Kia Carnival 2.2 CRDi SX Limited (2021) Review: The luxury bus without any fuss

While vans are much loved by parents who feel like they’re driving kids around for a living, most families still opt for large SUVs because of their versatility and ability to leave the tarmac on odd occasions, although these SUVs probably won't see much more offroad action than a gravel or dirt road on weekends, a few potholes, or the shaded sidewalk at school. Why bother buying one at all, then? Well, people like the look of SUVs, and previously, it was hard to find vans with sex appeal. You either bought a Kombi in some shape or form, a Mercedes-Benz Vito/V-Class, or a Ford Tourneo Custom. The Kia Grand Sedona has always been my go-to car when people asked me which van to buy, but they weren’t hugely popular. (You can read about it here:  2019 Kia Grand Sedona: Be sure to check these features out.)

Fast forward to 2022 and there is a considerable variety of people-movers on the market. Hyundai recently released the futuristic (8-seater) Staria, an already familiar sight around town, and for those seeking an even larger bus, Toyota’s new 9-seater Quantum 2.8 LWB 9-Seater VX Premium is the answer, but it hasn’t quite enjoyed the same attention as the Staria has. 

I’ll tell you who’s deserving of plenty of attention in 2022 though -  the sensuous new Kia Carnival. I got to drive it for the first seven days of the school term.

 

Styling

 

Kia is positioning the Carnival “between SUVs and utilitarian people movers”, but only because of its design. Its SUV character doesn’t jump out at you, though; I only noticed the slightly flared wheel arches and skid plates when taking photographs. What you do see is a sleek, stylish, elongated vehicle with a futuristic, concave chrome grille (formed by a multitude of chrome rectangles)  and an eye-catching light signature at the front as well as the back.  Its predecessor, the Kia Grand Sedona, wasn’t even given a second glance back in 2019 when I had it on test, but the Carnival is a beautiful piece of machinery that turns heads wherever it goes. The roof rails and chrome-effect detailing on the C-pillars also serve to make the Carnival stand out. And not many vans look good from behind, but the Carnival's LEDs make for a beguiling rear view.

 

 

Interior

 

Kia interiors have improved in leaps and bounds over the last few years, and the Carnival’s cabin is a testament to this. The Carnival’s centre stack facia, instrument cluster, slick touchscreen and every conceivable surface, be it glossy black or plastic, feels like quality. The textured chrome strip that runs along the length of the dashboard adds a touch of glamour, while the brushed chrome gear selector dial (as seen in Land Rover products) frees up visual space for an uncluttered, high-end feeling. Dual-toned leather seats are standard on all models. If you didn’t see the Kia badge on the bonnet beforehand, you’d think you were inside a luxury German tourer. 

 

 

Speaking of which, I had the more expensive Mercedes-Benz V300d on test the week before and constantly compared it with the Carnival while the latter was under my scrutiny. The one thing that counted in the V300’s favour was its velvety black headliner, which is an optional extra. The brand new Carnival’s beige material already showed a grubby fingermark or two; its only negative point so far. The Carnival is spacious and airy enough to be able to afford dark ‘ceiling’ material, and having that as an option would be nice. 

Space and comfort

 

Our Carnival, in SX Limited trim, ensconces seven persons in absolute luxury. As before, the second row has two separate ‘captain’ seats, fully electric, with a USB port for each passenger on the backside of the front seats. The rearmost row seats three persons and adds two more USB ports, while the front passengers and driver have three USB ports as well as a wireless charging pad for compatible smartphones. Wireless Apple CarPlay was utilised on every journey and the extra-large touchscreen is especially helpful when you don’t have your specs with you!

 

 

The driver’s seat, also electronically adjustable, moves backwards when you switch the car off for an easy exit. There are also buttons underneath the steering wheel for the remote opening of the boot, as well as both sliding doors. The kids felt like celebrities when they were being dropped off at school. They’d sit motionless until the doors were completely open, and would then proceed to slowly exit the car. Upon their exit, I would close the doors from the front for maximum VIP appeal. As they approached the van after school, I also had to open the boot and doors remotely like an android chauffeur.

 

 

The driver and front passenger’s seats can be heated and ventilated too, and the rear air-conditioning controls are quite extensive. Everything can also be adjusted from the touchscreen in front or via the designated air-conditioning buttons. Sun visors reach all the way to the back to prevent sunburn and any heat-related grumpiness.

 

 

Once the kids have entered the school gate and you’re ready to exit the crowded school parking lot, the Around View cameras are happy to assist by offering you a bird’s eye view of the Carnival. By pressing one of the many on-screen buttons to the left, you can choose where you need to have ‘eyes’. Thinking you may be a little close to the sidewalk? There’s a selectable view that will show you how much space is between your car’s sexy 19-inch wheels and the damaging concrete. 

 

 

Space-wise, one of the Carnival’s talents is how much you can fit inside the boot when all seats are housing a set of buttocks. 1139 Litres of storage space and a high ceiling allows you to transport long items upright, such as adult-sized boogie-boards, for example. None of the Carnival’s competitors even come close to this amount of room in the rear for luggage, when all seats are in use.

 

 

The drive

 

Well, aren’t you lucky if you get to pilot this sexy bus every day of the week? I couldn’t wait to drive the kids around and do the weekly grocery shopping. It’s all just so easy, and you don’t feel like you’re behind the wheel of a van at all. The biggest issue with large vehicles is that you can’t always see what’s going on around you, but the multitude of cameras have sorted this issue out. Steering is light and easy and you won’t feel the car’s considerable heft unless you have to brake hard in emergencies. Despite being ever-so-slightly bigger than the outgoing Grand Sedona, the Carnival tips the scales at only 14kg more.

In SX Limited trim, the Carnival gets all Kia’s latest, semi-autonomous driving technology which is surprisingly sophisticated for a non-premium brand. The Carnival is adept at steering on its own for long periods of time, able to steer around bends that are relatively sharp, and doesn’t aggressively bump you back into your lane if you’re veering off. It’s easy to activate the smart cruise control and just as simple to reactivate if you had to override it. This Carnival is also equipped with forward collision avoidance, blind-spot collision avoidance as well as rear-cross traffic alert, but it does more than beep loudly if it spots oncoming traffic or pedestrians - it will brake for you and prevent the accident altogether. Everything has been thought of, and more. (Move over, Volvo Pilot Assist!)

 

 

On the powertrain side, the new Carnival is equipped with Kia’s latest (and sufficiently powerful) Smartstream 2.2 CRDi turbodiesel engine and an 8-speed torque converter auto gearbox. Power figures are more or less the same as its predecessor (148kW at 3,800 r/min and 440Nm of torque developed from 1,750 r/min all the way through to 2,750 r/min), although Kia says that its emissions output is a smidge lower than before. It’s a smooth, quiet, and refined ride overall, the suspension is softly sprung but not overly so, and there are driving modes for different situations, ie. Eco, Sport, Comfort or Smart. Smart mode is your best bet as it adjusts to your driving style and environment.

 

Fuel economy

 

The 2.2-litre turbodiesel has its work cut out, having to haul a substantial load plus people and their luggage on board the Carnival, yet it still manages to return between 7.5 and 8.6 litres per 100 km only, depending on where you do most of your driving, of course. A single tank would last me around 1050 kilometres in mixed driving conditions, as I travel to the airport at least once a week via the N2. The rest of the time it's mostly driving children around town.

It’s noteworthy that where running costs are concerned, the Carnival (or then-Grand Sedona)  came out on top in its shootout between the Toyota Quantum and the Volkswagen Transporter.

 

Safety

 

I've already mentioned the self-driving tech earlier which is much more advanced than I expected it to be, so it goes without saying that the Carnival’s passive safety specification is of the five-star standard. All models in the range have Park Distance Control in the front and rear, LED headlamps, traction/stability control and Hill-Start Assist, along with seven airbags. In the United States, the 2022 Carnival has already earned the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

 

Pricing

 

Considering the luxury, convenience and tech on offer, I think the Carnival is well-priced, and the entry-level model offers enough standard goodies to attract buyers with a maximum budget of R800k.

This is what the current line-up looks like:

Carnival 2.2 CRDi EX 8AT 7-Seater                  R799,995

Carnival 2.2 CRDi EX+ 8AT 8-Seater                R879,995

Carnival 2.2 CRDi SX Limited 8AT 7-Seater    R999,995 (Limited edition model, reviewed here)

Carnival 2.2 CRDi SXL 8AT 7-Seater                 R1,024,995 (available from March 2022)

 

You may think the Carnival is pricey, but remember that all new cars in this segment are. In SX Limited guise at R1 million, the Carnival goes up against the aforementioned Hyundai Staria 2.2D Elite (From R 959 900), The Mercedes-Benz V200d (R1 055 330), Quantum 2.8 LWB VX Premium (R 1 037 100) and VW Transporter Kombi (from R945 200). If you want the same semi-auto-pilot features as the Carnival has but in a Hyundai, you’ll have to fork out almost another R100k for the Staria 2.2D Luxury model (R1 099 900).  These features are optional in its German counterparts.

The Carnival also gets an unlimited kilometre 5-year warranty (with Roadside Assist), along with a 6-year/90 000 km maintenance plan.

 

Verdict

 

The Kia Carnival is one of those vehicles that satisfies every person who sets foot in it. Teenagers will love all the USB ports and the vast amount of space. Mom will be relaxed in her ultra-comfortable, ventilated seat and she will have easy access to the little ones in the back. The driver, be it Dad or Mom, will arrive at their destination relaxed and comfortable, thanks to all the user-friendly assistance systems on board. The Carnival has also won practicality awards for ease of use when fitting child seats. Nothing inside the Carnival is going to be a cause of daily frustration!

The Grand Sedona has always been one of my favourites, but the new Carnival is now the one to beat in the segment.

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