Kia is all set to roll-out its second product, the Carnival, in January next year. Following the report that select Kia dealerships have started accepting pre-bookings, a new report claims that the Carnival will be offered in 6-, 7- and 8-seating configurations and in multiple equipment lines. For the record, it is already available in 7-, 8- and an 11-seat versions globally.
The Kia Carnival will be a significant launch for the MPV customers seeking a product bigger and more luxurious than the Toyota Innova Crysta. It will lure comfort- and technology-focused customers with a long list of features such as electrically operated rear-sliding doors, captain seats featuring extendable leg rests and armrests, UVO connectivity suite (also featured on Kia Seltos), rear-seat entertainment package with 10.1-inch screens, two sunroofs, a large-sized touchscreen infotainment system, three-zone climate control and a power-adjustable driver's seat with memory function.
As for the mechanicals, the Kia Carnival will employ a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine with 202 PS and 441 Nm of power output. This is available with a 6-speed manual transmission unit globally, but in India, an 8-speed automatic unit will be offered as standard.
Since Carnival is a fairly premium product its launch is aimed at improving Kia's brand image in India. It will be positioned as a luxury people mover, which also means that the company will majorly focus on private buyers and not the fleet operators.
Also Read: Kia Seltos get a price hike on 1 January 2020
The Carnival will be a locally assembled CKD product and is expected to have a retail price between INR 25-30 lakh (ex-showroom).
In other updates, Kia has already become the 4th largest car brand in India.
[Source: Autocar India]
