Facelifted Kia Carnival Debuts in Thailand – CBU From Malaysia, Coming Soon?

The fourth-gen Kia Carnival facelift debuts in Thailand, featuring two HEV variants. Is Malaysia next on the list?

Following its regional debut in Indonesia last year, the facelifted fourth-gen Kia Carnival has now made its debut in Thailand. Unlike the Indonesian model, the Thai market will only get the facelifted Carnival in the hybrid (HEV) form with two variants—Premium 7-Seater and Luxury 7-Seater.

Interestingly, according to its local automotive portal Headlightmag, the Thai-spec Carnival HEV is a CBU unit from Malaysia, with prices starting from THB 2.499 million (RM324,500) for the Premium 7-Seater and THB 2.699 million (RM350,470) for the Luxury 7-Seater.

As detailed prior, the facelifted Carnival’s HEV setup comprises a 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbocharged petrol mill that is paired to a single electric motor that drives the front wheels, assisted by a six-speed automatic transmission.

Combined, this new HEV setup delivers 242 hp and 367 Nm to the Carnival Hybrid, making it slightly more powerful than other variants, although the hybrid still can’t matchthe oil-burning model’s sheer torque output. For reference, the Indo-spec Carnival’s 2.2D SmartStream diesel mill is rated at 191 hp and 441 Nm.

On the design front, the Thai-spec Carnival facelift follows the same design changes seen on its Indonesian twin, with the biggest highlight being its new front face with new LED headlights and the signature Star Map DRls, which are inspired by the ones we saw on the brand’s flagship EV SUV, the Kia EV9.

Other key exterior highlights include 19-inch alloy wheels, inverted L-shaped LED taillights, a lower license plate mounting place, and many more.

Inside, both variants of the facelifted Carnival get the same three-row, seven-seat layout, featuring two captain-style seats in the second row. The top-spec model also gets a larger dual 12.3-inch display layout with a head-up display (HUD), a digital rearview mirror, premium relaxation second-row seats with ventilation and ottoman support, dual panoramic sunroofs, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system, to name a few.

Other key amenities primed on both variants include eight-way power-adjustable front seats, powered sliding doors, triple-zone climate control with a dedicated rear control panel, a Qi wireless charger, a 360-degree camera system, and more.

With the facelifted Carnival reportedly beginning its production already here in Malaysia, we can expect this semi-electrified MPV to make its local debut eventually. Sales of the current, diesel-powered Carnival have slowly plummeted since the implementation of the rationalised diesel fuel subsidy, so there’s a chance that we might only get the HEV variant for the facelift model.