The Kia Carnival directly rivals the Toyota Innova Hycross in the premium MPV segment. While the Innova Hycross sticks to its tried-and-tested formula of durability, a fuel-efficient powertrain, and Toyota’s legendary reliability, the Carnival takes a different approach, focusing on luxury and comfort.

 

The Innova Hycross, with its strong underpinnings and hybrid powertrain, excels as a dependable workhorse, making it an ideal choice for long journeys and rugged usage. On the other hand, the Kia Carnival prioritizes a premium experience with its spacious and plush cabin, advanced features, and a quieter ride. It also packs a more powerful diesel engine, delivering a refined and effortless driving experience.

 

While the Carnival may not match the Innova’s reputation for long-term reliability, it compensates with superior comfort, better equipment, and a more upmarket appeal. For buyers looking beyond utility and seeking a high-end MPV experience, the Kia Carnival presents a compelling alternative.

The Kia Carnival retains an MPVs practicality with SUV-inspired styling. The bold front features a tiger-nose grille, vertically stacked LED projection headlamps, and a wide air dam. Sleek connected LED tail lamps and strong creases give the rear a modern touch.

 

Sliding rear doors provide easy access, while 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels enhance its stance. Roof-mounted spoilers, shark-fin antenna, and bridge-type roof rails add to its stylish profile. The Carnival measures:

 

Length: 5,155 mm

Width: 1,995 mm

Height: 1,775 mm

Wheelbase: 3,090 mm

Boot Space: 627 liters

 

With its spacious design and advanced features, the Carnival offers a premium travel experience.

The Kia Carnival’s all-black dashboard is well-finished with soft-touch materials, enhancing its premium appeal. The leatherette-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel is adjustable for height and reach, featuring controls for infotainment, telephony, voice commands, and ADAS functions. A backlit silver engine start/stop button adds a refined touch.

 

The cabin includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11-inch head-up display, showing key vehicle information, navigation, and ADAS alerts. A 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system ensures a connected experience. Features like a 360-degree camera, ambient lighting, ventilated seats, and powered sunroofs enhance comfort.

 

The second-row captain seats offer electric adjustment, ventilation, heating, and extendable leg support. Third-row seats accommodate three passengers with reclining options. With 627 liters of boot space, the Carnival ensures practicality for long journeys.

The Kia Carnival is powered by a 2.2-liter diesel engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s a capable and well-engineered powertrain that delivers smooth and effortless performance. The car accelerates confidently, and the gearbox ensures seamless shifts, making city commutes and highway drives equally stress-free. However, for a vehicle in this premium price bracket, the driving experience lacks the richness one might expect. The primary reason? The diesel engine’s audible presence in the cabin. While it doesn’t disrupt comfort significantly, the sound factor slightly diminishes the sense of refined luxury.

 

A hybrid powertrain would have elevated the Carnival’s driving experience to another level. Hybrid vehicles, especially in city driving conditions, feel more sophisticated due to their silent operation and smooth power delivery. This level of quietness and refinement is something the diesel-powered Carnival struggles to achieve. On highways, however, the diesel engine feels more at home. There’s no lack of power, overtaking is effortless, and the responsive gearbox ensures you never feel left wanting for speed. The Carnival handles highway cruising exceptionally well, offering a confident and composed ride at high speeds.

 

One of the highlights of the Carnival is its well-tuned suspension system. Kia has ensured that the ride remains plush, even over broken roads and potholes. The suspension absorbs undulations effectively, making long-distance travel supremely comfortable. Whether navigating city streets riddled with speed bumps or gliding over rough patches on highways, the Carnival retains its composure, ensuring passengers remain undisturbed by road imperfections. The vehicle’s large dimensions don’t compromise maneuverability either, and despite its size, the Carnival feels surprisingly easy to drive.

 

Functionality-wise, the Carnival excels. It is designed to be an effortless and convenient vehicle to drive, making it an excellent choice for those who prioritize comfort over outright sportiness. The steering is light yet responsive, allowing for easy maneuvering in urban environments, while the high seating position provides a commanding view of the road. The cabin remains largely insulated from road noise, further enhancing the premium feel, but the diesel engine’s hum is still noticeable at times.

 

At this price point, expectations of refinement and luxury are naturally higher, and while the Carnival does deliver on most fronts, a few elements hold it back from feeling truly exceptional. The biggest improvement Kia could have made is enhancing the sound insulation to minimize engine noise further. While it’s not overly loud, it doesn’t provide the near-silent experience one would associate with a high-end MPV. A strong hybrid variant would have not only addressed this but also introduced the benefits of electric driving, making it an even more modern and desirable package.

 

Overall, the Kia Carnival remains a spacious, comfortable, and highly functional MPV. It excels in delivering a smooth and capable drive while offering a well-appointed and luxurious cabin experience. However, better noise insulation or a hybrid option would have added that extra layer of sophistication, truly making it feel like a next-level premium offering.