Kia Carnival Review: First Drive

‘A minivan! No, what you need is an SUV.’ If that’s what you’re being told, you need only look towards this MPV – because it simply impels most SUVs into the pages of history.

Without a doubt, the Toyota Innova was a game changer for the Indian automobile industry in every way. But, when the first-gen model was launched, people complained about its looks – they thought it was awkward, clumsy even. Did this perception hamper its 11-year production run in India? On the contrary, as history would have it, the Innova went on to become one of the most profitable models ever sold in India.

But why? Well, not much brain storming is required here! An MUV like the Innova, to put it simply, is an extremely well-rounded vehicle. Sure, it may not be much of a looker even today, but then no one cares when you combine bulletproof reliability and a fuss-free maintenance characteristic with a quality cabin, which is both spacious and well-equipped. And if the vehicle comes with a car-like ride quality that can embarrass many premium SUVs, then you don’t need to go further to look for your answer.

Quite the looker

However, after 13 years of undisputed market leadership, it would appear that the Innova is finally about to feel the heat – if Kia actually decides to launch this sleek minivan in India that is! Yes, you read that right, the Kia Carnival is indeed a sleek automobile. You can look at it from any angle, and the Carnival is an absolute head turner. This could be down to the fact that there’s nothing else quite like it on the market. On the streets of the capital, it has the appearance of an embassy car with its temp plates. My own experience corroborates this perception. Every time I took it out, literally no one could keep their eyes off the car. Honestly, a fancy European luxury car doesn’t even come close to grabbing this much attention!

Certainly, the attention-grabbing characteristic of this vehicle has quite a lot to do with its design. The Carnival has a bold front-end design, with Kia’s large tiger nose grille and big head lamps, which are accompanied by projector fog lamps. The windscreen is tall, and the wide stance of this minivan gives it an unmistakeable presence. But it’s the side profile of this vehicle that steals the show. With its 5,115mm length, the Carnival is longer than a Land Rover Discovery.

If you look at it closely, you realize how all engineering effort has gone into making this car as spacious as possible. The powertrain is all packed in at the front, the axles are 3,060mm apart – 2,755mm for Innova – and then there’s that flat floor (thanks to absence of the transmission tunnel).

And very spacious too

All this translates into the Carnival having a far more spacious cabin than any SUV or MUV on our market. This particular car is a 7-seater. And, as is apparent from the images here, it has more than enough legroom, kneeroom and headroom for all its occupants – so much so that even our big friendly giant, Jared Solomon (at 6-foot-3), was able fit in the third row with absolute comfort. This is also the only seven-seater to come with a big boot, with all three rows of seats in use.

So, one thing’s for certain, you’ll never feel the need for more space in the Carnival. After all, Kia even sells an eleven-seat version of the Carnival with the same dimensions!

Now, there has been some discussion in the office about whether the Kia Carnival is too large for our roads. While, for some, this may ring true, when has this ever stopped a premium or luxury vehicle from being successful in our market.

While there’s no getting away from the sheer size of the thing, once you get behind the wheel of the Carnival, it instantly shrinks around you. Powered by a 2.2 litre common rail diesel engine mated to a six-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, the Carnival is an absolute breeze to drive. The power band is nice and linear and the gearbox shifts seamlessly, making for a very smooth driving experience. The steering is very well setup for urban driving – it’s accurate and you never feel the weight of the car. But that’s not all, this car is equally well setup for expressways. Open the taps and you can immediately sense that this 197bhp engine was setup for motorway cruising. There’s a nice continuous surge of power, which adds to overall driving experience of the car – making it an excellent drive on open highways, with very predictable handling.

So, finally, we arrive at the most pertinent question concerning this vehicle – does the Carnival make sense for India? Yes, I believe it does. You see, Innova customers have nowhere else to go as of now. There are people who are second and third time buyers simply because there’s nothing to directly upgrade to. Sure, the current Crysta is quite premium, but what if these folks want to move up the ladder? Well, the Carnival certainly seems to be that step up.

And, as we’ve learned from Hyundai, the Koreans sure know how to make their cars reliable. So, with this crucial aspect covered, the Carnival goes on to pamper its occupants with a raft of convenience features, such as a three-zone climate control system with HVAC controls for second row occupants, electric sliding rear doors, sliding second row seats, a conversation mirror for the driver, electrochromic rear-view mirror, auto defogging system, automatic headlamps, split screen infotainment system, electrically adjustable driver’s seat and leather upholstery. International models also get electrically adjustable, ventilated and heated seats.

So, both inside and out, the Carnival really seals the deal as a step up from the Innova. But then it also happens to be a segment above, and for that reason it’ll command a higher price tag.  In fact, it has the potential to create a whole new segment of its own. For our part, we’re actually quite excited about seeing the Carnival on our streets – for it could be yet another gamechanger in our market.

Also read - Maruti Suzuki Ertiga vs Mahindra Marazzo vs Toyota Innova vs Kia Carnival

Kia Seltos vs Hyundai Creta vs MG Hector vs Tata Harrier: Comparison