Kia fully reveals the fourth-generation Carnival

Kia’s much-anticipated family minivan has been fully revealed. Its fourth-generation sports a stylish look, spacious cabin, and new high-tech features to love. 

The all-new Kia Carnival is more refined, roomy, and capable than ever. Its design is actually SUV-inspired, emphasized with a sense of solidity and further empowered by a number of futuristic details. This minivan already has a longer hood which was achieved all thanks to the base of its A-pillar that’s moved backward and its shorter front overhang.

One of its key design elements is the ‘island roof’, which is incorporated by the blacked-out A- and B-pillars beneath a body-colored roof. Like most Kias, it also comes with the renowned ‘tiger-nose’ grille, which is somewhat executed differently. Its headlights, on the other hand, have that cutting-edge look, wherein the DRLs are also integrated on its grille. 

Other notable design cues are consistently applied to the rear, including the full-width light bar which gives it that futuristic and elegant vibes. Notably, the Carnival also benefits from a 30 mm longer wheelbase and a 10 mm wider body, these added dimensions actually translate to a cavernous cabin.

Inside, the Kia Carnival is a comfortable and luxurious place to be in. In fact, its cabin is actually based on the concept of ‘Spatial Talents’, catering the driver and its passenger that relaxing, high-tech, and stylish environment. Apart from the increased cabin space, this current-generation model also boasts in terms of quality in comparison with its predecessor. Practically speaking, the Carnival actually offers the best-in-class trunk space of up to 2,905 liters which is actually impressive for a family vehicle.

The Carnival is also rich in terms of features. It gets a wide, panoramic-screen on the dashboard, which integrates dual infotainment technologies. The said panel is actually composed of a 12.3-inch digital driver instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. As for phone integration, the infotainment system comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. One neat feature though is the Rear Passenger View and Talk, wherein front occupants can use it to check on rear-seat occupants through a small camera that’s linked to the infotainment system.

In terms of safety, the fourth-generation Carnival gets advanced features like Kia’s Level 2 autonomous driving technology known as the highway driving assist. This system controls several components of the vehicle while in motion, including its acceleration, braking, and steering. Other state-of-the-art safety features include forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, and many more. 

The Carnival offers a wide range of Smartstream engines, three to be exact. First is a 3.5-liter GDi V6 engine which features an advanced GDi and multi-point injection (MPI) system. The said mill is capable of churning out 290 hp and 355 Nm of torque. On the side note, there’s also a less spirited 3.5-liter MPI gasoline V6 engine, although it does produce a healthy 268 hp and 332 Nm of torque. Lastly, there's a 2.2-liter diesel engine available which produces 199 hp and 440 Nm of torque. On top of all these engines is only one gearbox option, and that’s the 8-speed automatic transmission.

The fourth-generation Kia Carnival is quite impressive on paper, given its extensive specification and futuristic looks. Now, all we need to know is when is this model going to dethrone its predecessor here in the Philippines. We really do hope that Kia Motors Philippines would consider bringing this into the country as it is a compelling option for Filipino families.