Driving report: Kia Carnival 3.5 V6: Relaxation in traffic jams

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Driving report: Kia Carnival 3.5 V6
Relaxation in traffic jams

Kia Carnival 3.5 V6

© press-inform – the press office

Anyone who wants to travel more relaxed than ever in a congested metropolis like Seoul has been unable to avoid a driver for many years. It doesn’t always have to be a sedan with a long wheelbase. As a mobile luxury lounge, the Kia Carnival is exactly the right thing for relaxing or working in the back. Not only a real show as shuttle vehicles, but also a convincing choice for the family.

There were times when there was a Kia Carnival can also be found on European roads. An extremely spacious and variable van without any particular charm, which has made a name for itself as a family vehicle. But when vans found fewer and fewer buyers in our part of the world, Kia withdrew its Carnival from the market, as did most of its European and Asian competitors. Things look completely different in countries like China, Japan, the USA or especially South Korea, because here the vans are not just practical family movers, but business lounges on wheels. The best example is the new Kia Carnival, which no longer has anything to do with the tired everyday model of past years and has since used the name Kia Sedona. The 5.16 meter long Carnival not only looks modern and attractive with its sharply designed front with a distinctive radiator grille and narrow LED eyes, but also has a drive that leaves little doubt about its serious premium claim. Propulsion is provided by a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 213 kW / 290 hp and ensures confident propulsion despite its generous dimensions and corresponding weight. Just like the K5 or the Sorento, it is based on the Hyundai Group’s flexible N3 platform.

The chassis of the front-wheel drive car is extremely comfortable, apart from the slightly bumpy rear axle. But the real show is the interior, because not only is it easy to travel at the front on air-conditioned leather seats, well contoured and pleasantly air-conditioned, depending on the equipment variant, but things are no different in the rear behind the electrically operated sliding doors. Here too, depending on the equipment package, there are four individual seats that are electrically adjustable and heated or cooled at the touch of a button, offering all the comforts. This applies to longer distances as well as to the short but time-consuming transfers in a metropolis like Seoul, which take up a lot of time in everyday life. There are a total of nine USB ports and two 110/220 volt sockets, sensibly placed throughout the vehicle, to supply electronic devices with the right power.

If desired, the comfortable chairs move into a light reclining position with footrests and if you want to have complete peace and quiet, you can lay your head on the cuddly soft leather cushions and increase the shading with the blinds that push up in front of the darkened windows. More peace and quiet is not possible and so even a Mercedes S-Class, a long Audi A8 or the BMW 7 Series reach their limits. A real plus for the quality of stay in the rear is the extended roof, because, similar to a camper, the optional roof extension significantly increases the quality of stay and frees up space in the step behind the chauffeur’s compartment for a lavishly sized screen, which can either show films or presentations in front of it reflects the next meeting. If you want something a little less complicated, you can do without the raised roof structure and large screen and use two small screens on the back of the front seats. Instead of the exclusive leather armchairs, the Kia Carnival is also available as a seven or eight-seater, which takes the family to the destination of their wishes.

Even the cup holders are heated or cold at the touch of a button, providing culinary entertainment inside the leather-covered Carnival interior while you enjoy the music from the Bose sound system and the driver steers through the endless traffic jams along the Han River. If desired, he can use various driver assistance systems that make his journey more relaxed. They can be operated via the steering wheel, touch screen or voice control so that you are not too distracted by the traffic.

The drive fits the Kia Carnival’s comfortable requirements perfectly. The South Korean is obligatory with his 3.5 liter V6 naturally aspirated petrol engine, which produces 290 hp and a maximum torque of 356 Nm, which are transmitted to the front axle via an eight-speed automatic transmission. If there isn’t enough space in the van, a 1.6 tonne trailer can still be towed. Without this, you can reach 100 km/h from a standstill in just under eight seconds and outside of South Korea’s heavily regulated highways, the Carnival reaches a top speed of 190 km/h. However, consumption is not very up to date at 11.2 liters per 100 kilometers, but without turbocharging or electrification there is hardly anything that can be improved with this engine. And it fits perfectly with the relaxed overall package in the Kia Carnival. And if you want fuel consumption to be a little more stingy: in some markets the Carnival is also available with a 2.2 liter common rail diesel with around 200 hp, which gets by on just under seven liters of diesel per 100 kilometers. Prices start at just under 40,000 euros – the exclusive luxury versions cost more than 80,000 euros.

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