Kia Carnival

The Kia Carnival is a premium family MPV that promises to offer second-row experiences similar to luxury cars without crossing the Rs 1 crore mark. It sits in a niche of its own, offering an exponentially better experience than the Toyota Innova Hycross, but not as opulent as a Toyota Vellfire. Its only immediate rival is the MG M9.

However, at nearly Rs 75 lakh (on-road), the price of the Kia Carnival is similar to many mid-size luxury cars. So what does all that cash get you beyond the obvious space and practicality that you’d expect from a car this size? Can it also deliver on the premium quotient as suggested by its price tag? Let's find out:

(4.5 out of 5)

​​The Carnival sports an SUV-like design with an upright stance and a strong fascia inspired by Kia's global SUV range. The side profile is of a typical MPV, but not one to be mistaken for a mundane family mover.

Up front, the fascia boasts a large 'Tiger Nose' grille that we have seen on pretty much all the Kia cars. The grille is complemented by vertically stacked LED projector headlamps, which make the vehicle look imposing.

The headlamps contain four projectors with two each of low and high beams, including signature DRLs that also serve as turn indicators.

In profile, it carries a floating roof design due to blacked-out pillars and chrome window surrounds that contribute to its premium feel. I like the styling of the 18-inch alloy wheels, which add to its sizable road presence.

A sense of familiarity strikes once again with the connected LED taillamp arrangement at the rear, also seen in Kia’s more affordable cars like the Seltos and Sonet. 

Being available in merely two colours, black and white, makes it easy for the buyer to decide, but it is restrained in itself. Kia should’ve definitely offered more colour options with the Carnival.

But from the overall design standpoint, I think Kia has nailed in making this generation of the Carnival more premium than it ever was. It has a respectable road presence, and despite its MPV bodyshape, it does not look boring or dull. If you want to see how much the design has evolved over the previous Carnival that was sold in India, you can click on this link for an in-pics comparison.​​​​​​

Design And Quality

(4 out of 5)

​​​​​The cabin of the Kia Carnival looks bright and stylish, with just a slight hint of utilitarian feels. There’s not much going on in terms of styling on the dashboard, but the bright tan-black interior theme looks premium and makes the overall cabin look upmarket, especially combined with those tan leather seats.

The dashboard boasts a twin-screen configuration with a 12.3-inch digital driver's display and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while there’s a touch-sensitive control panel for media and climate control below the central AC vents. Visually, I like the multi-colour ambient lighting along the door and dashboard, which enhances the cabin experience, particularly during nighttime.

Soft-touch materials cover the dashboard and front door pads, while portions of hard plastics are used in areas not immediately visible. All buttons and knobs feel nice to use, and I particularly like the knurled effect on the gear knob which feels really intricately crafted. 

If there’s any complaint, it would be from the Piano Black elements, which are prone to dust and scratches. Otherwise, the Carnival’s cabin offers a good experience in terms of look and feel.

Front seats

With the side step (available as an accessory), getting inside the Carnival becomes slightly easier, but it still won’t be effortless for the elderly in the family. Without it, ingress and egress definitely becomes cumbersome.

Once inside, the front seats are wide and comfortable, especially accommodating for generously-sized people. But they might not hold slimmer passengers snugly during aggressive turns or sudden movements.

The overall cushioning is a bit on the firmer side, making sure you get out of the car fresh after a long drive. The Carnival offers a 12-way powered driver’s seat with memory function and an 8-way powered co-driver’s seat, ensuring optimal comfort and adjustability. 

And with tilt and telescopic electric steering adjustment, getting comfortable behind the wheel doesn’t take much time. Furthermore, large windows and a tall commanding seating position provide excellent visibility, enhancing driver’s confidence – something which is necessary when piloting such a huge vehicle.

Second row

Both rear doors are electrically operated via buttons inside the cabin, the key fob, or even gesture operated sensors, so you don’t have to worry about sliding that huge door. There’s also a grab handle to make ingress a little bit easier.

Inside the second row, the Kia Carnival offers a lounge-like experience with its powered, ventilated, and heated captain seats. They slide fore and aft, recline generously, and include extendable ottomans, which can truly put you to sleep in no time. They get dedicated armrests on both the sides too. Furthermore, I like the fact that the headrests here have winged supports on either side, which hold your head in case you fall asleep. And going by the level of comfort on offer, you’re more likely to than not.

However, unlike its rival – the MG M9, the Carnival does not get a massage function in these lounge-like seats. This is not something that you’d miss if it's not there, but it does take the comfort standards to another level.

There is already enough space on offer, but even the sense of space is great with large windows and dual sunroofs. For privacy, it gets manual sun shades too.

Third row

Accessing the third row of the Kia Carnival has to be done from between the captain seats, as they don’t tumble forward.

The third row is surprisingly usable for adults, especially if they’re of average or slim build. Space is generous, so much so that 6-footers can sit comfortably in all three rows. But the high floor means you sit knees-up. There are manual sun shades here too, along with dedicated AC vents.

Kia has given three headrests here, but it is best used with two occupants only. 

Storage options

The Kia Carnival has a spacious cabin with great practicality and you’ll never run out of storage spaces, be it for water bottles and knick knacks, irrespective of where you’re sitting. The central console features multiple storage spaces, wireless chargers, and cup holders. 

All door pockets have 1-litre bottle holders. For sunglasses and small items, there is overhead storage, and those items can alternatively be stored beneath the central armrest. A cooled glovebox helps keep water bottles and drinks cool during long drives. 

There are multiple cup holders, spread across all three rows. Second row occupants get them in the front central armrest, whereas there's a separate cubby hole with multiple cupholders for third row passengers.

Charging options

Apart from the wireless phone charger in the front central console, USB Type-C charging ports are available in all three rows, including within the seatbacks of the first row.

There’s also an auxiliary 12V socket in the second row.

Features

(4 out of 5)

The Kia Carnival offers you all the features that you’d expect at this price point. The main 12.3-inch touchscreen comes with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay. It runs on Kia’s latest user interface, which is easy to use and navigate. This system is paired with a crisp 12-speaker Bose audio system, feels good to hear for all the occupants, with a good amount of bass.

The digital instrument cluster features various themes for the visual setting that vary according to the chosen drive mode. Toggling between its various displays of information is fairly simple via using the steering mounted controls. 

As you’d expect from a modern-day vehicle, it packs connected car technology, which provides remote engine start/stop, climate control, geo-fencing, and vehicle diagnostics. There’s ventilated and heated seats, not just in the first row, but also the second. Each has three levels for varying degrees of heating/cooling.

There isn’t a single-piece panoramic sunroof, but the split sunroof makes the cabin roomier and is also voice-operated. The 360-degree camera comes as a huge relief in tight parking conditions. It also has dynamic guidelines and multiple angles to view the camera feed from.

​​​​​​Kia has equipped the Carnival with 8 airbags and a host of other safety equipment like all-wheel disc brakes, front, rear and side parking sensors, ISOFIX mounts, tyre pressure monitoring system, and hill-assist control. The ISOFIX Mounts are available on middle-row seats for easy and safe installation of child seats.

It also gets level-2 autonomous driving assistance systems (ADAS) and the suite includes forward collision mitigation, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot view monitor, and safe exit assist. One feature from the list which is particularly handy is the blind-spot view monitor that shows a video feed of the blind spot in the instrument cluster when the indicator is activated.

While the Kia Carnival has not been crash tested in India, it scored a 5-star rating in the Australian NCAP for the cars sold in the Australian and New Zealand market.

(4 out of 5)

The 2025 Kia Carnival offers a usable boot space with all three rows upright, enough for 5 cabin-sized trolleys plus some backpacks.

Fold-flat the third row and you get space enough to fit a full set of trolley bags (big, small and medium) plus two duffle bags or maybe haul an appliance home. There's additional storage under the boot floor for smaller items or tools. The tailgate is powered and can be operated via the key, gesture, or from inside the cabin.

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(3.5 out of 5)

The 2025 Kia Carnival is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine that churns out 193 PS of power and 441 Nm of torque. Transmission duties are carried out by an 8-speed torque converter automatic, which sends power to the front wheels only.

While the NVH levels of this diesel engine could’ve been more refined, there is no complaint from its driveability considering it is a vehicle whose primary task is to chauffeur people in comfort from point A to B.

City Performance

The Kia Carnival feels big to drive in the city, especially in and around the narrow streets. But the torque of the diesel engine masks the car's weight well at low speeds. It doesn’t feel heavy or lethargic. It drives smoothly in bumper to bumper traffic, and has enough performance for a quick overtake, even at lower RPMs.

The 8-speed automatic shifts quickly and seamlessly, whether you're accelerating hard or cruising calmly.

Being a diesel-powered MPV, the Carnival does offer decent mileage, where the claimed figure stands at 14.85kmpl. We noticed an efficiency figure close to 10-11kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

Hitting triple-digit speeds with the Carnival, despite occupants in the car, doesn’t take much time. The performance is just adequate, and the oil burner has just enough grunt for confident highway cruising. 

While the performance doesn’t excite, it doesn’t disappoint either, and is perfect for those who prefer comfort over engagement. And it feels the most comfortable eating up miles on long stretches of tarmac when driven in a relaxed manner.You can expect a fuel efficiency of around 12-13kmpl on the highway.

(4 out of 5)

Ride comfort

The Carnival’s suspension setup leans towards comfort, soaking up bumps, undulations, and minor potholes with ease. 18-inch wheels with thick sidewalls complement the softly sprung suspension beautifully, ensuring a cushy, almost lounge-like ride.

You will be really comfortable riding inside the Carnival in the city as the low-speed ride quality is excellent, especially over level changes and speed bumps, with no nasty thuds, just smooth rebounds.

Given its size and height, some side-to-side body movement is inevitable on broken roads or during quick lane changes, which is honestly acceptable. And even over the sudden undulations or expansion joints on the highway, the car settles down fast but smoothly, avoiding any post-bump wobble or unnecessary movement inside.

Handling

With a 3090 mm wheelbase and 5.2 metres in length, the Carnival demands some attention when navigating narrow roads or sharp humps pretending to be mountains. But the car feels easy to drive on the highway, and remains stable and planted at higher speeds. 

A calm, measured driving style brings out the best from the Carnival’s ride quality. Rush it, and the softness can work against you.

Kia Carnival Limousine Plus is the only variant available in India with the Kia Carnival. 

It is packed with features like:

• Second-row seats with leg support are available, offering the most luxurious experience in the cabin.

• Equipped with a dual-pane sunroof, adding to the sense of space and premium appeal.

• Comes with a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, and an electronic parking brake with auto hold, extremely useful for a car of this size.

• Includes ventilated front seats and a powered driver’s seat with memory function, boosting comfort and convenience.

• Features like a powered tailgate, UV-cut glass, wireless phone charging, and a smart air purifier all add to its upmarket appeal.

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It is available in only one fully loaded Limousine Plus variant. It may be pricey, but considering the sheer number of comfort, convenience, and luxury features packed in, it serves the purpose for those who want the full Carnival experience.

The Kia Carnival's latest generation remains faithful to its origins as a premium MPV, prioritising comfort, space, and smooth cruising over everything. It isn't here to excite driving enthusiasts, rather, it concentrates on executing its given function overwhelmingly well: transporting families or executives in smooth, peaceful luxury.

The interior is premium and full of thoughtful touches that really do make a difference, particularly in the second row. That clattery diesel and the sheer size of the Carnival might be small downsides, but they are overshadowed by the overall package. If you are looking for a sophisticated, no-drama people-mover with a first-class ride without a lot of fuss, the Carnival remains a compelling option, despite the premium price tag!

Other Cars To Consider Instead Of The Kia Carnival

Toyota Vellfire

Reasons to consider

• More premium second-row experience

• More tech, including a small TV!

• Looks more regal

• Super-efficient hybrid powertrain

Reasons to ignore

• Upgrade in overall experience isn’t worth twice the price 

MG M9

Reasons to consider

• Electric powertrain is more refined and effortless

• Interior feels slightly more premium 

• Better second row experience with features like massaging seats

Reasons to ignore

• Low-speed ride quality isn’t as comfortable

• Doesn’t feel as confident at higher speeds

• Electric powertrain has limitations for long-distance rides