A mid-life makeover comes to the very likable and very popular 2024 Carnival.  Australians like the Kia Carnival.  As a matter of fact, the Carnival has been the top-selling people-mover in Australia for more than 10 years now!  The 2024 exterior still has the same familiar boxy shape of the outgoing model, but, with an artistic flick here and there from the designers’ pen, the new Carnival looks perfect for the modern family.  This is definitely a people-mover that the kids at the school gate will be proud of, and it will be the desirable people-mover for long-distance travel.  There is now even more equipment and enhancements to go along with the updated models. 

Arguably, the most impressive update (in my humble opinion) is the new petrol–electric hybrid powertrain.  This is such a sensible, yet simple improvement, and one that will make congested city travel that much better.  Yes, there is also a petrol and a diesel version; so, this makes three powertrains for the 2024 Carnival line-up: petrol, diesel and petrol–electric hybrid. 

Let’s start with the diesel.  The 2.2-litre 4-cylinder is a strong turbodiesel unit that is a lovely match for the big people-mover.  With up to 148 kW of creamy power, and a lusty flat torque curve that peaks at 440 Nm from low revs, this is a Kia Carnival that hauls its butt along very nicely indeed.  Even fully loaded with people and luggage onboard, the turbodiesel shines with its strong performance and surefooted handling. 

Then the 3.5-litre petrol V6 is next, with its silky smooth delivery of power, which sounds gorgeous when opened up.  Again, there is serious punch to haul ass with the V6.  This feels the quickest of the bunch, and there is no hiding the 216 kW of power and 355 Nm of torque when push comes to shove – or should that be when the right foot is flat to the floor?  Power and torque match up perfectly for gobs of performance, and it links this through to the front wheels via the excellent eight-speed automatic transmission.  Both the diesel and the petrol models have this set-up.

New for 2024 sees the Kia Carnival providing its first ever petrol–electric hybrid combo in people mover form.  The petrol side of the equation comes from a 1.6-litre turbopetrol motor.  Then there is also the electric motor, which aids performance and efficiency.  Combined, the petrol–electric system has 180 kW of power and up to 366 Nm of torque at the driver’s disposal.  This combo drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, which boasts the best fuel economy of all three engine varieties.  The Hybrid Carnival is said to average around 6 litres/100 km, the diesel around 7 litres/100 km, and the V6 petrol around 10 litres/100 km.

A very solid tick for Kia’s Carnival performance is further backed up with a set of excellent brakes, improved safety systems, and a suspension that has been tweaked for Australian conditions.  The result is a better ride quality that’s even more predictable for a combination of town and country driving performed over varying road surfaces with variable quality.  These upgrades have seen the prices across the range for the new Carnival take a hike, but we’re only talking a few grand. 

In case you’re new to the Kia Carnival fold, this is a people mover that can comfortably seat eight people.  Across all models, the dashboard has been fully digitalised.  The Carnival S variants are the base models, and they now have a better sound system that provides great audio through its 8-speaker surround-sound package.  The S models also come with a key fob and push-button start, but you can even start the engine remotely from the key fob or the Kia Connect app.  The S models also boast a nice set of 17-inch black rims.  A smart grey cloth trim for the seats and single-zone climate control completes the look. 

Sport models add a bigger set of 18-inch wheels and a synthetic leather seat interior, and the rear seat passengers get their own separate climate controls.

The Sport+ variants are rather nice models and possibly the pick of the bunch in terms of features and pricing.  It’s hard to argue with its eight-way power-adjustable front seats, heated front and rear seats, rain-sensing wipers, tinted windows, 360-degree parking camera with blind-spot camera feeds, its automatic up/down windows, and the power-operated sliding side doors and powered tailgate.

The Kia Carnival GT-Line Lite versions look pretty cool on their 19-inch alloys and come with twin sunroofs.  The flagship model is the GT-Line, which comes with all of the goodies.  Things like a big head-up display, a premium 12-speaker Bose sound system, heated and cooled front seats, and even a new digital interior mirror make their way onboard.  This is a people mover like no other, and I can see why many folk who want or need the best will opt for a Kia Carnival GT-Line for the complete and most comprehensive package.

The Carnival’s exterior updates are most noticeable at the front, in the form of its new-look headlight, grille, and bumper arrangement.  Its vertically stacked LED headlights catch everybody’s attention, while the bright slimline LED tail-light display has the ability to do the same.  These styling cues echo the designs that have already made it through into the new Kia Sorento and Kia EV9 SUVs.

Eight airbags are fitted as a standard matter of course in all Carnival models, which also now include a central airbag that is located between the front seat occupants.  This is designed to reduce head-clash injuries.  Side curtain airbags extend across all three seat rows, and there is even a rear occupant alert system, which has been added to reduce the chances of leaving young children or pets inside when all other vacate the building… I mean Carnival – but it’s almost big enough to call a building, though! 

You can safely hook up a trailer to the new Kia Carnival, just in case you can’t get everyone and everything onboard at the same time.  A trailer stability assist system is fitted to all models, and all models can tow a 2000 kg braked trailer (750kg unbraked trailer).  Adaptive cruise control is standard, and the front and rear parking sensors and reversing camera make life pretty easy for drivers of this vehicle in busy urban environments.  Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian detection are standard.  Sport+ model variants – and above – get the new second-generation highway driving assistant with its improved lane-keeping assist functions.

Kia Carnival’s competitors include the Hyundai Staria, Volkswagen Multivan, and LDV MIFA, but this upgrade for the 2024 Carnival still keeps it well out in front in the popularity stakes.  Each new Kia comes with an impressive 7-year warranty and capped-price servicing (at the time of writing).  So, set yourself up with the Carnival’s special and spacious comfort. 

The current 2024 Kia Carnival models for Australia include the:

• Kia Carnival S
• Kia Carnival Sport
• Kia Carnival Sport+
• Kia Carnival GT-Line Lite
• Kia Carnival GT-Line

For any more information on the new Kia Carnival People Mover 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!