Only HEV Version Available, Kia Carnival Lands In Thailand

Kia Carnival Hybrid. (Photo: Headlightmag)

JAKARTA - After debuting in ASEAN last year in Indonesia, Kia Carnival Hybrid finally landed in Thailand which was offered in one choice of engine, namely a hybrid replacing a 2.2 liter turbodiesel engine.

Quoting from the Paultan page, Monday, October 6, this car comes in two variants, namely Premium which is priced at 2,499,000 baht or around Rp. 1.2 billion, while for Luxury it is at 2,699,000 baht or Rp. 1.38 billion.

The power comes from a four-cylindrical Smartstream 1.6 liter turbocharged and direct-injection (T-GDi) engine, which produces 180 PS power at 5,500 rpm and a 265 Nm torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. This machine is combined with an electric motor of 54 PS/304 Nm and an automatic transmission of six accelerations, resulting in a total system output of 245 PS and 367 Nm.

In design, it still adopts Kia Opposites United's design language and features new front and back fascia. Vertical LED front light and Daytime running light Star Map typical of Kia frames a much larger goal, while LED rearlight in L is reversed and the lower number plate niche provides a cleaner back view. The typical 19-inch black cubic alloy rim becomes standard.

Entering the interior, the changes are more minimal in which the fourth generation cabin that looks quite modern now features an integrated wide screen panel that still uses a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard, but the base analog meter panel has been replaced by a full LCD unit with a 4.2-inch multi-info screen, both wrapped in one glass. The Luxury variant gets a 12.3-inch full-color screen as before, along with a new digital rearview mirror.

The upgraded Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) infotainment Connected System is now faster and equipped with a wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (previously only labeled). Wide ambient light strips under wide air ventilation are also installed, while audio and AC controls have been combined into one switchable touch panel as in EV6, thus freeing up space for larger storage compartments. On the other hand, six USB ports across vehicles are now USB-C.

The standard equipment includes electric sliding doors, keyless entries, start buttons, three-zone automatic air conditioning, eight-way electric front seats, second row captain seats, imitation leather seat coatings, Qi wireless chargers, six speakers, 360-degree camera system, and a hands-free opening backdoor with a proximity sensor.

Meanwhile, the Luxury Variant is equipped with a "cube" projector headlights, fog lights, double sunsets, head-up views, driver seat memory, second row seats with a Premium Relaxation system equipped with footwear and one touch back, first and second row seats ventilation, black and brown seat coatings, and a Bose sound system with 12 speakers.

In terms of safety, Carnival comes with a complete standard feature of SmartSense driver assistance, such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go features, path support, and blind point monitoring with collision avoidance features. Eight airbags (including midwaterbags) and stability control are also installed throughout the body.