The cover has been pulled off the 2019 Kia Carnival, the updated people mover is due to arrive in Australia later this year offering improvements to convenience, design, safety and technology.
Although Australia is likely to get a streamlined range, the Carnival is available in five trim levels in other markets - L, LX, EX, EX Premium, SX and SXL.
Sporting a fresh design the Carnival gets new front and rear fascias featuring new headlights (standard LED on SX and SXL trims), new ‘tiger nose’ grille with mesh-like pattern, reconfigured bumper and updated air intakes at the front.
At the rear, the combination lamps get a new graphic and restyled chrome garnish on the liftgate.
Other upgrades to the exterior include reduced front and rear overhangs, deeply swept windshield, new designs for the 17-, 18- and 19-inch wheels and side door handle power sliding door button (EX trim and above).
The top-of-the-line SXL variant gets a unique bumper, skid plate, LED headlamps and fog lights, 19-inch chrome wheels and special side sills.
Internal improvements for the Kia Carnival include a redesigned centre console with new instrument cluster graphics, wireless charger and sunglasses holder in the floor console, electronic park brake (SX and SXL trims), USB charger in luggage area, rear entertainment system with 10.1-inch dual touchscreens, Harman Kardon premium audio system with eight speakers and the options of wood grain trim, LED mood lamp and single or dual sunroof on some trim levels.
Flexible seating arrangements are also available with seven- and eight-passenger configurations with the second row Slide-N-Stow seats or second row ‘First Class’ reclining lounge seats and footrests. The third-row seating also offers 60:40 split folding and an in-floor-retractable design.
Keeping the family safe is aided by the multitude of safety kit included on the Kia Carnival with features such as forward collision warning, smart cruise control with stop & go, rear cross traffic alert and blind spot monitoring.
Powering the Carnival is the trusty GDI 3.3-litre V6 engine which is now paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission replacing the outgoing six-speed auto. Power figures remain unchanged with the engine delivering 206kW of power and 336Nm of torque.
Australian specifications and pricing for the updated 2019 Kia Carnival will be available closer to the local launch date. Watch this space!
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