A few months ago, the heavily facelifted Kia Carnival made its world premiere with its home market getting it first (obviously). Since then, the updated minivan has been sold in other parts of the world, although it has taken quite some time to reach Southeast Asia.
For those eyeing one of these, the long wait might soon be over. That’s because it has just made its Southeast Asian debut during the 2024 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS 2024).
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You’re probably wondering why in Indonesia. Well, if you think us Filipinos love our MPVs, our neighbors practically live and breathe it. There’s a reason why the some of the most popular MPVs sold here come from Indonesia.
Okay, back to the new Kia Carnival. It’s practically identical to the South Korean model, so there are practically no changes to the exterior and interior design. But what’s interesting here is the seating arrangement and powertrain options.
Per the usual, there are seven seats on offer. However, there is also the choice of an 11-seater variant in Indonesia. Yes, Kia has managed to squeeze four rows inside this van. Mind you, this isn’t the first time they’ve done that. The previous generation Carnival was once offered with that arrangement.
As for the engines, there’s the familiar 2.2-liter Smartstream turbodiesel mill. It’s good for 191hp and 441 Nm of torque. It’s then mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission for greater efficiency. This pairing is carried over from the pre-facelift model.
But there’s finally a choice for those who would like to avoid having a diesel but wouldn’t want the sting of a large-capacity gas engine’s fuel consumption. There’s finally a hybrid option for the Kia minivan, and it’s the same one used in the Sorento Hybrid and Santa Fe Hybrid. In case you’re wondering why that’s the case, Hyundai basically owns Kia.
Like the electrified Sorento and Santa Fe, the Kia Carnival Hybrid pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with an electric motor. But in the case of the minivan, it actually makes more power than the Hyundai-Kia crossovers. Instead of 235hp, the one in the Carnival puts put 245hp. Torque is retained at 367Nm.
Now that it’s Southeast Asia, does this mean it’s coming to the Philippines soon? By the looks of things, there’s a good chance of that happening. While the Carnival doesn’t post as much sales as, say, Japanese MPVs and minivans, there is a strong and faithful following for it. Should it be on its way here, we’d love to see the hybrid being offered, too.
