A lifestyle look at the 2015 Kia Carnival

The new Kia Carnival combines the best of an SUV with the practicality of a van. Eight seats, its roomy and has lots of storage.
It has a distinct SUV vibe going on which i like – when you think van you think mini-bus but this is different looking.

The Carnival looks big – and it is – interesting to note that it was designed by Peter Schreyer, the brains behind the award winning Audi TT.

This is the top of the range Platinum spec so it has extra touches like wood trim on the steering wheel and leather seats.

It is comfortable, and as any parent can attest to the amount of stuff you end up carting around is ridiculous. Looks like there are little storage nooks and places to hide those random bits and pieces.

This has all the basics covered. Dusk sensing headlights, hill assist and cruise control – plus an 8-inch satellite navigation system and media player with USB and DVD,

The Carnival has forward collision warning, a rear view camera with front and rear parking sensors – trust me, parking a car of this size – you need them – as well as lane departure warning.

There are two ISOFIX points in the second row, and another in the third row.

And if you don’t need the third row seats, they fold down out of the way to give you even more boot space.

The Carnival has a hands free power tailgate to access the 960 litres of cargo space with all seats in play, 2022-litres with the third row folded – and 4022-litres with the second row folded too.

This all-new Kia Carnival has been re-built from the ground up, it has a 3.3-litre petrol engine producing 206kw and 336nm and a 6-speed automatic transmission. It’s also available with a 2.2-litre diesel for improved fuel economy.

Kia has put a lot of effort into the suspension, it’s been tuned specifically for Australia.

The Kia Carnival Platinum petrol is $57,490 before on-road costs, with a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, capped price servicing and roadside assistance.

Sponsored by Kia Australia.