2024 Kia Carnival S V6 review

12/05/2024 08:00 AM

2024 Kia Carnival S

Kia's Carnival has been with us so long that it has replaced the Tarago in our collective hearts. The Carnival is synonymous with people carrying because Kia has fundamentally taken ownership of the segment.

The facelifted MY25 Carnival brought with it a whole bunch of new stuff, along with a more EV9-like front end that looks a lot like the Sorento's. Most of the attention has been lavished on the top half of the range, including the solitary hybrid version only available in full-fat GT-Line.

Down at the very bottom of the range is the S petrol V6, the cheapest Carnival you can buy. You probably won't because so few people buy it, but maybe that's because you don't know it exists?

How much is a Kia Carnival?

For a type of vehicle that doesn't get nearly enough love from the Australian car buying public, Kia has thrown everything at us to ensure we have plenty of choices. When you take into account drivelines, there are 11 different Carnivals to choose from. 

For the MY25 Carnival, Kia has not only given the range a new face but a bunch of new names too. The Sport replaced the Si, the Sport+ the SLi, the GT-Line Lite (what?) replaced the Special Edition, and GT-Line replaces the Platinum. The GT-Line Hybrid joins the range at a lofty $76,210.

The entry-level S nameplate soldiers on, however, now at $50,150 plus on-roads and $2670 more expensive than before, representing an almost six per cent increase. That's one of the smaller increases, as it happens.

Even with the price rises, this isn't a bad spec given you can cram so many people in and there's a V6 under the bonnet. You get 17-inch alloys, auto LED headlights, heated mirrors, cloth trim, keyless entry and start, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, an eight-speaker sound system, air conditioning, Kia Connect and a space-saver spare.

As far as new equipment goes compared to last year’s model, it's really just the keyless entry and start, digital dashboard, bigger media screen and the addition of Kia Connect. The new screen is almost worth the price of admission.

I might be able to mount the argument that single-zone air conditioning is a bit stiff for such a big car and I'd probably win. To get a leather wheel you need to spend another six grand for the Sport, which is basically this car with leather and a better climate-control system.

An entry-level LDV Mifa turbo petrol kicks off at $53,990 drive-away, and if you can land a six-figure sum, you can have an all-electric one too. If you're happy with a 2023-plated car Mifa, you can have one for just under $47,000 drive-away (at the time of writing). 

At sister-brand Hyundai you can get into a Staria from $53,890 drive-away with the current pricing offer (normally $49,500 plus on-road costs) and it's currently in runout as of September 2024. That car has the same 3.5-litre V6 and looks awesome, just in a different kind of way.

And finally Toyota's Granvia starts at $68,308 plus on-road costs ($74,233 in NSW, drive-away) for what is obviously a commercial van converted to a people carrier. Yes, the Staria is too, but one of these things is not like the other one. And Toyota's website says the wait times for the Granvia are "extended".

How big is a Kia Carnival?

It's safe to say the Carnival is pretty big at nearly 5.2m, but the fact it isn't high up in the sky means it hides its bulk well. I would venture that if you parked it in the middle of a lonely car park and stood back to look at it, you'd be hard-pressed to guess its size, at least in profile.

Because of its relatively low-flying stance, it's easy to get in as a driver or front passenger. The doors open wide and it's barely a step in to get comfortable. The seats are big and supportive, and here in the base model they’re covered in cloth.

I will repeat, I am a fan of cloth. This fabric looks pretty good and seems hardy, but does lack the wipe-clean vibe of the Sport, which has a fake leather interior. Swinging back in cloth's favour is its stable thermal properties, so no burning legs in summer.

The dash and screen housing sweeps across two-thirds of the car, and while the smaller digital dashboard in the S looks a little lost in the expanse, the 12.3-inch media screen more than makes up for it. It presents as high-tech and looks expensive. 

Front passengers have access to a big tray underneath the climate controls, which in upper models also has a wireless phone charger as well as two USB ports. Behind the shifter is a pair of cupholders, a small tray/slot which is great place to put the key, and then a big console bin under an expansive armrest. The doors take a bottle each too.

As there is a centre console, this isn't a walk-through car from the front, just in case you were wondering how you might be able to discipline unruly children.

Access to the rear is through manually sliding doors on both sides. Once again, they offer very easy access. The middle row consists of three separate seats that slide, recline and fold individually.

Without a normal fold-down centre armrest, the cupholders for the middle row are at the back end of the centre console. The designers have also added a slot for standing a phone in, which is clever. Also clever is the placement of the two USB-C ports in the side of the front seatbacks. A 12-volt port and an open storage box are placed below the cupholders.

Access to the third row is with a single-action pull of a lever – the seatback flops forward and then the seat base slides towards the front. Super easy and just as easy to reverse. And as it's a 33/33/33 split, you can load from both sides and neither side has a heavier 60-split to push.

Another advantage of the three-seat arrangement is that the middle seat can come right out  – in fact, all three are removable – but you can pull out the middle seat for a walk-through to the rear, or even pull out a side seat to make quick unloading of passengers from the third row a reality.

The middle seatback can also fold down to act as an armrest, has another pair of cupholders and a sort of picnic table. 

The third row is a 60/40 split and a bit narrower than the middle row while still offering three seats. The middle seat is precisely zero fun for more than about 20 minutes, but with a big of negotiation, you can get an average-height pair of folks in the back comfortably. Anyone taller than about 180cm might hit their head when you go over a speed bump, though. 

They'll have plenty of storage, with cupholders moulded into the side wall, as well as an open storage box and a slot for a phone to stand in. 

Both rear rows feature roof-mounted air vents and the second row has fan controls. But the temperature is set up the front with a dial.

When you open the boot, the wide aperture offers access to an incredibly deep boot. So even with all three rows in place you have a whopping 627 litres to fill. You can stand decent-sized pot plants in there, and I reckon you'd get a full-size cello in. Now I think about it, I could have tried that because we have one. Somewhere.

The 60/40 split-fold seats each have a handle in the back. Pull that and heave the seat towards you – it folds itself and then you can push it down into the boot cavity to create a completely flat floor with 2827L. I think you'll agree, that is a lot. More than any wagon, let's be honest, and you're within 10 per cent of the cargo volume of a VW Caddy Cargo van. It's a ton of space. A very strong argument for not buying a ute if you're carrying stuff around, particularly if you don't want to get it wet or stolen.

During my time with the Carnival, we had to shift standing desks from an office to our home. Having stowed the third row, I pushed all three middle seats forward and the cargo area swallowed the table tops with so much surplus space I had to secure them to stop them sliding around. It's huge, and I didn't even have to remove those seats to fit them.

The downside of the deep tub in the boot is that the spare wheel is a space-saver and it's hard to get to.

Does the Kia Carnival have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The new 12.3-inch touchscreen of the Carnival ships with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but you can also run it in wired configuration, which is nice and handy given there isn't a wireless charger. Displayed on the huge media screen, CarPlay looks great and so it's a safe bet Android Auto does too.

Also on this screen is Kia's new software. It is very, very easy to use, and when you don't have your phone projection on, it looks great. There aren't a lot of built-in features in the S, so there wasn't much to see.

You get AM and FM but no DAB+ digital radio in the S, which is a bit of a shame, but in Sydney I guess it's not a huge deal given digital radio doesn't reach into most tunnels.

New to the Carnival range is Kia Connect. You can connect to the car via a mobile app and view its location, fuel levels and whether any doors are open. It will also call emergency services if the airbags are deployed in a crash. As you walk up the range, more features become available.

Is the Kia Carnival a safe car?

There are nine airbags in the cabin including curtain airbags that reach all the way back and there's a driver's knee airbag. Also standard is a front centre airbag to prevent head clashes in side impacts for the front occupants, which I'd expect would help the Carnival maintain a five-star rating in 2024 as opposed to its existing 2021 rating against a different set of rules.

In its 2021 report, adult occupant protection was rated at 90 per cent, child occupant protection 88 per cent, vulnerable road user protection at 68 per cent and safety assist at 82 per cent, and that was based on the entry-level S specification.

What safety technology does the Kia Carnival have?

The new Carnival has a decent passive safety set, including the new rear occupant alert to ensure everyone is out before you leave the car. Active safety… not so much. While what I would consider the bare minimum is present and correct in the form of reverse cross-traffic alert as well as forward AEB and lane-assist tech, a unit this big should be helping the driver out a bit more. Considering it can fit six people in the back, that's a lot of distractions, especially if they're your tired and bratty kids.

It does also have safe exit warning which, again, is helpful when there are so many potential distractions.

I guess the lack of active safety gets the price down, but the headline-act features don't arrive until the Sport+, which is a hefty 15 grand more. Features like side park sensors, blind spot view cameras, 360-degree sameras, and rear cross-traffic alert and assist that aren’t on the Carnival S and Sport are added in the Sport+.

Similarly, the base grade comes with highway driving assist (lane centring assist) for the adaptive cruise control, while the Sport+ adds lane change assist, and the autonomous emergency braking which has car, cyclist, and junction intervention on the S adds additional junction and oncoming traffic avoidance functions in the higher-grade models.

The Carnival has five top-tether restraints – three in the middle row and two on the rear outboard seats with ISOFIX ports in the same configuration.

How much does the Kia Carnival cost to run?

Kia's capped-price servicing program runs for seven years/105,000km with intervals set at 12 months/15,000km. Prices bounce around a fair bit, with the first three years costing $1445, five years $2673 and seven years $3897. That averages out at $482, $534 and $556 respectively.

Compared with the diesel, it's about $50 a year cheaper to service and against the hybrid about $150 per year cheaper. One imagines that both the diesel and hybrid versions’ lower fuel use might cover that gap. Well, the hybrid might if there were one in S spec and not exclusively in GT-Line.

Kia’s vehicle range is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for private owners. Vehicles used for ride-share, rental, or other commercial uses are capped at 150,000km. Kia also imposes a shorter three-year warranty on the audio and infotainment system.

When I looked at insurance, it came out at $1739based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Is the Kia Carnival fuel-efficient?

The V6 is a thirsty thing, especially in the car that shares this platform, the Sorento. I was expecting a pretty big number, but was pleasantly surprised that the Carnival nailed the official figure during a week of 50/50 suburban/highway driving. I wasn't trying to hypermile, and it also included a run up to the Blue Mountains, so I came away mightily impressed.

At that rate of consumption, a 750km range from the 72-litre tank is not out of the question.

What is the Kia Carnival like to drive?

Let's cut to the chase – hardly anyone buys the petrol V6 Carnival. I really like this engine – it's incredibly quiet, refined and smooth. Allied with Kia's eight-speed auto, it didn't put a foot wrong all week and was a relaxed companion. No real complaints.

The thing is, though, I just knew that putting any kind of load in this thing would send the fuel needle diving for the empty end of the dial, because my foot would have dived towards the floor to get it moving. There is torque, but there's not a massive amount and it's up at 5000rpm. Peak power is at 6400rpm. So you'd be in a lower gear and revving hard. Not ideal.

While the diesel doesn't get anywhere near the petrol’s 216kW power figure, it wallops the V6’s 355Nm torque figure by 85Nm and it's available much lower in the rev range.

Even so, the Carnival is really easy to drive. The steering is light and direct. Forward and side vision are great because there's so much glass and everyone can see you too. People wave at me when I'm in a van. Maybe not as many as when I'm getting around in a VW California camper, but people just love a people mover.

Its ride is also very impressive, and I wonder if these 17-inch wheels would be the ones to have with the higher-profile tyres offering more give. The multi-link rear suspension ensures a comfortable ride for rear passengers too. It also means a rear end willing to go with the front when you push its admittedly modest limits.

It's not at all intimidating for you or for other road users. That's a big win, I reckon.

A long trip in the Carnival should be fairly straightforward. The V6 hums along not far above idle in eighth gear, and there's just a little wind-rustle from the base of the windscreen as far as I could tell. The comfortable front seats mean the driver and front passenger are in good shape, and outboard rear passengers in the middle should be pretty happy as well. It's very quiet at speed, too, so the stereo doesn't need to cover any sins.

How much weight can a Kia Carnival tow?

You can tow up to 2000kg of braked load with the Carnival, but one wonders if that's something you'd want to do too regularly, or at all. 

The Carnival's payload is a generous 754kg, but let's face it, eight folks on board are going to test that, so adding a maximum 200kg towball download is going to exceed the rating. If you're shifting fewer folks but dragging their gear behind you, that might be more sensible, but no van is a hardcore towing machine, because the idea is to put everything in it.

The petrol V6 is also theoretically capable of pulling it all, but as I've already said, the diesel would be better and more efficient while doing it.

Should I buy a Kia Carnival?

I think the Kia Carnival is the car to have if you need seven seats, let alone eight. Not an SUV, a machine properly designed to shift more people than a sedan.

Hopping off my high horse for a moment, the answer is still a resounding yes. It's comfortable, refined (diesel or petrol) and a pretty easy machine to live with, even if it does stretch over five metres. It's also reasonably cheap to own and run too.

I always indulge in a bit of a fist pump when I find out I've got a Carnival, because on top of everything else, they're so nice to get around in. This facelift adds little to the S spec to justify its price increase, but at its core, the Carnival is the most capable people mover on the market.

How do I buy a Kia Carnival? The next steps.

It's not right to suggest that the entry-level S is the best of the range, because while it's decent value, it's missing a lot of stuff I'd want in a car this big. That honour then goes to the Sport+, which adds important safety features like reverse AEB and cross-traffic assist, camera views down the side of the car when you hit the indicators, and a proper 360-degree camera set-up. On top of a whole other bunch of stuff. You might also want to squeeze a few more bucks to the diesel, which is torquier and therefore happier when you're loaded up.

You're unlikely to find a better people mover on the market, but driving this car back-to-back with the Staria is recommended – they share a lot of bits, but you just might like the cut of the Hyundai's jib over the Kia or vice versa.

To start your journey, head to the Kia Australia website where you can compare specifications, build and price your Carnival, organise a test drive and find a dealer. The website does not have a stock locator, so your dealer is the best person to talk to about availability of your chosen spec. You can also find Kias for sale at Drive Marketplace.

Kia told me that the current wait for a petrol Carnival is up to five months, with a diesel four months, if the spec and colour combination is not currently in stock. Kia said there are some diesels in stock with dealers. From what I can tell, the initial shipment of facelifted Carnivals has been quickly snapped up, as I've seen quite a few in the fortnight since I handed this one back.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.

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