Kia Carnival (KA4): SUV influences and sophisticated interiors | Auto Expo 2023

The new Kia Carnival has adopted an entirely different design language, effectively moving away from mundane MPV impressions to a more urbane SUV-ish styling.

New Kia Carnival Next-generation India
The Kia KA4 displayed at Auto Expo 2023 is essentially the next-gen Carnival.

Almost two years after the global debut of the new Kia Carnival, the South-Korean automaker has taken the Auto Expo 2023 to display the new car for the Indian audience. The premium crossover can be rightly called as a ‘sleeper hit’ in India, as Carnival garnered surprisingly higher interests among domestic buyers since its launch in 2020.

Kia has displayed the new Carnival as ‘KA4’, although the company is most likely to retain Carnival nameplate in the Indian market. There was no official announcement on the launch date or technical details of the India-spec car at the auto expo.

The KA4 wears a bold and boxy styling, largely admiring from the brand’s latest line of rugged SUV styling found in Telluride, Sorento, and even Seltos. The Carnival’s MPV dimensions and visual demeanor seems to have been traded for Kia’s successful urbane SUV-ish styling.

On the inside, the three-row seven-seat crossover appears to deliver premium levels of refinement, tech savviness, and practicality, not to mention the superior ride quality and comfort. Unlike the existing Carnival, the dashboard design is very minimalistic but futuristic, with two 12.3-inch digital screens.

The important highlights of the new KA4 is the addition of ADAS technology in the Carnival range. The car also gets an enhanced safety kit with additional airbags.

In global markets, the new Kia Carnival is offered with a 2.2-litre diesel engine (201 hp) and a 3.5-litre petrol engine (296hp). The Indian-spec Carnival comes only with a diesel motor, although the possibility of introducing the petrol option cannot be ruled out when the new car comes to India.

Kia Carnival (4th-gen) – Image Gallery

Dhiyanesh Ravichandran

Editorial consultant (Automotive and Technology), academic, and blogger based in India. He can be reached at wagenclub@gmail.com

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