New Kia Carnival to be sold initially as CBU

Kia will launch the new Carnival MPV in India by October this year, according to sources. The model headed to India is the facelifted iteration of the one that was shown at the Auto Expo as the KA4. At launch, the Carnival will be brought in as a full import; local assembly will commence at a later date. 

On account of being a CBU import, the Carnival will attract heavy import taxes initially. This means that the Carnival's prices, expected to start at Rs 50 lakh, could be even higher. Some dealers even hint at a starting price of around Rs 60 lakh.

While this price point might seem high to many, the MPV will still not have any direct rival in this range. It will be an affordable (but slightly less luxurious) alternative to luxury MPVs such as the Toyota Vellfire, which now starts at a whopping Rs 1.22 crore (ex-showroom). The second-most expensive MPV currently on sale is the Innova Hycross that tops out at Rs 30.98 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Carnival sold overseas gets three engine options: a 3.5-litre V6 petrol, a 1.6-litre petrol-hybrid and a 2.2-litre diesel. The Indian model could continue with the same 201hp, 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel that was available on the previous generation.

As part of the facelift, the new Carnival gets 12.3-inch displays, reworked AC and audio controls that are now located below the central screen, a rotary drive selector, front and rear dash cameras, a head-up display, a digital rear-view mirror, an updated digital key and ambient lighting along the dashboard. Multiple seating layouts, including a 7-, 9- and 11-seater setup are on offer, but there's no news on what options will be available in India.

With a launch by October, dealers are expecting deliveries to commence before Diwali. Apart from the Carnival, Kia India is also working on introducing the EV9 full-size electric SUV sometime this year.