The term “SUV” stands for sports utility vehicle. It resembles a station wagon but has a rougher appearance and an off-road driving design.
SUVs, or sports utility vehicles, are vehicles with an off-road-friendly design and a tougher appearance than minivans or station wagons.
SUV is sometimes used in place of RVs, which is how it is frequently classified.
Along with the new compact SUV, Stonic, the Sorento and Sportage are recognizable SUVs from Kia.
Multi-Purpose Vehicle, or MPV for short, is also known as a minivan. An MPV has a roomy interior with enough for many passengers. The Kia Carnival/Sedona is the best-represented MPV from the RV category, which also includes MPVs.
Crossover Utility Vehicles, or CUVs, are a cross between a family-sized sedan and a true SUV. This effectively combines the benefits of a sedan, minivan, and SUV.
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How do you define Kia MPV?
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The new 2022 Carnival is not what Kia wants you to call a minivan. In fact, the word “minivan” is completely absent from any of Carnival’s marketing materials, including the seven-page press statement Kia sent to announce its launch.
Instead, Kia refers to the Carnival as a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) and emphasizes how it has broken free from the minivan stereotype and moved inexorably toward the SUV category with its square jaw and tough appearance. Last year, when the Carnival’s first photographs surfaced, Kia was using the term “Grand Utility Vehicle” (GUV).
Despite attempts to disassociate it even from the “minivan name,” the 2022 Carnival still has the distinctive dual sliding rear doors that give minivans their versatility. In the manufacturer’s portfolio, it also directly replaces the Sedona minivan.
Since the Sedona has been its international label for more than 20 years, the Carnival name isn’t wholly new. However, the 2022 Kia Carnival signifies much more than just a rebranded global brand and a sporty new exterior for an outdated minivan.
To begin with, it was totally created at Kia’s California studio, the same location where the well-liked Telluride and handsome new 2021 Sorento SUVs were created. A striking rendition of Kia’s “tiger nose grille” and a body with sharp, dramatic lines running from the hood to the taillamps are two examples of this. The first vehicle to bear the new Kia emblem that is headed for the United States is the 2022 Kia Carnival MPV.
The Carnival is built on Kia’s third-generation K3 platform, which also supports the company’s new Sorento and K5 sedan and was created to fit in with the company’s most recent initiatives. Kia claims the new architecture is stronger, quieter, lighter, and more aerodynamically efficient than the previous one.
The only available powerplant is a 3.5-liter V6 with an eight-speed automated transmission and front-wheel drive, producing 290 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. In compared to the 3.3-liter V6 found in the outgoing 2021 Sedona, those figures show gains of 14 horsepower and 14 pound-feet of torque. The Carnival only has front-wheel drive at the moment. The maximum towing weight is still 3500 pounds.
The interior is the newest iteration of Kia’s quickly changing design language. The dashboard, console, and cabin are all covered in glossy black and chrome accents. Slim air vents almost completely blend into the dash’s design line. Kia is offering three different interior color schemes, but they are only the black and burnt orange/tan combination featured in the images.
The seating arrangements for seven or eight passengers are where the true innovation lies. The eight-seater variant has a movable second-row center seat, which, when moved all the way forward, makes it simple for the front passenger to reach objects or care for a child. Additionally, the seat can be used as a table.
When you upgrade to the seven-passenger seating arrangement, two captain’s chairs are used in place of the second-row bench. Moving upmarket, the seating choice with the suitable moniker VIP Lounge offers heated and ventilated reclining seats with wing-out headrests and leg extensionsof course, they are powered.
The second-row seats, with the exception of the VIP Lounge seating, are removable to add even more space, while the third-row folds into the floor for maximum load capacity. Speaking of room, Kia boasts a 145.1 cubic feet best-in-class cargo capacity behind the front seats. The Carnival has 3.1 feet more cargo capacity than the Sedona’s 142, despite the fact that we are unable to substantiate the claim that it is the class leader.
LX, EX, SX, and SX-Prestige will be the four trim levels available when the Carnival makes its debut. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen and hands-free power sliding doors are included as standard features.
Up to nine USB connections for all three rows, two 110-volt power inverters, a power liftgate, one-touch key fob capabilities for the side doors and rear tailgate, Bose premium audio, and other goodies are all available.
Children in the back seat can be monitored using a passenger-view camera with zoom and night vision, and front and rear passengers can easily communicate using the intercom system. The EX, SX, and SX-Prestige trims all come standard with Passenger Voice Recognition, which enables passengers in the second row to operate a number of vehicle systems using voice commands after initially pressing a button.
A complete array of security and assistance features is offered by Kia’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). All of the following come as standard: lane departure warning with lane-keeping aid, automatic high beams, blind-spot detection with avoidance assistance, rear cross-traffic warning with brake active parking assistance, and front collision warning with automated emergency braking.
There are many more safety and assistance features available as options, such as Navigation Based Smart Cruise Control-Curve (NSCC-C), which enables the navigation system to reduce the vehicle’s speed proactively before approaching curves in the road. In order to prevent or lessen an impact, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist-Cyclist assists in spotting cyclists and applies automated braking. Using data from the navigation system, Highway Driving Assist modifies the speed and distance between the leading car on federal highways.
It is also possible to purchase Kia’s complex UVO link telematics system, which integrates the functionality of several car functions. Utilizing connected weather and real-time maps, a new cloud-based route computation system leverages the UVO cloud to determine the best path.
The vehicle’s climate, seat and steering wheel heating, audio system, and other features may all be controlled using the speech thanks to an improved UVO voice assistance technology. Additionally, it enables users to remotely control some tasks via a smart speaker or device equipped with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
Minivans have long been unfairly maligned as suburban shuttles, yet the species endures because few other cars, SUVs included, can offer a comparable amount of room and affordability.
The new Carnival is Kia’s attempt to dispel the myth that family vehicles are essentially androgenous pods where enthusiast interest in cars withers. Simply avoid referring to the Carnival as a minivan.
The second quarter of 2021 is when the 2022 Kia Carnival is expected to arrive in dealer showrooms. Pricing information will be released nearer the time of sale.
What distinguishes an MPV from an SUV?
SUVs normally use all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, while some family versions do offer rear-wheel drive. However, front-wheel drive is often an option on MPVs, making them inappropriate for rough terrain.
The Kia MPV is it a van?
In actuality, Kia’s 2022 Kia Carnival is a cutting-edge minivan dressed as an SUV, despite the company’s claims that it is a multipurpose vehicle. The spacious third-row seating, which so many SUVs lack, and the traditional sliding side door are what identify it as a minivan. Additionally, the Carnival only has front-wheel drive while the majority of SUVs have all-wheel drive.
Nevertheless, the Kia Carnival is a fantastic people mover that can accommodate up to eight passengers comfortably. Additionally, each model is loaded with cutting-edge driver aid safety features and technology. When parents pull up to drop off a group of kids and their equipment at the sports field, its sleeker-than-most-minivan design might even help them avoid the outdated soccer mom and dad reputation.
The second row of the top-of-the-line Kia Carnival Prestige SX boasts seats that resemble those in business class; they are the most comfortable way to travel in any car under $50,000. The fit and finish of the cockpit is also on par with the level of luxury found inside high-end automobiles from manufacturers like Audi, BMW, and Lexus. More importantly, even the cheapest Carnival has a comprehensive selection of safety technology. It satisfies every requirement that the recently retired Kia Sedona minivan could not quite meet.
The Chrysler Pacifica, the minivan segment’s current best-selling vehicle with sales accounting for 40% of the segment through April 2021, will be closely followed by the 2022 Kia Carnival. The Toyota Sienna (32%) and Honda Odyssey follow in its wake (24 percent ). Since buyers abandoned the market in favor of SUVs five years ago, every top-selling minivan has undergone a redesign to stay competitive. But together, their sales have decreased from 1.1 million in 2005 to slightly over 270,000 in 2020.
What does MVP in the Kia Carnival mean?
Now, when it comes to small, er, multi-use cars, it’s more important for them to be comfortable than they are to perform well. No of the condition of the road, the Carnival was incredibly comfortable to drive.
The Carnival’s 3.5L V6 engine generates a respectable 290 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. This is ideal for a multipurpose vehicle and just where it ought to be. It seems powerful enough for every circumstance without being so horribly thirsty that stopping at the gas station is a terrible ordeal.
In fact, during our week with it, we were pleasantly pleased by how frugal it was with fuel consumption. After a full week of driving that was a nice mix of highway and suburban stop-and-go, we arrived at a final fuel rating of 10.1L/100km. That’s more than adequate for such a massive car with a rather powerful engine.
Although Normal, Eco, Smart, and Sport are the possible drive modes, it’s better to just leave it in Normal and let it do its thing. Moreover, if you’re curious about what that Smart mode is: Basically, the KIA tracks your driving behavior and modifies the car’s output and performance according on your normal driving routines (more highway, more stop-and-go, etc.).
A SUV or an MPV is better, right?
This assertion seems to be supported by statistical evidence. In favor of a true, high-riding SUV, we’ve come to avoid the clapped-out hatchback and the roof-railed estate, moving from crossover hatchbacks to small crossovers to full-sized seven-seater SUVs. Starting with models like the Maruti Suzuki SPresso and progressing up the sector ladder to include Nissan Magnite, Hyundai Venue, Hyundai Creta, Tata Hector, etc., every brand offers an SUV-type crossover in every segment. Nine of the top 25 selling models of automobiles in India in February 2021 were SUVs, while just three were MPVs.
While not as common as the constantly changing SUV, more MPVs are now sold in the nation than there were ten years ago. However, while models like the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Renault Triber, and Toyota Innova Crysta continue to produce strong numbers and suggest year-over-year (YOY) growth, the figure simmers down to triple digits by the time we reach high-end products like the Carnival or the significantly more expensive Toyota Vellfire. Ertiga sold 9,774 models in February ’21, while Toyota sold 6,081 Innova Crystas.
Given their absence from various sectors and the fact that many companies, such Tata Motors, Hyundai, Skoda, Nissan, or Ford, do not now provide an MPV, MPVs appear weaker in a segment-by-segment examination (Hyundai is expected to launch the 7-seater Staria in the near future). The Nissan Evalia and the Renault Lodgy, for example, did not do well and were discontinued.
Due to their roomy interiors, which frequently resemble living rooms, MPVs are preferable than SUVs given the lengthy amounts of time people spend stuck in traffic.
The future of MPVs as a favored mode of transportation is very promising. The SUV and MPV segments are the only ones that have grown this year, according to a sales report from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). They are, therefore, unquestionably, the second most popular vehicle category, albeit by a wide margin.
We’ll start there since the high-end luxury market is where the more perplexing sales discrepancy might be seen. The Mercedes-Benz V-Class is now the priciest MPV offered for sale in India; the top-end Marco Polo variant costs Rs. 1.46 crore (ex-showroom). The range-topping Kia Carnival (Rs 33.95 lakh, ex-showroom) follows the Toyota Vellfire with a price of Rs 87 lakh (ex-showroom), leaving a huge chasm behind them that has yet to be filled. The room and utility the MPV offers are largely seen as luxuries rather than necessities, which in the luxury spectrum doesn’t influence a purchase, which is one of the reasons. The luxury hatchback has been retired by all European automakers for the same reason. Because they don’t represent the same things that SUVs dopower, domination, and upward socioeconomic mobility.
The sheer number of models offered in the portfolios of top luxury companies amply demonstrates the SUVs worth as social currency. Currently, Mercedes-Benz sells eight models, with the Mercedes-Maybach GLS, the company’s flagship model, on the horizon. Without including the M versions, BMW sells six. No MPV has been introduced by either BMW or Audi, which is currently selling three variants.
Of course, having off-road capability has obvious technical benefits, and most high-end SUVs come equipped with all-wheel drive. However, very few contemporary “soft-roaders” are vulnerable to significant off-roading, with the exception of SUVs that specialize in off-roading, like the Jeep Wrangler or the Land Rover Defender. In fact, the majority of them, including the brand-new Defender, are now created with on-road dynamism in mind.
Due to a sloping roofline or big wheel wells taking up space, the majority of third row seats offered by SUVs are confined. MPVs are significantly superior for extended families.
The Innova’s popularity persists as prices drop, defying the SUV-dominant norm. However, despite being a fantastic product, the Innova continues to be the market leader because it doesn’t have any direct rivals. The Toyota Innova is alone in the absence of top-tier variants like the Ford Transit and the Skoda Enyaq. Prior to the arrival of the Maruti Suzuki XL6 and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, various segments are devoid of MPVs due to the discontinuation of models like the Honda BR-V and Mahindra Marazzo.
The MPV offers a number of extremely unique advantages for driving conditions in India. Given the lengthy periods of time people spend stuck in traffic, MPVs are preferable than SUVs due to their roomy, frequently lounge-like interiors. Families with children also enjoy it, especially if the middle row has captain chairs available, due to the enormous amount of space the MPV provides. SUV third-row seats typically have limited legroom because of sloping rooflines or big wheel wells that take up space that would otherwise be used by passengers. Because of this, MPVs are more better for extended families.
Their family MPV outperforms the SUV in terms of raw utility if off-road capability is taken into account since it has just enough size, power, and ground clearance to function more efficiently as a daily driver. Given the much shorter overhangs of the minivan, MPVs also provide the driver with a superior perspective of the road. In actuality, the majority of crossovers are four-wheel drive (FWD), lack a third row, and have limited off-road capabilities. The majority of the world’s best-selling MPVs have safety ratings that are on par with similarly priced SUVs. The MPV or Minivan, like the modest hatchback, seems to have a perception issue that, once resolved, would slide open the doors to real urban automotive happiness.
For more than seven years, Parth Charan, a writer living in Mumbai, has written extensively about automobiles.