2021 Kia Carnival

As far as people movers go, the 2021 Kia Carnival is the bees knees.  It looks really good, keeping its immense size in check with the use of Kia’s clever design language.  This is arguably the best people mover that is on sale now, and here’s why.

For just a tad over $50k you can get yourself into the base model Kia Carnival S, which boasts all the latest tech, a nice comfortable seating arrangement for eight people and masses of luggage space to boot.  Everything about the new carnival speaks of being purpose-built for the job of carrying a large group of people from A-to-B in comfort and in safety.  What more could you want in this type of vehicle?

There are three other models alongside the Carnival S and these are the Si, SLi and Platinum, the Platinum being the top of the range model that is loaded with luxury and features.  The Platinum model has a price tag just under $70k, which I think is very reasonable considering the sort of vehicle you’ll be driving.  A full leather interior, zoned climate control, an electric sunroof, a premium eight-speaker sound system with DAB radio, a powered driver seat with electric lumbar support, wireless smartphone connection and charging, satellite navigation, voice control, driver attention detection, collision mitigation, front and side cameras, front LED fog lamps and a power tailgate are just some of the nice items onboard this machine.

2021 Kia Carnival

All four new Kia Carnivals boasts the best five-star safety results from ANCAP, and all have excellent safety features like: automatic (light sensitive) headlights, LED daytime running lamps, high beam auto dipping control, see me home lighting, a rear reversing camera with park distance control, lap/sash seatbelts for all 8 seats, 1^st and 2^nd row seats have load limiters and pre-tensioners on the seat belts, EBD (electronic brake force distribution), a hill holder system, ABS (antilock brakes), brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, alert/warning – collision forward, blind spot sensors, crash avoidance with braking technology at high and low speeds, pedestrian avoidance with braking, cross traffic alert front and rear, driver attention detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping – active assist, parking assistance with a graphical display, and side door exit warning.

People who are after a vehicle that can take plenty of occupants are often choosing the Carnival as their first choice.  Kia’s brand-new 8-seat Carnival people-moving machine defies the odds by selling in great numbers.  The new Carnival’s sale numbers are on a par with Mazda’s CX-9 SUV.

The fourth-generation Kia Carnival shares a lot of technology, including the platform, with the Kia Sorento SUV.  The 2021 Kia Carnival is bigger than before in all directions, which means that the wheelbase, width and length have increased.  When you buy the new Kia Carnival, you are also getting yourself the class-leader in cargo space, which can be up to as much as 2416 litres of void to fill with anything from bikes to balloons.  There is plenty of room for passengers, a raft of safety technology and two new FWD engine choices.

Onto the engines, then.  These are new powerplants from Kia, and both use FWD for getting the power down on the road.  If you want petrol to get the job done, then the new 216 kW, 355 Nm 3.5-litre V6 is a smooth and powerful unit that never feels stressed even with a full load of people and luggage on-board.  It won’t be the most economical motor on the market, but it really impresses with smooth, quiet and responsive performance.  For those who would prefer, there is a turbo-diesel motor boasting 148 kW and a whopping 440 Nm of torque that comes out of the uprated 2.2-litre diesel.  This is a strong and efficient motor that handles a heavy load with remarkable ease and returns excellent economy.  Both the petrol and the diesel use the same eight-speed automatic transmission, and all of this makes for an even better Kia Carnival than the old version was.  I’m a fan of the more conventional eight-speed gearbox in a world where many manufacturers are all going CVT; it does such a smooth job of getting the power down and remaining as efficient as possible.  If you want to tow, I still reckon these are better than a CVT alternative.  Both the petrol and the diesel Carnivals can tow 750 kg unbraked and 2000 kg braked – which means all of them.

Treat yourself this year and buy a new Kia Carnival.  These are a great way of becoming attached to the people mover way of life.  It is such a nice cruiser, offers immense practicality and is set up for hauling the family and friends all over the show.

2021 Kia Carnival

The 2021 Kia Carnival models include the:

• Kia Carnival S
• Kia Carnival Si
• Kia Carnival SLi
• Kia Carnival Platinum

For any more information on the new Kia Carnival models or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Kia dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!