Overview
KIA Australia may have completed nothing to the Carnival and it might have continued to be the dominant participant within the people-mover phase – however that’s not how issues work.
As a substitute, the up to date Carnival has seen a fairly large revamp for 2025 and past, with a raft of added expertise, security equipment, and a revised suspension and steering tune that wasn’t potential for the model to instil in its massive household bus first time round attributable to COVID-19 restrictions.
What hasn’t modified – no less than at launch – is the powertrain vary, with the selection of a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 148kW and 440Nm, an eight-speed auto and front-wheel drive; or a 3.5-litre petrol V6 with 216kW/355Nm, additionally with an eight-speeder and FWD.
There’s a petrol-electric hybrid mannequin coming, however initially it would solely be supplied within the top-spec GT-Line grade, and it’ll be the most costly Kia Carnival ever.
The vary itself has seen value adjustments and identify changes as properly.
The bottom mannequin S begins from $50,150 for the V6 petrol and the diesel is from $52,380 (all costs listed are unique of on-road prices), whereas the newly named Sport grade provides $5900 (petrol $56,050; diesel $58,280), whereas the mid-spec Sport+, which occurs to be this correspondent’s decide of the vary, is $62,380 for the petrol and $64,610 for the diesel.
On the high there are two GT-Line grades, with the GT-Line Lite itemizing at $66,350 (petrol) or $68,580 (diesel), and much more feature-rich GT-Line flagship topping seventy grand (petrol $70,680; diesel $72,910).
The GT-Line HEV hybrid model prices a whopping $76,210.
The cabin has seen adjustments, with a brand new 12.3-inch touchscreen media system with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as customary, whereas the dashboard on S and Sport fashions contains a 4.0-inch digital information display screen and a pair of digital readouts for pace and revs.
Grades above that achieve a 12.3-inch driver information show with Blind Spot View Monitor, and it’s a much more cohesive cabin look in consequence.
These corresponding grades – Sport+, GT-Line Lite and GT-Line – additionally get an electrical tailgate and electrical facet sliding doorways, each of which make parenting a bit simpler. All grades have eight seats; fabric trimmed within the S, and fake-leather completed in all others. That’s proper, even the GT-Line misses out on precise leather-based.
Nevertheless, the GT-Line mannequin does have some options to lure patrons in, similar to a twin sunroof format, head-up show, and the model’s Distant Good Parking system that may begin, reverse or drive the automobile right into a parking house utilizing simply the important thing fob. On the subject of keys, all fashions now have keyless entry and push-button begin.
There’s ample unfastened merchandise storage in all rows, and the second row options individually sliding seats, the center of which might be eliminated or reversed. Even so, these three spots, and two on the very again, have ISOFIX factors and top-tethers, which additional pushes this into ‘severely family-focused’ territory.
There are directional ceiling-mounted vents for all grades, and curtain airbags that cowl all three rows, too – in addition to a brand new front-centre airbag that has been added for all fashions (along with twin entrance, driver’s knee, entrance facet, and people curtains).
Boot house is 627 litres with all three rows of seats in use, and 2827 litres with the again row folded down into the sunken storage maintain. That’s phenomenally good and made even higher once you realise that each one grades nonetheless get a short lived spare wheel (fitted below the physique of the automobile behind the motive force’s seat).
There are different added security goodies, together with AEB with pedestrian, bike owner and junction detection, lane-keeping tech, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and all fashions have entrance and rear parking sensors and a reversing digicam at a minimal.
Kia has been pressured so as to add its controversial (or perhaps simply plain annoying) pace signal recognition tech (Ed: a requirement in European markets however not but in Australia), which can beep and bong at you each time the pace restrict signal adjustments, or no less than when the system thinks it does.
You may flip it off, however it defaults on at each restart.
Kia backs its vary with a seven-year/limitless kilometre guarantee plan, and should you service with the model’s workshops you stand up to eight years of roadside help included, too.
The upkeep intervals are 12 months/15,000km for the V6 and diesel fashions, however a extra needy 12 months/10,000km for the hybrid. The prices, which aren’t confirmed but, are anticipated to be “round $500 per 12 months”, in line with Kia Australia.
Driving Impressions
It’s even higher to drive than it already was.
The Australian arm, overseen by Graeme Gambold, has completed its work to the suspension and steering tune of the Carnival, and it’s a extra refined and cozy drive in consequence.
There are revisions to the entrance and rear suspension for a greater stage of trip consolation for all occupants, to not point out improved physique management that’s designed to offer a “assured flat trip and supported on-road really feel”. It has labored a deal with, making it extra gratifying to drive and sit in as a passenger.
The steering map has been reworked for “correct steering suggestions with a pure effort really feel, weight and response”, and that factor has been nailed too. It’s much less ‘wafty’ on-centre, and adjustments course properly at tempo or once you’re making an attempt to park.
The addition of that Blind Spot View Monitor additionally helps in site visitors, and variations with the surround-view digicam and the rear auto braking system – which needs to be all of them, however as a substitute are solely the variants from Sport+ and up – are prone to be those that can put mother and father’ minds comfy most.
As for the powertrains, properly I don’t suppose I must drive the hybrid to let you know that the diesel will nonetheless be the decide… a) as a result of it’s extra out there; b) as a result of it’s good on this software; c) as a result of it’s cheaper.
However severely, the oil-burner is a deal with on this eight-seat bus, providing an immense quantity of pulling energy when loaded, and a stage and agreeable momentum to proceedings thanks partly to the eight-speed auto. Sure, it’s front-wheel drive solely, however it’s far much less prone to spin its entrance tyres than the peaky V6 petrol is.
Nevertheless, should you’re the form of one that received’t be doing many long-distance journeys, the petrol is perhaps advisable as an choice if solely due to the diesel’s particulate filter, which does require longer drives on a comparatively common foundation.
And to counter that, should you solely do city driving in your V6 Carnival, I pity your pocket, as a result of it’s going to get worn out on the servo. The official mixed cycle gasoline consumption determine for the petrol is 9.6 litres per 100km, however on take a look at in Sydney I noticed a return of 12.0L/100km – together with a heap of open street driving.
The diesel? It claims 6.5L/100km, and over comparable roads I noticed 7.0L/100km.
Irrespective of which mannequin you decide, although, the Carnival stays a terrific choice for many who realise that an SUV isn’t at all times the reply.