Caricarz First Media Drive in 2022

Caricarz’s author was invited to attend a media test drive session of the Kia Carnival 2022 dated January 20, 2022. This article reveals the author’s views on this model.

The initially named ‘Grand Carnival’ model has now been abbreviated as ‘Carnival’. Carnival is considered a Grand Utility Vehicle (GUV) and not just a regular MPV for the first time.

Priced at RM 196,340, the 11 -seater GUV is only offered in one variant, which will initially be imported from South Korea before CKD installation begins in May this year.

Early Response

After listening to a speech from Kia, seeing a presentation on the latest Kia Carnival’s exciting features, and listening to a briefing for a test drive session, the organisers took us to the Kia Carnival location where various colours were parked.

It was seen from the front corner how ‘giant’ this machine would be. The author is intrigued by the design of the car grille, which makes the entire front face look modern. The grille, which Kia says is inspired by the ‘tiger nose’, is connected to a dual-LED projector headlight.

From the side, the most striking features are on the tires that use 18-inch two-tone Y-design alloy rims that look sleek, indentations on the bottom of the doors that look dashing and also sporty skirting.

Moving to the back, the standout feature is the elongated headlights with chrome lines on them. The skid plate is also prominent at this angle, making the car look rugged.

Compared to the previous Kia Carnival, the overall size of the Kia Carnival 2022 is larger where the length increases by 40 mm, the width increases by 10 mm and the wheelbase increases by 30 mm. Although larger, this version is built based on the latest generation lighter, stronger, and quieter platform and has better aerodynamic features.

For this test drive session, the writers had the opportunity to ride in a bright red Kia Carnival or Flare Red. Indeed, the colour is quite striking for a stately machine.

Because we moved in groups, we could drive the car in turns. For this early move from Glenmarie, the writer chose to sit in the third row of the Kia Carnival.

To enter the car, the writer simply must press a small button on the door handle, and the car opens automatically — a very convenient feature for a large machine. The door can also be opened automatically without touch if the user brings a key when approaching the car door.

As soon as the door opens, the elegant interior of the car with brown leather upholstery seats (Saddle Brown) is revealed.

The writer chose to sit in the third row of the four available rows. In the author's opinion, the seat is very comfortable with a headrest that does not hurt the neck even sitting for a long time.

From this position, the writer can see the breadth of all the back rows. The legroom for the second and third rows is spacious enough for adult passengers; however, for the last row, the legroom is narrower and only suitable for children.

The seats in the middle for the second and third rows can be folded to be storage space for items such as bottles, mobile phones, or the like. It can also be folded to the side to make way for the last row of seats.

With Malaysia's hot and humid weather, the most important feature of a car the size of this GUV is the cool air conditioning, which is not an issue for the Kia Carnival. There is a single-zone automatic air conditioner where the air funnel is located on the roof for more thorough cooling.

Another feature that is arguably important is the charger port. Don’t worry, the Kia Carnival comes with seven USB charger ports that all rows of seats can access. Then the shock of going back to the village!

However, it would be wonderful if Kia Carnival Malaysia also got other exciting features found on Kia Carnival Thailand, namely the entertainment unit for the back seat and the solar roof.

It is indeed commendable in terms of travel comfort as a rear passenger. Its quality can be felt while going through uneven or soaring roads. The impact on the passengers is small as the car body well absorbs everything.

After experiencing the experience of being a rear passenger, the writer had the opportunity to sit in the front after a driver exchange session. While in the driver's seat, the excitement came to mind when looking at the entire front of the Kia Carnival from the dashboard, centre console and steering wheel, which in the writer's opinion, looks classic due to the combination of colours used and also its simple but elegant design.

The Kia Carnival 2022 uses a 12.3 -inch touchscreen infotainment system connected to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Below are several other control buttons and a control system for dual-zone air conditioning for the front row. The convenience of a wireless charger and a USB connection is at the very bottom.

The car's steering wheel is wrapped in black leather that is nice to hold, a touch that feels premium. Behind the steering wheel is a 4.2 -inch TFT LCD multi-info display screen flanked by a cluster of analogue instruments.

When it came time to continue the journey to Ipoh, the writer prepared himself by adjusting the seats (8-way automatic adjustment, the same adjustment feature for both front seats) and mirrors to fit the writer's small body size to drive a machine of this size.

In the author's opinion, the driver's space of this car is quite flexible and comfortable because it can be adapted for a small driver. The viewing angle is also very satisfying with the spacious windshield and large side mirrors.

Kia Carnival uses a 2.2L SmartStream turbodiesel engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission that can be easily changed via a rotating gear dial (e-shift). This car can generate power reaching 199 hp at 3,800 rpm with 440 Nm of torque at 1,750 - 2,750 rpm.

The system used on the Kia Carnival this time makes the drive feel quite relaxed with such responsive and smooth handling. Travel is taken at various speeds and driving modes (Normal, Eco, Sport and Smart) via highways and rural roads.

Impact on passengers and drivers during braking bends and acceleration is minimal. The comfort level is commendable, and the car also feels stable when driven fast. The car's comfort also stands out when going through the potholed and uneven village road.

Among other features available are the surround-view monitor that assists the driver to control a large vehicle easily, especially when parking or through a narrow space.

The most important questions are:

“What about oil? Isn't it expensive for a car this big?”

After going through a rocky journey from Glenmarie to Ipoh and from Ipoh back to Glenmarie without refuelling at full capacity at the beginning of the trip, here are the results:

It does save oil! The figures on the centre screen, 9.1L/100KM, show that the level of fuel consumption of this car is quite good considering that during this test drive session, the vehicle is often driven at high speeds. In addition, the vehicle was also driven differently each time a driver change was made with this much oil left at the end of the trip.

Other Aspects

As a GUV with three rows of foldable rear seats, the size of the cargo space becomes more flexible.

In terms of safety, Kia Carnival is equipped with several passive safety features, namely seven airbags, traction control (TCS), electronic brake distribution (EBD), brake assist (BA), anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control system. (ESC), multi-collision brake control (MCB), ISOFIX mounting, start-up assistance (HAC), automatic door locking, auto-hold function, engine paralysis and rear passenger warning (ROA). The car is equipped with a blind spot violation warning (BCW) and rear crossing traffic violation avoidance (RCCA) assistance for active safety features.

Is Kia Carnival 2022 Worth to Own?

Offered at RM 196,340, this GUV is indeed an attractive machine to be owned by a large family due to its large number of seats like a van. Its comfort level also makes it ideal for long-distance travel, and fuel consumption is also economical.

However, the only Kia Carnival model released for Malaysia has shortcomings in ADAS safety features. It only comes with a blind-spot warning system and rear crossing traffic avoidance assistance without other important features such as autonomous emergency brakes.

In addition, when compared to the Kia Carnival released for Thailand, some features involving safety, convenience, and entertainment are not available on our country's model.

But in terms of price and the overall experience during the test drive session, Kia Carnival is a GUV worth buying.

All opinions expressed are translated directly from Caricarz’s writer, Sofea Najmi’s article. All of the information stated above is based on Caricarz’s previous research in January 2022. Current prices and information may differ.