Kia India has launched their second car. It is the Carnival premium luxury MPV.
At the 2020 Auto Expo in Greater Noida, Kia has launched the Carnival MPV. Base variant is priced at Rs 23.95 lakh and the top variant is priced at Rs 33.95 lakh. All prices are ex-sh.
Just like Seltos, Kia Carnival is a global product. It is not limited to Asian or developing markets, as is the case with rivals such as Innova Crysta and Marazzo. Another thing about Carnival is that Kia is not looking to play the numbers game with this MPV. Kia has also stated that Carnival will be targeted at private owners and is not meant for taxi operators. Its exclusive platform is unlikely to be used for any other car in the Indian market.
Carnival will be used more as a brand building exercise to shape perceptions that Kia has capabilities to produce premium vehicles. But in spite of that, Kia has seen a strong demand for the Carnival. Even before launch or price reveal, Kia Carnival bookings in India have crossed the 3,500 mark. Below are the variants and their respective prices.
| Kia Carnival BS6 | Prices Ex-sh |
|---|---|
| Premium 7 Seater | Rs 24.95 lakh |
| Premium 8 Seater | Rs 25.15 lakh |
| Prestige 7 Seater | Rs 28.95 lakh |
| Prestige 9 Seater | Rs 29.95 lakh |
| Limousine 7 Seater | Rs 33.95 lakh |
Following a similar strategy as was used for Seltos, Kia has planned to manufacture its Carnival MPV in India. Earlier there were speculations that Kia might take the CKD route for Carnival. However, the company has officially confirmed now that Carnival will be manufactured at its Anantpur plant in Andhra Pradesh. Kia will be looking at maximum possible localization for Carnival and only a few components are expected to be imported.
Export is an area that Kia is likely to be keen to tap with Carnival. While an official confirmation has not been provided, the possibility of Carnival being exported is quite high. The company has already tasted success with Seltos and would be keen to replicate the same with Carnival. Made in India Seltos is shipped to countries such as USA, Europe, Australia and Korea and its exports have been rising consistently. From 471 units in September last year, Seltos exports reached 6,341 units in December. This was more than its domestic sales that stood at 4,645 units.
Powering Carnival will be a 2.2-litre BS-VI compliant CRDi engine that generates max power of 202 hp and max torque of 440 Nm. The engine will be mated to either a 6-speed or 8-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission option could be launched at a later date. Read our detailed Kia Carnival Review here.
