New 4th Gen Kia Carnival has SUV styling and could give current VIP-mobile, Toyota Fortuner, a run for the money
India’s most affordable premium minivan will hit the market by the end of 2024. We’re talking about Kia Carnival which is over 5.1m long and masks its minivan proportions with SUV-inspired design attributes. 4th gen Carnival is spotted testing in India too and is likely to launch by 2024 end.
4th Gen Kia Carnival Testing Continues In India
In India, Kia is gearing up for Sonet facelift launch to happen by the end of this month. Seltos facelift was launched a couple of months back. Carens seems to be too new for a mid-life facelift. So, Carnival is the obvious choice for Kia’s next launch after Sonet. This is a long-awaited launch too.
If we take a look at Kia’s website, Carnival has been removed. Kia has been selling 3rd generation Carnival in India since 2020. When 4th generation Carnival went on sale the same year in multiple markets. 4th generation Carnival’s facelift has debuted globally with EV9-inspired design language.
A pre-facelifted 4th gen model was showcased at 2023 Auto Expo. The company intends to launch it in India by the end of 2024. 4th generation Carnival has shed its minivan design language and embraced an SUV-inspired design. In fact, Kia advertises Carnival in USA (previously Sedona) as an MPV and not a minivan.
For India, Kia is launching 4th Carnival facelift as the test mules indicate. This is a slight styling revision when compared to already well-implemented pre-facelift model. There is a new fascia and rear section drawing inspiration from Kia’s flagship EV9. Wider and more pronounced LED signatures front and rear along with new vertically arranged headlights are primary highlights.
Premium interiors
Carnival gets electric sliding doors, (relatively) luxurious interiors and a ton of gizmos and creature comforts. Highlight features are double-glazed windows, seamlessly connected twin horizontal 10.2-inch displays, layered dashboard, multi-zone climate control, digital IRVM, massaging seats and manually-adjustable 2nd row recliner seats.
When launched in India, it will get multiple seating layouts as well. Acres of space on the inside and a premium limousine-like experience are Carnival’s forte (see what I did there?). In India, it enjoys quite a niche as it is the least expensive minivan/MPV with sliding doors. It blows punches towards much pricier Toyota Vellfire, Lexus LM and Mercedes-Benz V-Class.
Last year, there were rumours regarding Kia ditching the 2.2L diesel engine for not meeting stringent RDE norms and E20 compatibility. But this engine survived and continued to do duties until recently. We would wager that the same 2.2L diesel engine with 197 bhp and 440 Nm with 8-speed TC is likely to be 4th Gen Carnival’s sole powertrain.
Kia could be targeting higher sales numbers this time around with Carnival. With SUV styling, acres of space, supreme comfort and immense presence, Carnival could be a significant threat to current VIP-mobile, which is Toyota Fortuner. A price point between Rs. 30 lakh and Rs. 35 lakh (ex-sh) is likely.
