The third row pews are still wide enough to fit three adults though they may feel the bumps on the road more than those seated at the front. Getting into the back still requires a bend of your body but the liberated passageway is much wider than those of its rivals. What’s impressive is the way the outward seats fold forward and upright at the pull of a lever to ease access to the third row. They slide forward and backward individually to trade off on legroom in the third row. The front seats are also wide and comfortable with thick bolsters providing good support. This way the arm rest is lower, wider and doesn’t get in the way. It’s good to see Kia opted for a car-like first row seats where, unlike the other competitors, the arm rest isn’t attached to the seat but on the centre console much like in a passenger car. Seating arrangement is two-three-three with generous headroom and legroom for all rows. In the company of the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Tarago, the Carnival boasts the largest cabin, though the Hyundai iMax is still larger, if you consider that a valid family hauler. Well done, Kia.įor easier parking, the new Carnival is slightly shorter and lower than before, but sits on a longer wheelbase for the benefit of interior space. The design is upfront and non-pretentious, like it’s trying to say “I’m a people mover but I’m still cool”.

We like the fact that it doesn’t try to look like something else. Its lines are smooth and the whole proportion is as good as a big family van can get. The view from the side is equally sleek and the rear is simple, classy and uncluttered. We like the imposing yet elegant front fascia. It’s arguably the best looking people mover on sale today. There’s no doubt about it, the new Kia Carnival looks sharp, even upmarket. While the former is thirsty as expected, the diesel offers much better fuel economy, which is why we chose it for this test. Prices before on road costs range from $41,490 to a rather pricey $61,290 but unlike its petrol-only rivals, the Carnival is available in both a 3.3-litre V6 petrol and a 2.2-litre turbo diesel. The new Carnival is almost an entirely different car compared to the one it replaces. It’s the first all-new model in almost a decade but we are glad to report that it’s time well spent. And the way it drives can be best described as startling. Its sheer interior space isn’t something we have seen before. For a start, we find ourselves using words like ‘stylish’, ‘striking’ and ‘snazzy’ to describe Kia’s new eight-seater – it’s the first time we use those words on a people mover. The third-generation Kia Carnival arrives with tons of surprises.

For far too long, big families have been stuck with boxy, uninspiring and drab people movers commonly known as white goods on wheels, until now.

Kelemahan kia carnival diesel