2024 Kia Carnival: Australian pricing and specifications

The facelifted 2024 Kia Carnival has finally arrived in Australia, but if you want to buy the new-look eight-seat people-mover you’ll have to wait a while for delivery.

That’s the word from Kia Australia, which confirmed delivery wait times of up to three months for the upgraded version of Australia’s top-selling people-mover as it seeks to fulfil 2000 back-orders and an expected uptick in demand as the new model launches here.

Despite higher prices for the 2024 Kia Carnival, which increase by almost $5000 for top-spec GT Line variants, Kia Australia expects to sell around 800 vehicles a month or close to 10,000 examples in 2024.

The Kia Carnival accounts for more than 80 per cent of Australia’s mainstream (sub-$70,000) people-mover market segment, dominating rivals such as the LDV Mifa and Hyundai Staria.

For MY24, five model grades are on offer – S, Sport, Sport+, GT Line Lite and GT Line – with unchanged petrol V6 (216kW/355Nm) or four-cylinder turbo-diesel (148kW/440Nm) engines available across the range.

In addition, an all-new plugless hybrid powertrain joins the range, comprising a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, a 1kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor outputting a total of 180kW/366Nm.

But it is only available in the top-spec GT Line and it’s priced at $76,210 plus on-road costs, meaning it’ll be an $80K outlay to get it on the road.

All Carnivals remain front-wheel drive, the hybrid channelling its power via six-speed automatic transmission and the petrol V6 and turbo-diesel engines employing an eight-speed auto.

The facelifted 2024 Kia Carnival brings a fresh new look via redesigned front- and rear-ends comprising LED headlights and tail-lights, along with improved equipment levels and a new suspension set-up calibrated in Australia – something the pre-facelifted model missed out on.

The so-called GUV, or grand utility vehicle, gets several big-ticket upgrades over its predecessor, including push-button start and remote engine start (from the key fob or the Kia Connect app), an upgraded eight-speaker surround-sound stereo and a 12.3-inch central touch-screen with over-the-air (OTA) software updates as standard across the range.

All variants also have a fully digital instrument cluster now, with entry-level S and Sport grades getting a 4.0-inch central trip computer flanked by a Casio watch-like digital speedometer and tachometer.

Rear occupant alert and a front central airbag are also now standard across the range, while carryover items include eight seats, roof rails, alloy wheels and five USB-C ports for all vehicles.

Kia Carnival Sport variants add a wireless phone charger, synthetic leather seat trim and highway driving assist, while Sport+ grades start getting fancy by adding BMW-like twin 12.3-inch digital screens with blind-spot camera feeds, a wireless phone charger and in-built sat-nav as standard.

Eight-way power-adjustable front seats also come to Sport+ models, along with rain-sensing wipers, tinted windows, a 360-degree parking camera, heated front and rear seats, auto up/down windows and, crucially, power-operated sliding side doors and a powered tailgate.

GT-Line Lite variants add twin sunroofs, while the top-of-tree GT-Line gets an 11-inch head-up display, heated and cooled front seats, a 12-speaker Bose stereo and, for the first time on a Carnival in Australia, a switchable digital interior mirror.

The Kia Carnival has dominated people-mover sales for more than a decade in Australia, accounting for around four out of five sales in the segment.

The sales split is roughly 50:50 between private and fleet (rental, government, business) buyers and Kia expects plenty of customer interest for mid- and high-spec grades.

Since the current fourth-generation Carnival launched in Australia in 2021, the sales split for engine types has favoured the diesel engine and currently sits at around 90 per cent for the turbo-diesel and only 10 per cent for the petrol.

Nevertheless, Kia Australia says it won’t axe the 3.5-litre petrol V6 despite slow sales.

Kia says the new petrol-electric hybrid is generating plenty of buyer interest but will be extremely limited, with only around 60-70 units coming to Australia per month.

Supply is low because around 70 per cent of Carnival sales in South Korea are for the hybrid model and another major market – North America – also heavily favours the hybrid.

However, the company said impending federal emissions regulations (NVES) could eventually see the hybrid powertrain offered across more affordable variants and not just the GT-Line flagship.

There’s no plug-in hybrid powertrain available for the butch-looking new family-hauler yet, but Kia refused to rule it out in future.

The facelifted 2024 Kia Carnival is backed by the Korean brand’s seven-year warranty and capped-price service plan, which costs around $500 per service per year. All Carnival models have 12-month or 15,000km service intervals except the new hybrid versions, which drop to 10,000km.

“The Kia Carnival remains the gold standard for People Movers, consistently holding its position as segment leader for several years and achieving a segment share of up to 87 per cent,” said Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith.

“The latest update to Carnival sees it go from strength to strength with specification additions that enhance not only its safety and practicality credentials, but its driveway appeal too.”

Head across to our reviews section to read our verdict on the updated Kia Carnival.

How much does the 2024 Kia Carnival cost?
S – $50,150 (+$2670)
S CRDi – $52,380 (+$2900)
Sport – $56,050 (+$3070)
Sport CRDi – $58,280 (+$3300)
Sport+ – $62,380 (+$4600)
Sport+ CRDi – $64,610 (+$4830)
GT-Line Lite – $66,350 (+$5160)
GT-Line Lite CRDi – $68,580 (+$5390)
GT-Line – $70,680 (+$5100)
GT-Line CRDi – $72,910 (+$5330)
GT-Line Hybrid – $76,210 (new)
* Prices exclude on-road costs

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