Buying a used Kia Carnival (2015-20)

Kia’s Carnival people mover appeared on Australian roads in late 1999 and immediately issued a challenge to the dominant Toyota Tarago. With a V6 engine against the Tarago’s 2.4-litre four, versatile interior layout and automatic transmission all for less than $33,000, the Carnival was a candidate for market leadership.

More than 18,000 were sold during the model’s first five years in Australia, however most were plagued by a design flaw that resulted in overheating and head gasket failures.

From October 2003 an improved and restyled version was introduced, identified by enlarged headlights and a single-bar grille. A new 3.8-litre V6 boosted power to 184kW and cured the overheating issue. Hooked to a five-speed automatic transmission, it delivered improved acceleration with minimal effect on fuel consumption.

Kia’s second-generation Carnival VQ arrived locally in 2006 with V6 petrol or four-cylinder diesel engines, mandatory automatic transmission and front wheel drive. The quality of trim and levels of standard equipment improved, with uprated air-conditioning, a better sound system and ABS braking now standard.

These Carnivals remained available for seven years and were still selling well when replaced in late-2014 by the mildly restyled but technically advanced YP series.

These came with the same 2.2-litre turbo-diesel as earlier versions plus a 206kW 3.3-litre petrol V6. All Carnivals remained front-wheel drive only.

Gen 3s were available until replaced for 2021.

This update introduced a revised turbo-diesel and new 3.5-litre V6 engines. Safety features became more extensive as well, including adaptive cruise control and a Passenger Talk feature which amplified the driver’s voice through sound system speakers to the rear cabin.

A bold new grille and plentiful engineering improvements characterised the third-generation Carnival, which appeared late in 2014 with MY15 compliance plates.

Four versions were sold locally, all available with V6 petrol or 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engines.

Significant features included electric operation on some models of the sliding side doors, uprated LED headlights and alloy wheels on all but the cheapest versions. No full-sized spare though, just an 80km/h temporary wheel.

All Carnivals did include a reversing camera, with a park assist graphic display and rear proximity sensors. Air conditioning outlets were distributed throughout the cabin.

Cheapest of the YP Series Carnivals were S and Si versions which kicked off when new in 2015 at $41,490 (Plus ORC). The cheapest version had cloth seat coverings and a 3.3-litre V6 engine with 206kW. Six-speed automatic transmission was mandatory as were all-wheel disc brakes.

Windows and mirrors were electric, with mirrors heated as well. Diesel power when added to a Carnival cost $2500 more.

Step up to an SLi version and the cost of an entry-level V6 would hit $49,990, with the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel costing $52,490.

Features here included front and rear park sensors, electric operation of the sliding side doors, partial leather seat trimming and dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning. 18-inch diameter alloy wheels now were standard.

Top of the range was the prestigious Carnival Platinum; the ones often seen collecting groups of celebrities from the airport or driving well-known faces away from court appearances.

Platinum versions began in 2015 at $58,490 for the V6 and topped out as a diesel at $60,990. Climbing $8500 in a single leap was significant but obviously not hard to justify given the numbers sold new and now available in the used market.

Opening the electrically operated side doors revealed seats with classy leather coverings; the outer pair in the rear reclining and with electric adjustment for the two up front.

Safety and parking assistance systems were everywhere, including 360-degree camera coverage, lane departure and blind-spot monitoring plus forward collision and rear cross-traffic alert.

With airbags throughout the cabin, lap/sash seat belts and pre-tensioners for all eight occupants, the YP Carnival range might have expected to float through its ANCAP occupant protection tests with a five-star rating. But it didn’t.

Evaluation early in 2015 saw the YP range return only a four-star result, mostly due to poor design of the pedal box and a steering column shroud that could impact the driver’s knee in a crash.

Kia’s engineers reacted quickly and a redesigned version available from December 2015 was rewarded with a five-star outcome that applied to all versions of the Carnival sold after that time.

The year 2018 brought fresh styling and more features but unchanged engines coupled to an improved eight-speed automatic transmission. The pedal-operated parking brake was retired in favour of an electric switch.

Prices were up a marginally, with the entry-level V6 Si now costing $42,490 and a diesel-engined Platinum $62,990.

There were trade-offs though, like the new eight-speaker sound system with its redesigned head-unit giving access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Hands-free tailgate operation also became standard across the range.

Recent versions of the YP Carnival should retain some of Kia’s then class-leading seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and perhaps a capped-price servicing deal too. Jot down the VIN of any Carnival you’re considering and check its status with an authorised Kia dealer or agency.

If you drive a peak-hour bus or outback road train then navigating traffic in one of these won’t be a problem. For the rest of us though, a 2.1m-wide, 5.1m-long Carnival might be daunting.

Mirrors need to be set properly for a start and make sure the camera(s) work. Visibility from the driver’s seat is very good but mirrors are important to detect small vehicles hiding behind the tinted side windows.

The power steering is widely praised for its precision and the turning circle at 11.7 metres is amazing for a vehicle of this size.

In S or Si trim, running on steel rims, the Carnival offers occupants the extra cushioning of big (235mm) baggy 65-profile tyres. The steel rims also resist buckling and other damage that might affect other models’ 18-inch alloys with their 60-series rubber.

Performance from a vehicle of this size and weight isn’t electrifying but not abysmal either. Manually selecting lower gears, especially with the later eight-speed, gets both motors up on their torque peaks and delivering decent acceleration.

Our carsales testers when evaluating the uprated 2018 Carnival noticed improved turn-in accuracy and suspension compliance from diesel versions, but a generally softer feel and diminished refinement on rough surfaces from the V6.

Towing capacity with a braked trailer is 2000kg, which when added to a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of 2875kg puts the Carnival driver in charge of a rig bordering five tonnes.

Calculating fuel consumption for a combination of that weight might need input from NASA’s moon-landing mathematicians, but what we do know is that the V6 under standard test conditions managed to average 10.8L/100km. The diesel did better with 7.6L/100km and 6L/100km on the highway.

If abundant space, easy access and decent seats are on your must-have list when buying multi-person transport, then the Carnival must score a spot on your must-view list.

Those in the front two rows will enjoy a slightly better ride than the ones over the rear wheels but generally a Carnival will float along nicely, even when fully loaded. If you aren’t carrying the full complement of eight people, the middle seat in the centre row can fold into a table with a useful recessed top.

Luggage capacity with all seats in use is a significant 960 litres, with the maximum load area when seats are removed/folded an extraordinary 4022 litres.

Those up the back have access to air-conditioning vents and tinted side glass, plus blinds in the Platinum. Even when paying the top money, however, pre-2018 versions only offer a six-speaker sound system.

Rebook Inspect mobile inspectors can take the guesswork out of buying a car with a comprehensive vehicle inspection.

Used vehicle grading for Kia Carnival (2015-20)
Design & Function: 16/20
Safety: 15/20
Practicality:16/20
Value for Money:15/20
Wow Factor: 11/20
Score: 73/100

Also consider:
Honda Odyssey
Volkswagen Multivan
Toyota Tarago

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