Korean carmaker Kia is expected to revise the variant lineup of its premium Carnival MPV in the near future. As per some leaked brochure images, the brand could launch a new 6-seater Prestige variant that will replace its existing 9-seater counterpart. It is likely to be priced at Rs 28.95 lakh (ex-showroom), Rs 1 lakh cheaper than the Prestige 9-seater model.
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The 6-seater version of the Kia Carnival will feature 2-2 captain seats in the second and third-row, respectively. It will offer a standard boot space of 540-litres, which can be expanded to 2759-litres by folding down these seats.
Currently, the Kia Carnival is available in four trims – Premium, Prestige, Limousine, and Limousine Plus. While the base variant comes in a 7-and 8-seat configuration, the mid-spec Prestige trim can be had either in a 7-seater or in a 9-seat layout. On the other hand, the range-topping Limousine and Limousine Plus variants are only available with 7-seats (VIP).
Besides the variant rejigs, we don't expect any other changes. That said, the Kia MPV will continue to be powered by the same 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine as the ongoing model that churns out 200PS and 440Nm, and comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Features onboard will continue to include LED projector headlamps, powered sliding side doors, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with UVO connected car technology, an 8-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, cruise control, triple-zone climate control with auto defogger, dual 10.1-inch rear-seat entertainment system, ventilated driver’s seat, a 10-way power driver seat, an air purifier, auto-dimming IRVM, electronic parking brake, tire pressure monitoring, side & curtain airbags, electronic stability control, hill start assist control, rollover mitigation, cornering brake control, parking sensors, ABS with EBD, disc brakes, and much more (depending on the variant).
The Kia Carnival doesn't have any direct competitors in the Indian market. However, it could be seen as a premium alternative to the Toyota Innova Crysta. The brand is also expected to launch the fourth-generation Carnival in India by 2022.
