First Drive: New Kia Carnival is also big on innovation

After its runaway success with Seltos which made it a household name, Kia, the South Korean car giant, is trying to create a niche for its new multipurpose vehicle or MPV Carnival priced at Rs 63.90 lakh in the fiercely competitive Indian car market. This new facelift of the fourth generation Kia Carnival is trying to position itself between the popular Toyota Innova Hycross (Rs 31 lakh) and the Toyota Vellfire (Rs 1.

2 crore and Rs 1.3 crore), a proper luxury van and create a new segment in the car market as it has no real rival. When bookings for the Carnival began on September 16, Kia claimed to get over 1,800 bookings in less than 24 hours and till now it has crossed 3,000 bookings with merely less than 2 per cent cancellation.



This shows the market does respond overwhelmingly for innovative features packed in this utilitarian van. We took it for a spin to check out what it promises. The Exterior The new Carnival looks more like an SUVish van with an attractive design.

It is definitely massive in size and bigger in terms of length and width than full-size SUVs. It has got a very aggressive grille called Tiger Nose, an aggressive bumper, and LED DRLs, the quad headlamp units, of which the two above are low beams, and the two below are high beams. Carnival is almost 17 feet long with a straight and sharp design.

There is a strong shoulder line, aggressive wheel arches and prominent roof rails and the roof is so big that it needs two sunroofs. It sits on 18-inch alloy wheels which despite being quite chunky, appear small on it. Its road presence easily overshadows any big SUV on Indian roads.

The Interior Kia Carnival comes with seven seats in a 2-2-3 layout. These seats are really spacious. A six-footer can easily sit on the driver's seat and passenger seat and also in the third row.

There is plenty of headroom and legroom and the seats are wide to provide comfort. It is all bright inside as a lot of sunlight comes in from the sunroof at the back and the side quarter glass. The vehicle provides for the roof-mounted AC vents, reading lights, two cup holders and an extra storage pocket and C port.

Like luxury cars, it gets ambient lighting. Interestingly, all four seats are heated, ventilated and powered. The steering wheel not only tilts, but also adjusts telescopically.

It has automatic headlamps and wipers, but three displays. Bigger two displays are 12.3 inches and the heads-up display is also very detailed at 11 inches.

You also get an auto day-night IRVM, switchable displays for the three zones of climate control and media, 64 colour ambient lighting and two sunroofs. It has got the 12.3-inch touchscreen which is easier to use.

It also gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a Bose's 8-speaker sound system, and the 360-degree camera display. The other features include ADAS with Level 2 autonomous capability, eight airbags, a heads-up display, and powered, sliding rear doors that can be operated from the handle, the driver’s seat or even the key fob. The Drive Experience The new Carnival is powered by a new 2.

2-litre turbo-charged diesel engine, producing 193hp and 441Nm of torque. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters. Its claimed acceleration from 0-100kph is within 10.

7 seconds. The engine is refined and it is easy to drive this big vehicle. The tyre and engine noise are minimal although when you drive the car a little faster, the noise gets more audible.

For its massive size, the drive remains effortless and you can smoothly and quickly overtake on the highways. You can also comfortably cruise on a 120-130 kmph range. The ride comfort is great, especially when Carnival is mostly chauffeur-driven for business people.

In fact, the chunky 235/60 R18 tyres do provide a degree of cushioning to the ride. Overall, the car provides a stable ride at high speed, with some harsh experience over larger bumps and potholes. Also, the new electric power steering makes this big MPV very easy to manoeuvre at low speeds and on highways, which gives confidence to the driver.

But what is harder than driving is parking the 5.2 meters long Carnival. It is very difficult to find a parking spot for it.

In the market, or in a crowded area, finding parking space for this vehicle will be a challenge. Should I buy one? With all its top features and tech-loads, the new Carnival’s price at Rs 63.90 lakh at the showroom, feels rather excessive.

But it appears that the new MPVs are gaining ground in India as desirable luxury vehicles and buyers willing to shell out more money for comfort and safety and Kia is an example. Not surprisingly, the booking numbers at 3,000 plus units at such a short time speak for themselves. Time will tell how the market will pan out.

But Carnival is Carnival and it does deliver to attract potential buyers..