New Kia Carnival specs revealed

Kia Australia has revealed full local details of the fourth-generation 2021 Kia Carnival, which lands in dealerships this week priced from $46,880 plus on-road costs.

With prices topping out at $66,680 plus ORCs, the redesigned eight-seater people-mover boasts more technology, class-leading features and a more futuristic look.

As reported earlier this week, prices for the 2021 Kia Carnival have risen between $3190 and $3690 over the previous model, reflecting the substantial increase in equipment for the bigger and more sophisticated new model.

The Carnival also features a new 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine (216kW/355Nm) that replaces the previous 3.3-litre unit (206kW/336Nm), and while there is no substantial change in output to the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (148kW/440Nm), it benefits from a raft of improvements including a lighter aluminium block (previously cast-iron).

On a combined economy cycle, Kia claims the more powerful and fuel-efficient petrol engine sips 9.6L/100km – down from 10.8L/100km on the 3.3 – while the turbo-diesel is said to use just 6.5L/100km, a significant reduction of 1.1L/100km.

Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, sending power to the front wheels, while the familiar four-grade line-up – S, Si, SLi and Platinum – is offered with either powertrain.

Not only is it larger in life, but it’s bigger on the outside, too. Sharing the same N3 underpinnings as the new Kia Sorento seven-seat SUV, the Carnival now measures 5155mm long (+40mm), 1995mm wide (+10mm) and 1775mm high (+20mm), and gets a 30mm-longer wheelbase, now at 3090mm.

This translates to more room inside the cabin, especially for passengers sitting in the third row where legroom has been given a generous increase of 21mm. Headroom is better all round (up to 29mm increase), even in top-spec variants fitted with the dual sunroof.

Boot space is also on the up. With all eight seats occupied, the Carnival can hold 1139 litres. Folding the third row’s ‘sinking’ seats increases that volume to an impressive 2461L.

Kia says not only will passengers benefit from more space, but a quieter cabin environment too, thanks to the use of more sound-absorbing and insulating materials in the Carnival’s chassis, improving noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels.

Other improvements include a specific suspension tune for Aussie roads, which includes revised geometry front and rear, as well as a new motor-driven steering rack (replacing the hydraulic system in the previous generation Carnival) that’s said to be more responsive than before.

A host of driver assistance and safety features come standard on 2021 Kia Carnival, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, high beam assist and adaptive cruise control.

Segment-first technology found in the 2021 Kia Carnival includes AEB with junction assist when turning across oncoming traffic, driver attention warning, multi collision braking, intelligent speed assist and speed limit function.

Another segment-leading feature, available only on SLi and Platinum variants, is Safe Exit Assist, which prevents children or other occupants opening doors and exiting the cabin when traffic is approaching.

Also on board is rear cross traffic collision avoidance, which automatically brakes the vehicle if another car is approaching when you are reversing.

Rear Occupant Alert (ROA), which debuted on the latest Kia Sorento, is reserved for top-spec Platinum variants, reminding the driver to check the rear seats before exiting the vehicle, as well as setting off the vehicle alarm if movement is detected in the vehicle once it has been exited and locked.

Standard equipment on entry-grade Carnival S models includes 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, LED daytime running lights, tinted windows and an 8.0-inch infotainment unit with wireless smartphone mirroring.

There’s also a total of 13 cup/bottle holders and four phone holders throughout the cabin, as well as a new reversible seat in the second row.

The middle row’s centre seat can be swivelled to become a fully-functioning rearward-facing seat, however Kia Australia says it doesn’t recommend using the seat in the rearward position whilst driving, as it has only been homologated for use in the forward-facing position.

It’s still a cool party trick, though.

Moving into the second-tier Si, equipment extends to larger 18-inch alloy wheels, LED tail-lights, a bigger 12.3-inch infotainment unit, front dual-zone climate control (single-zone for rear), front parking sensors, a leather-clad steering wheel and electric folding mirrors.

The Carnival SLi brings even more: LED fog lights, aerodynamic wiper blades, solar front glass, smart key with push-button start, leather-appointed seats, a 360-degree camera, powered seats with memory for the driver, auto up/down windows all round and an electro-chromatic mirror.

Opting for the range-topping Platinum brings all the bells and whistles.

Carnival Platinum variants come standard with larger gloss black 19-inch alloy wheels, dual LED headlights, exterior chrome garnishes on the bumper, skid plates and door handles and a neat shift-by-wire rotary dial gear selector.

Inside, the Platinum grade brings a 12-speaker Bose sound system, dual tilt/slide sunroof, transmission shift paddles, a wireless phone charging pad, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, lumbar support for the driver, heating for the outer second row seats, sunshades for second and third row windows and a luggage net.

Interior door trims come with illuminated 3D garnishes, while interior lighting is LED and personalised driver profiles can be created to save important info for multiple drivers.

Other nifty tech includes passenger talk, which uses a microphone to send the driver’s voice to the rear speakers (so no more yelling), as well as a quiet mode that switches off music in the rear and plays only through the front speakers (so you don’t wake the children).

Top-spec models also come extra USB ports (including two in the third row) and a 12-volt socket in the boot and another in the centre console.

Like all Kia models sold in Australia, the 2021 Kia Carnival comes with the brand’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

According to Kia Australia, COVID-19 travel restrictions have impacted locally-delivered Carnival models in several ways.

These includes temporarily adopting an overseas steering tune and fewer local iterations to the suspension tune.

At launch, Aussie-delivered Carnivals also miss out on things such as automatic wipers and the dual 12.3-inch digital display unit seen on overseas examples.

While our models use the large 12.3-inch infotainment unit for the central display (in top-spec grades) and an 8.0-inch unit for base-spec S variants, the driver’s instrument cluster on the 2021 Kia Carnival has a smaller 4.2-inch display.

The new people-mover also misses out on wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the entire Carnival range. While all variants come with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, only the system in entry-level S variants can be used wirelessly.

Kia Australia says these features will eventually be part of a future update for the Carnival.

How much does the 2021 Kia Carnival cost?
S Petrol – $46,880 (+$3690) – $50,390 drive-away
Si Petrol – $52,380 (+$3690) – $55,790 drive-away
SLi Petrol – $56,880 (+$3690) – $60,290 drive-away
Platinum Petrol – $64,680 (+$3690) – $67,990 drive-away

S Diesel – $48,880 (+$3190) – $52,390 drive-away
Si Diesel – $54,380 (+$3190) – $57,790 drive-away
SLi Diesel – $58,880 (+$3190) – $62,290 drive-away
Platinum Diesel – $66,680 (+$3190) – $69,990 drive-away