A new gearbox and safety kit headlines the upgrades for the new 2018 Kia Carnival which will be priced from $42,490 plus on-road costs.
Upgrades for the mid-life refresh also include subtle styling updates such as the refined tiger nose grille, new headlight cluster and refreshed rear end.
Two engines options are available - a 3.3-litre GDI petrol engine and a 2.2-litre R Series diesel producing 206kW/336Nm and 147kW/440Nm respectively. Both engines are mated with Kia’s new eight-speed automatic transmission.
The 2018 Kia Carnival will be available in four grades –S, Si SLi and the range-topping Platinum.
The entry-level S variant gets Kia’s updated in-house audio system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, displayed on a 7.0-inch infotainment screen (growing from 5-inches), a six-speaker audio system, a stain resistant grey cloth trim with black contrast stitch and a 3.5-inch driver information display.
Standard safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, brake assist, cornering brake control and rollover mitigation, rear parking sensors, lane departure warning and smart cruise control.
Moving to the Si grade adds a larger 8-inch touchscreen, satellite navigation, a 3.5-inch colour drivers information display, an 8-speaker JBL premium sound system and tri-zone air conditioning.
The SLi grade brings some luxury touches with leather trim replacing the cloth trim, an eight-way power-assisted driver’s seat with lumbar support, electric tailgate and two power-sliding rear doors.
At the business end of the range, Platinum models get heated and cooled front seats with four-way lumbar, built-in sunshades in the second and third row, slide-open tray and a suite of active safety gear including blind spot detection, lane change assist, high beam assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
Additional storage space has been squeezed into the cabin via large storage areas under the front armrest, two gloveboxes and a small tray built into the centre console with similar compartments also found throughout the rear of the cabin as well as 10 cup holders and four bottle holders.
The larger wheelbase in the 2018 Carnival has also allowed more legroom to be divided between passengers as well as lowered seat cushions providing more headroom. The roof also drops the sloped roof design allowing those in the rear-most pews a few more millimetres of headroom. An increase to the cargo area behind the third seats now offers 960 litres of space.
Colours available include Clear White or for an additional $695 Deep Chroma Blue, Panthera Metal or Silky Silver with Snow White Pearl and Aurora Black reserved for SLi and Platinum models only.
2018 Kia Carnival Pricing (excluding on-road costs)
Kia Carnival 3.3-litre GDI pricing:
S $42,490
Si $47,990
SLi $52,490
Platinum $60,290
Kia Carnival 2.2-litre CRDI pricing:
S $44,990
Si $50,490
SLi $54,990
Platinum $62,790
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