New Kia Carnival, EV9 Could Launch in India On October 3; Here's All You Need to Know

Kia is set to launch the updated Carnival MPV and the completely new EV9 SUV in India on October 3, 2024. The former will be an affordable alternative to MPVs like the Toyota Vellfire and Lexus LM and a more luxurious and sophisticated replacement for the Toyota Innova Hycross. The latter, on the other hand, could be a reasonably priced competitor to premium electric SUVs like the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. Price-wise, the redesigned MPV may start at Rs 40 lakh, while the new EV9 could sell for Rs 80 lakh. Both prices are ex-showroom. Let's take a closer look at other details of these two new upcoming Kias. 

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Kia Carnival

The MPV had its global debut last year with several improvements over its predecessor, including an expanded tiger-nose grille, L-shaped headlights, a redesigned rear bumper, and LED daytime running lights. Kia offers three engine options globally. However, in India, the revised model is expected to keep the 200bhp/400Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel unit. It will likely have 12.3-inch twin curved infotainment and instrumentation screens, a panoramic sunroof, powered and ventilated seats, and three-zone air conditioning, among other features. To ensure safety, we expect the Carnival to have a 360-degree camera and a range of Level-2 ADAS technologies. 

Kia EV9

The EV9 electrified SUV, unveiled internationally last year, comes in both rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations. The base RWD version sprints from a standstill to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds, with a 76.1kWh battery that generates 218bhp and 350Nm. The 99.8kWh battery-powered RWD Long Range variant, on the other hand, accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 9.4 seconds and produces 350Nm and 204bhp. 

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Coming to the AWD variant, the EV is propelled by two motors, one for each axle, and a 99.8kWh battery pack. It claims performance figures of 600Nm/380bhp and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6 seconds, which can be reduced to 5.3 seconds with an OTA software update. Although there hasn't been a formal announcement, the Long Range Version is likely to be introduced in India.