GALLERY: 2022 Kia Carnival in Malaysia – CBU 11-seat MPV; 202 PS 2.2L turbodiesel; priced from RM196k

Here’s a full gallery of the new Kia Carnival, which was first previewed in Malaysia last December and has since been given an official price tag of RM196,341. The on-the-road figure is inclusive of a five-year, 100,000-km warranty and free maintenance (labour, parts and lubricants) as well as the government’s sales tax exemption of 50% – the 11-seat MPV currently comes fully imported (CBU) from South Korea, with local assembly (CKD) reportedly starting in April this year.

Under the bonnet, there’s a Smartstream D 2.2 litre four-cylinder CRDi turbodiesel engine that serves up 202 PS (199 hp) at 3,800 rpm and 440 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 2,750 rpm. The mill drives the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

Compared to its predecessor, the fourth-generation Carnival is 40 mm longer (5,155 mm), 10 mm wider (1,995 mm) and has a wheelbase that spans 3,090 mm (+30 mm). The redesign also results in a more sophisticated look, with prominent cues being the brand’s signature “tiger nose” grille that blends into quad LED projector headlamps and distinctive LED daytime running lights.

Along the sides, you’ll find a clean side profile and a single shoulder line that meets up with the bonnet shut line, door handles and rails for the hands-free powered sliding doors. Blacked-out pillars help to create a “floating roof” look, while chromed and textured C-pillars provide a premium feel. There are also some SUV-like elements too, including black body cladding, silver faux skid plates, while other notable cues are roof rails and full-width taillights.

Inside, the Carnival sports a horizontal dashboard design that houses a freestanding infotainment touchscreen display measuring 12.3 inches diagonally, set beside an analogue instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch multi-info display.

A tall centre console brings the car’s rotary gear selector closer to the driver, while the centre stack accommodates controls for media functions and dual-zone climate control system for the front passengers – rear passengers get a single zone of their own with four ceiling vents (two for the second row and another two for the third and fourth rows). There are also manually-retractable sun shades on the four rearmost side windows.

The 11 seats – allow the Carnival to be classified as a commercial vehicle and thus grant it lower taxes – inside the cabin are spread out over four rows in a 2-3-3-3 layout, with the two outer second-row seats being the only ones with ISOFIX child seat anchors. The small second- and third-row centre seats are meant for temporary use, as they still only come with lap belts; they can be folded and tipped up to the side to allow for a central walk-through.

Meanwhile, the outer second- and third-row seats can slide and recline, as well as be folded and removed for a van-like cargo hold. The fourth row is a pop-up bench that can be folded in a single piece to provide some luggage space, although with all seats occupied, there’s barely any boot space available as the rearmost bench is right up against the powered tailgate.

Other practical features are 12 cupholders, with two being located on the front centre console, two behind the front armrest, two on each of the centre seats in the second and third rows, and four on the on the sides of the third row. There are also two 12-volt power sockets – one behind the front armrest and another in the fourth row – along with seven USB Type-A ports (three for the front passengers, one on the sides of each front seat, and one on either side of the third row.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch Y-spoke two-tone alloy wheels with 235/60 profile tyres, front and rear fog lights, keyless entry, push-button start, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, faux leather upholstery, a Qi wireless charger, six speakers and a 360-degree camera system.

In terms of safety features, the Carnival comes with blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert to go with seven airbags (one for the driver’s knee) and stability control. Unfortunately, there’s no autonomous emergency braking or active cruise control of any kind – hopefully the CKD model will get them.

The Carnival is offered in six exterior colours, namely Snow White Pearl, Silky Silver, Aurora Black Pearl, Panthera Metal, Astra Blue and Flare Red, with all options being paired with a black and Saddle Brown leather interior.

Find full specifications of the new Kia Carnival at CarBase.my.

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Learn more: Kia Carnival 2022