Just a few months after making its debut, the facelifted fourth-gen (KA4) Kia Carnival has gained a new 8-seater variant.
Slotting between the entry-level 11-seater model (RM188,888) and the top-spec 7-seater (RM248,888), the new Carnival 8-seater retails at RM238,888, which includes a five-year or 150,000 km vehicle warranty as standard.
On top of that, Kia Sales Malaysia (KSM) is also offering new Carnival owners the option to enjoy either a competitive per annum interest rate for up to nine years of financing or RM6,000 worth of fuel credits in their TNG eWallet, with the latter being part of its ‘We Fuel You’ initiative.
And just like its two siblings, the facelifted Carnival 8-seater is also being assembled locally (CKD) in Kulim, Kedah.
8-Seater with 2-3-3 Configuration
Just like the pre-facelift model, the new Carnival 8-seater facelift swaps the 7-seater’s captain seats at the second row for a more practical three-seater bench that can be split-folded with a 40:20:40 configuration.
Another interesting feature of the second-row bench is that the middle seat can be individually configured to face forward or backward, while the outer seats can be reversed by switching their positions for better versatility. Not to mention, all seats in the Carnival 8-seater are wrapped in plush leatherette upholstery, but the second-row seats do miss out on both the heating and ventilation functions that are available on the 7-seater model.
The rest of the cabin amenities for the 8-seater model are more or less similar to the 7-seater, with key highlights including the dual 12.3-inch screens with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, ambient lights, a full ADAS suite, eight airbags, three-point seat belts for all eight seats, and many more.
Same Exterior Design & Powertrain
Outside, the new Carnival 8-seater mirrors its more premium 7-seater twin, as the new variant also shares the same 19-inch wheels and four exterior colour options (Meteor Gray, Snowflake White Pearl, Astra Blue, and Jet Black) as the top-spec model.
The same applies to its powertrain unit, with the 8-seater model still featuring the tried-and-tested 2.2-litre 4-cyl Smartstream turbodiesel engine that sends 202 PS and 440 Nm of grunt to the front wheels (FWD) of this MPV via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Kia claims this oil burner is good for up to 900 km of WLTP range with a low fuel consumption of 6.5 litres per 100 km.
Having said that, it seems like the 1.6-litre hybrid variant of the Carnival facelift has again eluded our market, with said model already being sold in other ASEAN markets like Thailand and Indonesia. Given the current diesel price already rose past RM6 per litre, the petrol hybrid version does seem like a more reasonable option for this MPV. What do you think?
