23 December 2011
The 8-seater KIA Grand Carnival comes in four different models – S, Si, SLi, and Platinum – which range in price from $38,990 to $56,190.
I had the pleasure of driving the Platinum model with the new 2.2L diesel engine.
Let’s get something out in the open right from the start – there is nothing remotely cool about a people mover, even KIA’s Grand Carnival Platinum. It’s not built for performance or for looks, it’s built to move lots of people and/or lots of stuff. Once you embrace the fact that you’re driving a dorky-looking pygmy bus, you might actually start secretly enjoying it. I’ll confess… I kinda did.
Style & Drive
The big change to KIA’s Grand Carnival this year is the addition of the R-series diesel engine which provides more power, a smoother ride, and better fuel efficiency. Even with the new engine though, the Grand Carnival is still a bit of a lumbering beast. It feels a little sluggish on takeoff, but once you’re on the move it’s not too bad at all, handling steep hills with surprising power while fully laden with passengers.
In the Platinum model, parking is made easy with rear parking sensors and a rearview parking camera that’s built into the rear-vision mirror. The car’s coolest features are definitely the automatic electric sliding doors and rear tailgate, which open and close with the touch of a button located either on the remote key or the car console.
Aesthetically, the Grand Carnival is nothing to write home about. The interior design is all about practicality, comfort, and with kids in mind, indestructibility. The eight seats are in a 2:3:3 formation, with bucket-style seats in the first two rows and a 60:40 bench for the third row which is easily accessed by a flip down and forward seat in the second row. The seats in the second row can be fully removed, and the third row can flip back and down, collapsing into the floor to create a flat surface, which is awesome. The gray leather seats are a bit ugly, but look like they would last a lifetime.
The Grand Carnival Platinum comes with power windows for the first and second rows, and swing-out rear quarter power windows for the third row, a conversation mirror so the driver can see what’s happening down the back, Bluetooth, a six-speaker MP3 and iPod compatible 6-stack CD player with USB and AUX inputs, tri-zone (front dual and rear) air conditioning, cruise-control, and steering wheel audio controls.
Safety
The Grand Carnival has yet to be tested by ANCAP, but its little sister, the Carnival, scored a 4-star ANCAP rating. The 2012 Grand Carnival features six airbags (driver, passenger, front side and curtain), an Anti-lock braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control System (TCS), reverse parking sensors and a rear view parking camera with mirror display.
Eco
The 2.2L diesel model has a fuel consumption of 8.1L/100km and CO2 emission of 213g/km
Servicing
The Kia Grand Carnival features a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Describe the car in 3 words
Cavernous, practical, dorky.
What are the best things about this car?
Perfect for large families or people who need to lug around a lot of equipment.
What are the downsides of this car?
It’s not very glamorous.
What kind of petrol does it use?
Diesel or unleaded petrol.
Liked it?
It definitely grew on me.
If personified, who would this car be?
John Travolta.