I recently made assumptions about the potential electrification of the Kia Carnival MPV, or minivan if you’re particular. According to reports, Kia could introduce a hybrid Carnival as early as next year.
Instead, could Kia be planning a plug-in hybrid or even an all-electric version of the Carnival? Although it would be pure guesswork on my part to respond to this question at this time, I would suggest that no is the most likely outcome. While an all-electric Carnival would enable Kia to compete with the upcoming VW ID Buzz or perhaps the Tesla Model X (for certain more cynical consumers possibly), it is likely that it would not go on sale in the same year as the company’s upcoming EV9. Therefore, if Kia is considering hosting an EV Carnival in the future, I would assume that it would be at least two years away. Given that the Carnival and Sorento share many parts and that Kia is selling every PHEV model they can produce, a PHEV Carnival may be more plausible than not. However, it’s important to keep in mind that Kia won’t be producing as many PHEVs after this year (or next). Kia’s PHEVs will be phased out over time (or down to a much smaller percent of total production and perhaps only for certain markets). According to InsideEVs, the PHEV models will mainly be replaced by either hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) or fully electric vehicles (EVs). It appears most likely that Kia won’t produce more than one or two more PHEV models before starting to phase them down, based on my math and the statistics Kia published in the InsideEVs article. In fact, I believe it is perfectly feasible that the soon-to-be-released Sportage PHEV will be Kia’s last new PHEV, and the company will instead concentrate on producing more of the 5 or 6 PHEV models it now produces globally rather than releasing new and distinctive vehicles.
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Is there a hybrid version of the Kia Carnival?
It’s likely that the all-electric minivan we’ve talked about in the story will come before a Kia Carnival Hybrid. Many buyers in South Korea are looking forward to the partially electric Carnival, and Kia will probably introduce the variant in 2023, according to a report from carguy.kr that was submitted on March 21, 2022. The Carnival Hybrid will be produced by the same business on the Stinger’s assembly line. According to the source, Kia is getting ready to produce the Carnival Hybrid and may stop producing its premium four-door model later this year. The company, however, has not confirmed any of this.
Similar to the current Sportage Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid, Kia may equip the Carnival Hybrid with a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and an electric motor. The hybrid minivan is expected to use an 8-speed automatic transmission rather than the 6-speed automatic. Will the Carnival Hybrid be introduced in the United States by the end of 2023 if manufacture of the vehicle begins soon? We’ll make sure to monitor future developments!
The Kia Carnival uses diesel.
In some publications, Kia refers to its Carnival people mover as a GUV, or grand utility vehicle, but you can call this plus-sized family hauler whatever you choose.
The Carnival fulfills the functions implied by the popular (if absolutely inaccurate) sport utility vehicle title in many ways, if not entirely.
In fact, Kia’s people mover is not only one of the best, but it also fits the SUV criterion better than a lot of hatch-based crossovers or wagons with soft-road characteristics.
The Carnival is similar to a van in that it has sliding side doors, but it’s also not one. Why does this matter? As you can see, this relatively recent fourth-generation model is supported by the same N3 platform as Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Kia’s Sorento, both of which are unquestionably and categorically SUVs. Nevertheless, the N3 architecture is shared by the Hyundai Staria people mover and Staria Load commercial van.
This 2022 Kia Carnival Si Diesel feels like it should succeed thanks to mid-level equipment that will help it rise above the base model’s mediocrity, an oiler engine that is naturally efficient, and torque that is sufficient to move an eight-seater with a full load with no effort. Let’s put it to the test, then.
How much does the Kia Carnival Si Diesel cost?
At the time of writing, the Si Diesel had a drive-away offer of $59,390 and has an MSRP of $54,980 plus applicable fees. That’s a bit more than when the same vehicle debuted a year ago with a drive-away offer of $57,790 and a list price that was $600 lower.
The Carnival lineup includes four diesel engines. At $53,690 drive-away, dropping to entry S saves $5700. The SLi ($64,190 drive-away) is the next model up the tree and costs an additional $4800, while the top-tier Platinum ($71,890 drive-away) costs $12,500 more than the Si.
Petrol? This is available at a $2k discount across the board for the four available models, positioning the diesel option as the premium option. Six colors are offered, and five of them come with a $695 price tag.
Rivals? The base Staria diesel model from Hyundai costs $51,500 list ($56,685 drive-away) more than the Kia. The mid-spec Staria Elite, however, is quite a bit more expensive at $59,500 ($64,596 drive-away), even though diesel variants of the Staria have all-wheel drive.
Honda’s Odyssey Vi LX7 is in runout for $56,000 drive-away at the time of writing. The standard Toyota Granvia diesel, which comes with eight seats as an option, is priced at $72,840 drive-away.
What do you get?
Carnival Si’s top features:
- 12.3-inch touchscreen information display device
- Navigation using satellite
- Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (wired)
- eight speakers for the audio
- alloy 18-inch wheels
- parking sensors up front
- a two-zone climatic system
- LED backlighting
- steering wheel and gearshift covered in leather
This is on top of the base S’s installed equipment:
- 4.2-inch monitor for driver supervision
- Seven seats
- camera for reverse
- sensors for rear-parking
- Autonomous cruise control
- Daytime running lights and LED headlights
- auto-dimming headlights
- Auto-high beam
- Telescoping and tilting steering wheel
Unsurprisingly, the Si keeps many standard features like cloth upholstery, mechanical seat adjustment, key barrel ignition, and similar characteristics while also adding a few important feel-good extras.
Oddly, auto wipers and the digital instruments found in high-end Carnivals in some other locations are not included in the 2022 lineup.
Is the Kia Carnival Si Diesel safe?
It received scores of 90% for adult occupant protection, 88% for child occupant protection, and 68% and 82%, respectively, for safety assistance and vulnerable road user protection.
Carnivals are all required to have:
- AEB with pedestrian, cyclist, and intersection assistance
- Blind-spot support
- Alert for rear cross traffic
- Warning for lane deviation
- Lane-keeping aid
- Support for Lane Following (lane centring)
- driving attention surveillance
- Safe exit alert
- front-side and front airbags
- motorists’ knee airbag
- airbags for the three rows of curtains
Rear cross-traffic assist, which locks the back doors to prevent occupants from exiting into oncoming traffic and brakes the vehicle if it senses an impending collision, is not included in the Si but is available in the higher-grade SLi and Platinum variants.
What is the Kia Carnival Si Diesel like on the inside?
The car immediately stands out to you due to how substantial and substantial it feels. You are shielded from the atmosphere outside by the large doors, plenty of metal, and a genuine sense of security inside the cabin. Carnival has a good mood to it.
The second and most enduring impression is how opulent and roomy it is. The spacious separation between the front seats, the wide center console, and the streamlined dash fascia are all placed far enough apart to provide the impression of being in a real business class cabin while keeping the controls for the entertainment system and climate control within easy reach.
It is superb at its core and is straightforward and logical when it needs to be. It all feels natural and welcoming: clear instrumentation, big cupholders, sensible central stack arrangement. Additionally, the Si improves upon the S with pleasant touches in strategic locations to enhance presentation and vibe sufficiently above entry level, with the possible exception of the key barrel ignition.
The 12.3-inch infotainment display, which is a sizable and fully functional upgrade over the lower-end model’s chintzy 8.0-inch unit, appears much more at home in the huge Carnival cabin. Additionally, there are dual-zone climate controls, a high-grade leather-trimmed wheel and shifter, clever and fairly believable metallic trim inlay work, and a wonderful diversity of applied materials.
Given the specialized row-two ceiling-mounted adjustment panels, it is actually more accurate to refer to the climate control as multi-zone. Overall, despite being at the lower end of the model range, there is a rather quality feel.
The seating is the sole obvious example of cost-consciousness. The bases of the front pews could be a little bit longer and there could be a tiny bit more height adjustment. The front pews are totally mechanical and are covered in quite rudimentary, if not uninviting, fabric.
Additionally, the seat contours are passable rather than exceptional. Nevertheless, there is a significant amount of wheel height and reach adjustment, and the outside visibility is so wide that it is simple to feel at ease.
Three USB outlets, a sizable console bin, and respectable-sized bottle holders in the doors are among the amenities found inside the cabin. Large families can travel with their permanent oddments in it, and there is plenty of convenient storage for lengthy journeys.
Row 2 is really astute. Via seat rail functionality, there is a significant amount of fore-and-aft seat adjustment. Each position may be adjusted to the user’s preference, and if considered as a five-seater, there is a significant amount of legroom.
To avoid awkward wire tangling, the front seats include USB ports on the inside borders, a 12-volt connector in the middle, and two convenient cupholders behind the arm rest.
Entry is simple through the sliding doors, and the middle seat can fold up to make a useful table that is probably best used when the Carnival is stationary.
Dual cupholders are included in row three, and all seatbacks can be folded flat if the Carnival needs to be used as a substitute delivery van to move large pieces of furniture. If necessary, you can even completely remove the middle seat section.
The third row of the Carnival offers appropriate adult-oriented seating, in contrast to the majority of seven-seat SUVs. Although the middle row’s sliding/tilting mechanism does allow occupants to adjust for ample legroom across all seating to accommodate the majority of fully occupied circumstances most of the time, there isn’t the same level of room-tuneable comfort as row two. Third-row passengers must share a single 12-volt connector, and USB device power is not available.
It’s convenient that the third row’s 60:40 split folds to make a completely flat (and low) luggage space floor, and it does so swiftly and easily. The claimed boot space, even with all seats in use, is a massive 627 liters (VDA), and a remarkable array of seat adjustment and folding/stowing frees up, in turn, an absolutely enormous 2785 liters. A space-saving spare is mounted beneath row two’s floor.
It is extremely versatile and well-packaged with the objective of maximizing passenger comfort. And as we see, that also affects how the Carnival operates while traveling by road.
Whats under the bonnet?
As previously stated, the entire Carnival lineup is available with either the diesel engine tested here or the gasoline power.
The engine is a 2.2-liter oiler with four cylinders that produces 148kW and 440Nm at 3800 rpm (1750-2750rpm). In Australia, the front wheels are driven by a standard eight-speed automatic transmission in all variations.
The 3.5-liter V6 petrol, which is more powerful at 216kW (at a dizzying 6000 RPM), offers less peak torque than the diesel (355Nm), and its peak torque also happens at a much lower-useful 5000rpm. Because of this, the diesel’s low-down grunt is far more suited to regularly moving the Carnival’s 2134 kg around the suburbs.
According to the oilers, the diesel’s combined cycle fuel consumption is only rated at 6.5L/100km, which is very low for a rig of this size. During our week of testing, which included a variety of urban and interurban travel, we saw an indicated 7.6L/100km.
How does the Kia Carnival Si Diesel drive?
I don’t operate that vehicle! My better half, who is accustomed to a manual Mark V Golf GTI with rock-hard suspension, made the statement. You’ll like, I immediately retorted. It’s challenging to decide where to start because of the abundance of factors.
Consider parking. Although there is a sense of inside spaciousness, there is excellent outward visibility, and the camera and sensor system is rather useful.
If the size of Carnival finally puts you off, you might be pleasantly delighted during the first test drive. As opposed to what you may think, the huge Kia is much kinder in confined situations like narrow inner-city lanes.
It doesn’t have a van or bus-like driving style. No, even without woolliness and with more of a gloss of a car-like connection, its underpinnings perform in a very SUV-like manner. It is firmly planted, very obedient, and simple to handle.
On the move, the Carnival really shines. The locally-tuned suspensions’ ride quality, which is pleasantly padded while maintaining composure and chassis control, is a contributing factor.
There is, however, more to it than that. The suspension is so quiet that there is hardly any tyre or background noise. It separates the worst road rash from entering the cabin to an extent that surpasses certain high-end European SUVs.
The diesel engine comes next. It is a quiet cruiser that resists breaking a sweat or developing the dreaded clatter under heavy acceleration thanks to its polished and refined character. If dual-cab utes are the only diesel fours you’ve ever driven, be ready to be amazed.
Although it’s not a rocket ship, the diesel engine has enough torque to keep the enormous eight-seat rig quiet and respectable in the range of tasks it should be able to handle. This vehicle has a truly luxurious cruising style that makes it the ideal long- or short-hauler thanks to its strong torque and unflustered demeanor, which combine wonderfully with the supportive ride.
The torque convertor transmission in this vehicle actually does fit the bill admirably, even though the related Sorento (and Hyundai Santa Fe) fit fairly decent eight-speed dual-clutch vehicles. The powertrain overall remains sharp and submissive enough to not need for drive mode-fiddling tomfoolery. It shifts smoothly, picking up the oilers narrow-rpm sweet spot very nicely.
Even the driver assistance systems, which in some Korean-made vehicles can have inconsistent and intrusive calibration, struck a mix between helpful proactiveness and appealing transparency.
The lane-keeping and following suite act at a threshold that is high enough to prevent obtrusive intervention at reduced urban speeds and to make useful allies on open roads. Similar to this, in fairly busy highway traffic, adaptive cruise control is not prone to excessive caution or concertina effect.
Overall, the Carnival is a very wonderful, very enjoyable location to spend time in a car, whether you’re going to school quickly or taking in a lengthy stretch of open Australian highway.
How much does the Kia Carnival Si Diesel cost to run?
The seven-year, unlimited-mile warranty and capped-price servicing offered by Kia are still attractive features of ownership.
Additionally, if it continues to be serviced by a Kia authorized dealer, there is up to eight years of roadside support.
Every 12 months or 15,000 kilometers, maintenance is required. You’ll pay $349, $610, $423, $798, $393, $777, and $417 for the first seven trips in a diesel Carnival, which will last seven years and travel 105,000 kilometers. It costs $3767 in total.
CarExperts Take on the Kia Carnival Si Diesel
Impressive in some way. The Carnival Si not only appears to concentrate on providing its finest in the appropriate areas, but as a whole it presents as an all-around high-quality machine and then grounds its pitch with an extraordinarily good on-road experience.
Does it suffice as an SUV replacement? It is superior to that. Without at least shortlisting a Carnival, in whichever version your budget allows, I wouldn’t advise spending your hard-earned money on any seven-seater.
I couldn’t agree more when it comes to the Si Diesel, which is the value pick of the litter according to our analysis of the base S. The extra $5700 (on-road) outlay demanded for the extras pays off in the appropriate places and truly cements the Sis premium gloss.