Big and functional the all-new Kia Carnival is a seven-seat MPV that if judged on square footage alone represents very good value for money.
At 4.81 metres long and 1.985 metres wide this vehicle is stateside in proportion and a good bit bigger than the Carens, Kia's other seven-seater.
Carnival is ideal for die hard ‘school-runners’. The exterior is classic mini-van and quite conventional looking. Clearly an improvement on the less than pretty Sedona it replaces, it still won’t win any styling awards. The Sedona name lives on in the UK by the way. Carnival is a slow grower and in time you’ll come to appreciate the strong side hip-line and solid rear-end look.
The best feature is the sliding centre doors that in my test car are powered. A slight tug on the handle is all that’s required to fire up the motors or a simple press of a key fob button will open either side door too. Large MPVs need sliding doors to make loading of kids and passengers easier and sadly at the moment only a few cars offer this very functional feature e.g. Chrysler’s Voyager or the C8/807/Ulysse trilogy.
Inside the cabin there are seven full-sized seats and all are fully adjustable. The centre row tumble out of the way with the pull of a short fabric loop. With most large MPVs the rear two seats often need to be removed and in the big Korean the job is easy enough, although they are heavy yokes. Putting the seats back in requires patience and a bit of manual dexterity as the mechanism is tricky enough despite graphic illustrations on the seats of the procedure.
Two trim levels are offered; EX is the entry level model but it is very well equipped, while GSE is the top specification. Airbags abound as the Carnival features front, side and curtain airbags and active head front restraints on the GSE.
Carnival, like most big MPVs, has ventilation controls for the front and rear of the cabin and drivers will be pleased to know that the rear controls can also be operated from the front seats.
Power comes in diesel form for Ireland. There is a V6 2.7 litre petrol available by special order only but here it makes little or no sense. The 2.9 litre turbo diesel delivers 182bhp and a good deal of grunt (343nm of torque). The Carnival can efficiently shift its weight when loaded.
You can choose between a manual or automatic gearbox and both have five forward gears. Big engine equals big thirst, right? Fuel consumption is so-so, my test car’s average is quoted at 31.4mpg in old money or 9 litres of diesel is required to travel 100km with 23mpg quoted for city use.
On the go the Carnival is comfortable and there are no major surprises when cornering as the car will lean but no more than your average large MPV. The automatic gearbox is a little dozy and in time you’ll learn to press the accelerator pedal a good two seconds before you need the power.
Carnival is big, comfortable and affordable with prices starting at €34,995. The big 2.9 litre engine will however cost a hefty €1,109 in tax annually! Otherwise Carnival is a decent enough effort.
Michael Sheridan
