Kia has announced that its new Carnival MPV – which launched in South Africa this January – was recently named the “family vehicle of the year” by AutoGuide.
A panel of seven editors and reporters drove hundreds of vehicles to narrow down the list of the very best cars available in North America, said Kia.
The 40 cars to make it into the finals were assessed according to value, user-friendliness, space, safety, and more.
The Carnival went on to take the title for the best vehicle in the family category due to “its impressive interior capacity, extensive safety features, and modern design,” said Kia.
Judges described the Kia as “stylish, with an SUV-like exterior” and “first-class seats.”
Safety
The eight-seater Carnival’s host of safety features is one of the key reasons it took home the family vehicle of the year accolade.
The Carnival includes seven airbags, which are mounted in the front, on the upper sides, and at the driver’s knee.
Standard features consist of ABS and EBD, electronic stability control, hill-start assist, ISOFIX child anchors for the second and third-row seats, child door locks, and front and rear parking assist sensors.
Also included are LED daytime running lights, LED head and taillights, automatic light control, rear fog lamps, and a multi drive-mode programme.
The top-end SX Limited and SLX models also incorporate smart cruise control, a rear-facing camera, rear cross-traffic assistance, forward collision avoidance assist, lane follow assist, and blind-spot collision avoidance.
Additional interior highlights consist of artificial leather upholstery, a three-zone automatic AC, and an infotainment display of between 8 and 12.3 inches with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and six Bose speakers.
Performance
The Carnival’s 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine pairs to an eight-speed automatic transmission to deliver 148kW and 440Nm.
This is combined with a 72-litre fuel tank, which at a claimed fuel consumption of 6.8l/100km, gives the Carnival an impressive range of 1,059km for those long family trips.
It also supports a tow-bar and has a towing capacity of up to 1,588kg.
The MPV further has dimensions of 5,155mm x 1,995mm x 1,775mm, giving the family car a load volume of 1,139 litres. Up to a maximum of 4,110 litres is available if the rear seats are folded and removed, too.
The second-row seats can also be rotated to face the third row in certain models, and the middle seat in the second row can be folded down to create a table.
Pricing
Prices for the Kia Carnival start at R799,995 for the entry-level EX, going up to R1,024,995 for the top-of-the-line SXL.
Included is a 5-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, 6-year/90,000km maintenance plan, and a 5-year/unlimited kilometre roadside assistance plan.
Join the discussion