WHAT IS IT?
The Kia Carnival is Kia’s people mover, a 7 or 8-seater MPV with a bold SUV-inspired design that has replaced the Grand Sedona. Where other companies ditched their MPVs and came up with all-new SUVs, Kia took the opposite route with an all-new MPV that looks like an SUV. The difference between the two is slight, and after a week with a Carnival, I think their way is the right way.
WHY THIS?
Hell’s bells, Kia has designed this cleverly and made it beautiful! If you realise that a 7-seat car’s job is to move all seven people around in comfort, along with their luggage, then this car outperforms every 7-seat SUV on the road. It also has a lovely interior and features aplenty.
OUTSIDE
MPVs often end up in the funeral business thanks to their hearse-suggestive silhouettes, but the Carnival is different. It can only be described as a crossover, with an almost-SUV profile that would be even more so if it were higher off the ground. It is made versatile by powered sliding doors on both sides, while the chrome detail and roof rails are more suggestions that this is almost sport utility rather than mere multi-purpose. Viewed from the front or rear, the Carnival is extremely handsome, and the LED strip lights give it a unique nocturnal visage.
INSIDE
We don’t have enough space here for everything, so I’ll stick to the exceptional bits: it’s spacious and sophisticated with the deepest boot I have ever seen on a car: my 7-year-old son could stand up in it with space to spare, and he’s a tall drink of water. There are four spec levels (EX, EX+, SX Limited and SXL), which start with a luxurious feel, including leather trim and just go upwards. Of the many differences, the most significant is that the SX Limited and SXL have a whole raft of advanced driver assistance systems like Blindspot Collision Avoidance, Lane Keeping Assist and many more. In addition, an excellent reverse camera system helps you to avoid customising the bumpers every time you park.
The 7-seat version that we had has two individual second-row chairs instead of a bench, and they are exceptionally comfortable, but the 8-seat version has the added practicality of the bench seat turning into a table.
THE DRIVE
Kia punts the SUV character of the Carnival, and they’re bang on. When I first took it for a spin, I told my wife that it felt like I was driving an SUV. The seating position is high, visibility excellent, and it’s easy to know where the corners of the car are.
The only engine/gearbox combo available comprises a 2.2-litre ‘Smartstream’ CRDi turbodiesel engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s perfectly suited to the role with enough torque even for heavy loads and, in fact, feels genuinely quick if you accelerate hard. Overall claimed fuel consumption is 6.8L/100km, but we returned figures of 7.8L/100km.
FINAL WORD
The Carnival is probably the most persuasive argument in favour of an MPV over an SUV in years. It performs the basic duties of an MPV – moving many people – with aplomb and ingenuity, but it brings so much more to the party, too, most notably an impeccably premium interior and enjoyable drivability.
GO GET IT
The Carnival is priced from R799,995 to R1,024,995, including a 6-year/90,000km comprehensive maintenance plan, a 5-year/unlimited mileage warranty, and roadside assistance.
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