JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng – At CAR we are no strangers to the Kia Carnival. In the past we’ve awarded it our Top12 Best Buy in its category. It is an award that was well deserved. The latest version, the fourth generation, have recently been released in South Africa, and during a few days’ trip in and around Gauteng, we had the opportunity to test it in 2.2CRDi SX Limited guise…
Why the Carnival?
At around the same time as the rise of the SUV, MPVs (multi-purpose vans) made their appearance. This could be seen as a more modern approach to the traditional kombi. The MPV was also a concept that appealed to big families (and transport services) who not necessarily wanted to drive a kombi, although an MPV in most cases was not much smaller.
That is where the new Carnival continues to tick all the correct boxes. It is indeed more “car-like” in the cabin and from behind the wheel than a kombi. Make no mistake, it is still a massive vehicle (it is after all 5 155 mm long, having grown by 40 mm over the previous generation), but once you climb inside the benefit of this exterior size is immediately visible.
Let’s start at the rear. With all the seats folded up, there is a deep luggage compartment. Should you want to dispose of the rear seats, they can simply be folded away into the floor, leading to a flat luggage space up to the second row of seats. In the third row of seats tall adults will find it marginally tricky to sit, but that second row of seats are pure luxury. You can tilt the back rest for a more relaxed seating position, while each seat has access to a USB port. The second row of individual seats can also be individually moved forwards or backwards and the walk between the second-row seats to the rear seats are super easy owing to the wide corridor. Then there is also the sliding doors which can be opened and closed from the key fob.
Behind the wheel
It is at the front where Kia has really pulled out all the stops. Not only is it a stylish place to find yourself in, but every single element and feature of the car has been well thought out and is within reach of the driver, and the passenger. As we had to attend to several appointments throughout the days we spent with the Carnival, our Apple Car Play and Android Auto worked perfectly while we navigated through Google Maps.
The infotainment screen’s quality is of a high quality, including when it streams the visuals from the external cameras to the screen. The gear selector, which is a circular unit, is easy to use while there are even cooled and heated seats.
It is the fuel consumption and ride quality that were two of the most impressive elements of the car for me. Fitted with high profile tyres and a pliant suspension setup, bumps and road irregularities were well taken care of. Offering 148 kW and 440 N.m, it is also no slouch, even for such a large vehicle. Small throttle inputs make use of the available torque and at highway speeds the engine settles at a low speed owing to the eight-speed transmission. It is now that the cabin is especially quiet.
The 2,2-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine barely intruded on any conversation we had while any exterior noise was very well damped. Our average fuel consumption figure moved between 7,7- to 8,0-l/100 km. The result was a total range of up to 950 km on a full tank of diesel.
Summary
Being based on the same chassis as the Hyundai Staria, one needs to take one’s hat off to Kia (and Hyundai) for approaching the design and agenda for each of these cars so differently. The combination of standard features, a frugal turbodiesel engine and a perfect blend of style and luxury, the Carnival remains one of the best cars to consider in this segment.
*Fast facts:
Model: Kia Carnival 2.2CRDi SX Limited
Price: R999 995
Engine: Front-mounted, turbodiesel, 2 151 cc, inline-four
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 148 kW @ 3 800 r/min
Torque: 440 N.m @ 1 750 r/min
Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive
0-100 km/h: 10,7 seconds
Top speed: 190 km/h
Fuel consumption: 8,2 l/100km (combined)
CO2 emissions: 177 g/km
Maintenance Plan: 6-year/90 000 km
*All claimed figures
Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms
Photos: Peet Mocke