New to these 7 & 8 seat Kia MPVs are some larger black alloy wheels and more tech within.
While the rest of the world is currently looking forward to the newly-facelifted Kia Carnival, it would seem that us Malaysians might have to wait a little bit longer for that to arrive on our shores. Though it is not like this outgoing iteration hasn’t been given any love, as the locally-assembled 7 and 8 seater variants of this South Korean minivan has since been given a light update to keep it fresh for 2024.
Now starting with the bigger changes first on this 2024 update, one of those that fit the bill is actually to be on the variants offered by Kia with this Carnival. Such is because the previously 4 trims on offer has since been trimmed down to just 3, with the 2.2D 8-seater Mid tier being dropped for this year.
Handily however, what has also been dropped for 2024 is to be the prices of these newly updated Carnivals. The two variants that have since been tarted up for this year now have a sticker price of RM 245,888 and RM 259,888 for the 8-seater High and 7-seater High trims respectively, which is to be RM 247,228 and RM 261,228 than what either variant listed for when they first begun local assembly back in 2021.
Moving onto the actual changes to the cars with this update meanwhile, the 2024 update brings with it new 19-inch black alloys to the 7 and 8-seater Carnivals, in place of the silver-painted 18-inchers that were on previously. The other notable exterior alterations made to these people-movers this time round is the removal of Sonic Silver as a paint option, which leaves Astra Blue, Meteor Gray, Jet Black and Snowflake White Pearl as the four available hues with this minivan.
And while on the topic of different colours, the 7 and 8-seater Carnivals in 2024 now feature a more sedate black and grey seat upholstery rather than the previously available caramel and black combination. In the same vein of sensibility though, this particular update has also added a Blind-spot View Monitor to the already extensive safety tech suite with this South Korean MPV.
In terms of safety features, the 7-seater and 8-seater Carnival comes with a host of standard safety and advanced safety features which includes 7 SRS airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Multi-Collision Brake Control (MCB), ISOFIX Child Restraint Anchor Points and Top Tethers as well as Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC). The other non-safety but equally impressive tech toys featured within this minivan includes a 12-speaker Bose surround sound system and twin 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and central infotainment touchscreen up front with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, not to mention as well duel powered sunroofs and a pair of Smart Power Sliding doors.
The more premium 7-seater variant further adds throne-like Premium Relaxion seats, providing added convenience and versatility for passengers in that specific configuration. Said seats are also to be covered in leather, as opposed to the leatherette in the 8-seater trim.
Both 7 and 8-seats variants of this recently updated Carnival continues to soldier on with the existing Smartstream 2.2 litre inline-four turbodiesel, which churns out 202 PS and 440 Nm of torque. This oil burner is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission controlled by an electronic shifter (E-shift) that sends drive to solely the front wheels.
Aside from these newly updated 2024 Carnival 7 and 8-seaters, it has to be noted too that Kia also offers its people mover in a more practical four-row 11-seater configuration. This setup has been touted by the automaker to be beneficial for larger families as it provides a spacious and versatile option for customers who require extra seating in their vehicles, and could be yours with a starting price from RM 198,500.
