variants and features

Of the three variants, the Premium is the base variant and yet remains rather well kitted out. It gets a touchscreen that is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto enabled, along with four speakers and two tweeters. There are steering mounted controls, and much needed for such a long car, a rear-view camera. The instrument cluster will be partly digital, with a 3.5-inch LCD panel and it will get cruise control as well. Other features that you can expect on the base trim include power windows, push button start and automatic headlamps. In terms of safety, the Carnival ‘s base trim gets a basic suite of safety features with two airbags, ABS with EBD and ISOFIX seats. There are a few visual differentiators on the outside too. It doesn’t get the chrome elements on the grille, door handles or windows, and even the lighting elements are different with it missing out on projector headlamps, LED tallamps and the ice-cube-like fog lamps.

The Prestige trim is one step up. In addition to everything you get on the Premium trim, the Prestige offers a lot more. For starters, in terms of safety, the Carnival Prestige gets ESC, roll-over mitigation, side and curtain airbags, and cornering brake control. The Prestige also comes with a dual electric sunroof, powered tailgate, electric folding mirrors, a 220V laptop charger and a USB charger. The interiors are spruced up with LED lighting, and sunshades as we’ll. Visually, it gets the chrome treatment that the Premium trim misses out on on the windows, grille and door handles. It also gets projector headlamps, LED combination lamps, roof-rails and the ice-cube shaped foglamps.

The Limousine trim, true to its name, comes with all the bells and whistles. The whole cabin is an elevated experience: Nappa leather upholstery, a leather wrapped steering wheel and even wood inlays in the dash. The second row of seats will get legrests as standard. The infotainment system is upgraded with inbuilt navigation, UVO connected features just like we saw in the Seltos and an 8 speaker Harmon Kardon system. Additional luxuries include an air purifier, wireless smartphone charger, cooled driver’s seat that is also power adjustable and an electronic parking brake.

The Kia Carnival has only one real rival, the Toyota Innova Crysta though it trumps it on all fronts including size and the features list. That said, Kia is going to have to price the Carnival extremely competitively considering the hold the Innova has over the MPV market. The launch is slated to be held at Auto Expo 2020, so stay tuned for details!