Kia Carnival

Engine and gearbox

The Kia Carnival on sale in Pakistan comes in a single Executive variant powered by a 3.5-litre LAMBDA II V6 petrol engine (3,470 cc) with multi-point injection. Kia Pakistan quotes 272 PS (200.1 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 331.5 Nm at 5,000 rpm, sent to the front wheels through an 8-speed automatic with shift-by-wire and paddle shifters. Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart drive modes are included. No official fuel economy figure is given.

Size and practicality

This is a big people carrier: 5,155 mm long, 1,995 mm wide and 1,740 mm tall, with a 3,090 mm wheelbase and 172 mm of ground clearance. It seats 11 across four rows, with a 60:40 split third row and a fourth row that folds into the floor. Smart power sliding doors and a smart automatic tailgate make loading easy, and there are 16 cup and bottle holders. The fuel tank holds 72 litres and the car rides on 235/60R18 tyres with 18-inch alloys and an alloy spare. Braking is by 18-inch front and 17-inch rear discs, with McPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension.

Equipment

Kia lists a head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tri-zone automatic climate control, power front seats with driver memory, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a dual sunroof, sunshade blinds and a wireless charger. Safety and driver assistance include a surround view monitor, blind-spot view monitor, forward collision-avoidance assist, lane keeping and lane following assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, safe exit assist, driver attention warning, high beam assist and front and rear parking sensors. Other touches include a puddle lamp, illuminated vanity mirrors, LED cabin and cargo lamps and a 6-speaker sound system. The airbag count is shown as 7 in Kia’s spec table and 8 in its key features list, so confirm it with a dealer.

Price and warranty

Kia Pakistan’s price list shows the Carnival at Rs 15,000,000. Kia Pakistan’s general warranty is 4 years or 100,000 km, whichever comes first.

Who should buy it

Our opinion: there is only one version, so the choice is whether you need it. For large families, hotel transport or corporate use, the Carnival’s 11 seats, sliding doors and long safety list are hard to match at this price. Buyers who rarely fill more than seven seats will find a three-row SUV such as the Sorento easier to park and likely cheaper to run.