2006 Kia Grand Carnival Reviews

Most people prefer to put their family into a four-wheel drive, even though the Honda Odyssey is a wonderful device and the Chrysler Voyager has been the people mover pace-setter for years.Styling is the big drama, because they are big boxes. Usually ugly, too.But there are powerful reasons for moving a people mover higher up the list to consider, particularly if you really need to carry seven people in car-like comfort and safety.The latest Kia Grand Carnival proves the point.It is an all-new, bigger, much better model of the vehicle that has been Australia's favourite people mover in recent years.The Grand can even carry eight people, or provide cabin flexibility and seating choices most families only dream of.We have not been as impressed by a people mover since our first drive in the "giant egg" Toyota Tarago.Toyota has lost the plot since then, but the first purpose-designed Tarago — there was a previous model in the 1980s, but it was a delivery van with seats — had a combination of space and comfort, performance and value then impossible to beat.Now there is the Grand Carnival, which does it all for $36,990.It has a new 3.8 litre V6 engine with a five-speed automatic and real performance, airconditioning, remote central locking, power steering, roof rack, tinted glass and electric windows and mirrors, with electric opening for the middle row of windows.On the safety front, there are twin airbags and anti-skid brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, and optional side and window bags. But Kia has missed one target — with only lap belts in the middle seats of the two three-seat rows.The South Korean company says the Grand is all new, which means more built-in refinement and safety, as well as the new mechanical package.The quad-cam V6 engine, with variable valve timing, produces 184kW and 343Nm. That's up from 132kW and, crucially, 220Nm in the previous 2.5-litre Carnival.The shortie Carnival continues and Kia is regularly delivering more than 200 a month to lead sales in the people-mover class.The numbers could change in coming months as Kia moves to direct distribution in Australia, but it is a winner.And it has made an impressive comeback after the early engine troubles that sent many Carnivals back to dealers for major work.The Grand Carnival is surprisingly good in a lot of ways. Most ways, actually. It is a brisk drive, handles acceptably well, is not a gas guzzler and has the sort of refinement, comfort and space which many families really need in their new car.It does a much better job of carrying people than the vast majority of four-wheel drives and it is impossible to do better on the value front.The flexibility of the cabin is incredible. The middle row of seats do a double-fold job for access to the third row, and they fold flat to the floor to create a huge boot space.The seats also lift out, there is a walk-through between the front buckets, and even the doors are sliders on both sides.And so we come to the test car, one of the vehicles Kia had at the Australian Open tennis. It's stacked with stuff not included in a regular Grand Carnival: rain-sensor wipers, full leather upholstery and electric sliding side doors.None of it is essential, unless you want to impress your friends with toys and trinkets.We disregarded the extra gear, though Grand Carnival buyers could still snap up one of these cars with about $10,000 of added fruit as a secondhand deal from a Kia outlet.Apart from the huge cabin with all those seats, we were were most impressed by the performance. The Grand really gets along, and you don't have to push it hard. It has more than enough torque for overtaking, still does well with a full load, and won't kill the budget at refuelling time.The handling is fine for the class and the job, but it will never be a sports car. And it is pretty easy to park, with a turning circle that is actually tighter than the shortie Carnival.Lined up against its rivals, the Grand Carnival does not have the class or refinement of the Honda Odyssey, but it has a lot more space and will carry more people.It is much better value than a Voyager, beats the Mitsubishi Grandis on value and space, and is far better looking and more proven than the Ssangyong Stavic.And the Tarago, the former king of the class? Too expensive, not enough space and doesn't go.Which means the Grand Carnival now runs second overall to the Odyssey, but leads the class by a comfortable margin after you have done the value adjustment and taken into account that it puts the "people" into people mover in 2006.More families should be looking at a Grand Carnival before they dive straight into a trendy four-wheel drive

Ewan Kennedy reviews the first and second generation Kia Carnival and Grand Carnival as a used buy. Kia Carnival is a South Korean seven or eight-seat people mover that's been on sale in Australia since September 1999. Well priced and strongly built it has been a big seller in its class for many years. The older

With heaps of space, flexible seating and the punch of a big V6 engine it's no wonder the Kia Grand Carnival has become a family favourite.MODEL WATCHThe Grand Carnival won't win any beauty contests, but it's not intended to. Its bulky box-like shape is perfect for the purpose for which it was created, which was to move large families efficiently.Inside it can seat up to eight in three rows of seating that can be shuffled around, folded or removed altogether depending on the need. Removing the second row and folding the third one leaves an enormous cavity that can be filled with all manner of things, from cargo for a small business to sporting or camping gear for weekend fun.From 2006 the Carnival used a 3.8-litre V6 that developed 184 kW and 343 Nm, enough to give it the punch many Aussies still demand from their cars. The downside is that it can be quite thirsty. Kia offered a five-speed auto across the range, with the added feature of manual shifting available on the Premium range-topper.On the road the big Carnival drove well, although its bulk meant it was never going to brilliant, the suspension was at its most comfortable when loaded, and the throttle reaction was a little on the sharp side.All models were well equipped, even the base model had auto air and cruise on top of the expected things like power windows and mirrors, remote central locking and CD sound.IN THE SHOPUnlike the first Carnivals the second-generation models only see the inside of a workshop when it's time for a service. Owners report that they are more than happy with the reliability and function of their cars, few report any issues at all. Check for service records and inspect bodywork for damage and the interior for the sort of wear and tear caused by transporting kids.IN A CRASHThe Carnival has most of the safety gear demanded by today's buyers. All models came standard with dual front airbags and ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, but the EX-L had the added safety of head and side front airbags. The best of all was the Premium, which also had electronic stability control. The only downside was the lack of three-point seat belts in the centre seating positions in the second and third rows.UNDER THE PUMPWith a big and bulky shape and a large engine the Grand Carnival was never going to be a fuel miser. The official claim was 12.8 L/100 km, but expect mid-teens if you can't keep your foot out of the throttle.OWNERS SAYJohn James' company runs four Carnivals, three of which are driven by sales reps, and he could not be happier with them. The company used to run Falcon wagons, but switched because of the high number of warranty problems with the Fords."There have been virtually no mechanical problems, they have plenty of power, they're very comfortable and they have a huge space for carrying things, which makes them ideal reps cars."AT A GLANCEEngine: 3.8-litre V6 petrol; 184 kW/343 NmTransmission: 5-speed automatic, front-wheel driveEconomy: 12.8 L/100 kmBody: 5-door, 8-seat peoplemoverVariants: EX, EX-L and PremiumTHE BOTTOM LINEBig efficient people transporter that gets the job done.RATING3.5 stars

Most people prefer to put their family into a four-wheel drive, even though the Honda Odyssey is a wonderful device and the Chrysler Voyager has been the people mover pace-setter for years.Styling is the big drama, because they are big boxes. Usually ugly, too.But there are powerful reasons for moving a people mover higher up the list to consider, particularly if you really need to carry seven people in car-like comfort and safety.The latest Kia Grand Carnival proves the point.It is an all-new, bigger, much better model of the vehicle that has been Australia's favourite people mover in recent years.The Grand can even carry eight people, or provide cabin flexibility and seating choices most families only dream of.We have not been as impressed by a people mover since our first drive in the "giant egg" Toyota Tarago.Toyota has lost the plot since then, but the first purpose-designed Tarago — there was a previous model in the 1980s, but it was a delivery van with seats — had a combination of space and comfort, performance and value then impossible to beat.Now there is the Grand Carnival, which does it all for $36,990.It has a new 3.8 litre V6 engine with a five-speed automatic and real performance, airconditioning, remote central locking, power steering, roof rack, tinted glass and electric windows and mirrors, with electric opening for the middle row of windows.On the safety front, there are twin airbags and anti-skid brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, and optional side and window bags. But Kia has missed one target — with only lap belts in the middle seats of the two three-seat rows.The South Korean company says the Grand is all new, which means more built-in refinement and safety, as well as the new mechanical package.The quad-cam V6 engine, with variable valve timing, produces 184kW and 343Nm. That's up from 132kW and, crucially, 220Nm in the previous 2.5-litre Carnival.The shortie Carnival continues and Kia is regularly delivering more than 200 a month to lead sales in the people-mover class.The numbers could change in coming months as Kia moves to direct distribution in Australia, but it is a winner.And it has made an impressive comeback after the early engine troubles that sent many Carnivals back to dealers for major work.The Grand Carnival is surprisingly good in a lot of ways. Most ways, actually. It is a brisk drive, handles acceptably well, is not a gas guzzler and has the sort of refinement, comfort and space which many families really need in their new car.It does a much better job of carrying people than the vast majority of four-wheel drives and it is impossible to do better on the value front.The flexibility of the cabin is incredible. The middle row of seats do a double-fold job for access to the third row, and they fold flat to the floor to create a huge boot space.The seats also lift out, there is a walk-through between the front buckets, and even the doors are sliders on both sides.And so we come to the test car, one of the vehicles Kia had at the Australian Open tennis. It's stacked with stuff not included in a regular Grand Carnival: rain-sensor wipers, full leather upholstery and electric sliding side doors.None of it is essential, unless you want to impress your friends with toys and trinkets.We disregarded the extra gear, though Grand Carnival buyers could still snap up one of these cars with about $10,000 of added fruit as a secondhand deal from a Kia outlet.Apart from the huge cabin with all those seats, we were were most impressed by the performance. The Grand really gets along, and you don't have to push it hard. It has more than enough torque for overtaking, still does well with a full load, and won't kill the budget at refuelling time.The handling is fine for the class and the job, but it will never be a sports car. And it is pretty easy to park, with a turning circle that is actually tighter than the shortie Carnival.Lined up against its rivals, the Grand Carnival does not have the class or refinement of the Honda Odyssey, but it has a lot more space and will carry more people.It is much better value than a Voyager, beats the Mitsubishi Grandis on value and space, and is far better looking and more proven than the Ssangyong Stavic.And the Tarago, the former king of the class? Too expensive, not enough space and doesn't go.Which means the Grand Carnival now runs second overall to the Odyssey, but leads the class by a comfortable margin after you have done the value adjustment and taken into account that it puts the "people" into people mover in 2006.More families should be looking at a Grand Carnival before they dive straight into a trendy four-wheel drive

Most cars have some kind of gimmick to make them stand out. The Grand Carnival has a few – the electric sliding doors and seating for eight people.A big brother to Kia's Carnival, the Grand takes people-moving to a bigger, better level. It has a larger, stronger engine – a 3.8-litre V6 with more power (increased to 184kW from 132kW). In girl torque, that just means it didn't miss a beat driving in the city or on a two-hour open-road trip to Moonta Bay.It has enough grunt to get you there safely with oodles in reserve for overtaking the endless stream of cars towing boats and caravans. But it comes at a price – a few more stops at petrol stations.Sitting high gives great visibility but there is no top-heavy feeling as with some taller people movers.Cruise control is a breeze to use – once you find the "on" switch behind the other cruising buttons on the steering wheel.The Grand comes with a five-speed auto plus manual shift options. But it handles the road smoothly and with such ease that there was no need to use it. Besides, it's probably a boy thing. The all-important seating options send the Grand to the top of the class.There is room for eight adults with two people up front plus two rows of three seats. All have plenty of leg and head room, and all come with their own airconditioning vents and separate temperature and air-flow controls for the rear section.Rear passengers have window vents they can open – as long as they can put up with road noise and fumes. For a long haul with just four people, the back seats fold into the floor to allow for luggage – 2.3cu m. That equates to a huge Esky, four bags of clothes, fishing rods, buckets and tackle boxes, food for a week – and then some.The Grand seems to have all requirements covered. And there is no need to sacrifice good looks for practicality. It's a nice-looking car inside and out.The dash is classy (apart from the fake woodgrain), the sound system is impressive and all gadgets are easy to operate. Given the extra room though, it's a great example of where radio controls on the steering wheel are warranted.The upshot: it moved me.Kia Grand CarnivalRemote-control sliding doors.Individual airconditioning controls front and back.Eight cup holders plus eight more for bottles in the doors.Fake wood-grain panels.Centre console is not strong enough – it folds down like in Honda CRV but collapses under weight of four drinks if you hit a bump in the road.Parallel parking takes practise.

Most cars have some kind of gimmick to make them stand out. The Grand Carnival has a few – the electric sliding doors and seating for eight people.A big brother to Kia's Carnival, the Grand takes people-moving to a bigger, better level. It has a larger, stronger engine – a 3.8-litre V6 with more power (increased to 184kW from 132kW). In girl torque, that just means it didn't miss a beat driving in the city or on a two-hour open-road trip to Moonta Bay.It has enough grunt to get you there safely with oodles in reserve for overtaking the endless stream of cars towing boats and caravans. But it comes at a price – a few more stops at petrol stations.Sitting high gives great visibility but there is no top-heavy feeling as with some taller people movers.Cruise control is a breeze to use – once you find the "on" switch behind the other cruising buttons on the steering wheel.The Grand comes with a five-speed auto plus manual shift options. But it handles the road smoothly and with such ease that there was no need to use it. Besides, it's probably a boy thing. The all-important seating options send the Grand to the top of the class.There is room for eight adults with two people up front plus two rows of three seats. All have plenty of leg and head room, and all come with their own airconditioning vents and separate temperature and air-flow controls for the rear section.Rear passengers have window vents they can open – as long as they can put up with road noise and fumes. For a long haul with just four people, the back seats fold into the floor to allow for luggage – 2.3cu m. That equates to a huge Esky, four bags of clothes, fishing rods, buckets and tackle boxes, food for a week – and then some.The Grand seems to have all requirements covered. And there is no need to sacrifice good looks for practicality. It's a nice-looking car inside and out.The dash is classy (apart from the fake woodgrain), the sound system is impressive and all gadgets are easy to operate. Given the extra room though, it's a great example of where radio controls on the steering wheel are warranted.The upshot: it moved me.Kia Grand CarnivalRemote-control sliding doors.Individual airconditioning controls front and back.Eight cup holders plus eight more for bottles in the doors.Fake wood-grain panels.Centre console is not strong enough – it folds down like in Honda CRV but collapses under weight of four drinks if you hit a bump in the road.Parallel parking takes practise.

Look no further than the totally new Grand Carnival people mover.It arrived New Years Day and is not just a tarted-up Carnival but a brand new addition to the Kia lineup. Carnival will continue to be sold alongside Grand Carnival but there is a world of difference between the two except in price.You'll pay about $32,000 for an auto Carnival and five more for this seriously good newcomer.Ho hum, I can hear cynics say but they are wrong to snigger at this full size, handsome eight seat MPV.For starters, it runs a potent 3.8-litre, DOHC V6 petrol engine with variable valve timing kicking out a class leading 184kW/343Nm. Nothing in people mover land comes near this. Further improving matters is a five speed tiptronic automatic transmission.The older Carnival made do with much less than this but was merely a family hack whereas the Grand edges towards what could be termed a performance MPV.In addition to the extra oomph under the bonnet is an extra seat giving the Grand a total of eight adult-size pews. And theres a large boot too, not merely a token suitcase space but a whole cubic metre capable of taking perhaps four suitcases and other assorted stuff. Kia has done this by relocating the space saver spare wheel under the centre of the vehicle freeing up a deep rear space that can also be used to easily fold the rear seats flat. Fold the centre seats up against the front seats and you are looking at about four cubic metres of space. And the folding seats are all simple to operate requiring minimal effort.But the centre seats in rows two and three have only lap seat belts.Still, the new Grand Carnival passes the US NCAP test with a five star rating.That would be down to the safety cell body and strong chassis, ABS with EBD to control braking, front and side airbags, (the latter are optional here) and other primary safety equipment.The Grand is fully equipped for the money though our test vehicle was destined to carry Australian Open tennis celebs and scored extra goodies such as electrically operating side slider doors and leather upholstery neither of which you really need.A step up on climate control air is the Grands Tri-zone air-conditioning that, as the name suggests, offers three climate zones inside the vehicle. The Grand also has remote central locking, power windows all around including the side slider doors and flip out rear side windows.Theres even aircraft-style tray tables in the rear seats and roof rails are thrown in as is cruise control and multiple power outlets and cup holders.It really is a practical package offering an extremely high level of comfort for a whole tribe of people.Though driving a people mover can hardly be termed desirable, there is no cringe factor with this vehicle – it goes. Falcon and Commodore sixes would be hard pressed staying with the Grand Carnival despite its 2.0 tonne weight.The auto is a cracker sliding imperceptibly between ratios to accurately harness all available power and torque or alternately, optimizing fuel consumption.The sequential mode is excellent.And what really surprises is the Grand Carnivals ride and handling. Nothing like a "bus, this large lump sits flat and controlled through corners and feels like a sedan to drive apart from the more upright seating position.Theres a multi-link rear and strut front suspension controlling dynamics.Apart from being slightly lower, the Grand is larger all over than the Carnival including the wheelbase and track. It has an SUV look to its flanks and a corporate Kia front style.And its super quiet wafting along at cruising speed in near silence, the big Grand offers huge rear view mirrors, adjustable steering wheel, six-speaker audio and a tight turning circle.Fuel economy hovers around the 12.5 litre/ 100km mark and theres 80 litres in the tank.I have to say the new Grand Carnival was an eye opener to me as good or better than anything else in this segment at a much lower price. Good looking and well built to boot.Now there is something affordable and decent for large families to drive, hallelujah. 

The little Carnival will remain on sale next to its larger sibling, giving Kia a two-pronged attack on the segment that it looks set to own.The Grand Carnival borrows plenty of inspiration from some its higher-priced competition and the road-test vehicle had more than a few niceties on its features list.What will become options once the Kia brand shifts from the Ateco Automotive to a factory-owned subsidiary remains to the seen, but the fundamentals of the eight-seater will remain unchanged when it rolls on to Kia sales lots later this month. The new Grand Carnival is powered by a 3.8-litre V6 that shames previous Korean offerings for smoothness, quietness and outputs.The variable-valve double-overhead cam engine generates 184kW of power at 6000rpm, with peak torque of 343Nm arriving about 2500rpm earlier. The big eight-seater weighs in at 1990kg, but feels far more nimble than the power-to-weight ratio might suggest.Kia claims a 0-100km/h time of 10.5 seconds, which may not sound like much.But when you're talking about the closest thing to a private school bus short of buying your own Coaster, it's more than adequate. Cruising up Willunga Hill with five adults, a washing machine and a car fridge packed with Christmas cheer on board, the Grand Carnival maintained the speed limit on cruise control.It finally resorted to third gear but never required masses of revs to complete the task.The Grand Carnival gets a five-speed auto with a "manual shift", but the strong engine package meant the manual shift was rarely used. The only bugbear was the power-mode button for the automatic being mounted on a ceiling control panel.The Grand Carnival sits on a new rear multi-link suspension and has a McPherson strut front suspension mounted on a subframe for reduced noise and vibration.The noise intrusion is well controlled and the suspension is better damped than much of the automotive product that has come from Korea in the past, offering a decent ride and a well-controlled body.While Kia has not come up with its own version of Chrysler's clever second-row seat system, the Grand Carnival does offer flexible seating – three individual seats in the second row that can be folded or removed, with the third row folding flat into the floor.With the third row in use, there is still ample luggage space thanks to the cavity from which the third row springs.Kia claims the cabin will hold eight adults and still have 1cu m of cargo space on offer – but fold the third row away and it increases to 2.3cu m.With the middle row folded up flat against the front row of seats, a load space of 3.1cu m is offered, rising to more than 4cu m for the trip to the dump with post Christmas packaging and empties with both rows folded away.However, building to a price is evident in the seating, which misses a centre lap-sash belt for the second and third row centre occupant. But airconditioning vents for all three rows and controls in the back may make up for that in some buyer's minds.The seating is comfortable and offers decent leg room for adults in the back row, although the pop-out rear side windows allowed the smell of exhaust fumes in.Automatic electric doors (operable from the key fob) were fitted to this example, handy when loading and unloading the masses. As it sat in the driveway, the Grand Carnival on test had a price tag in the mid $40,000, thanks to the addition of a $200 leather/wood steering wheel, $2500 worth of leather trim.The top-spec car also has a six-CD in-dash stacker audio system for $900, the $1200 electric side doors, 16in alloys for $1500, side and window airbags priced at $1500 and $150 for the rain sensing wipers.The Grand Carnival's starting price will be $36,990 and includes cruise control, ABS brakes with EBD, dual front airbags, remote central locking and cruise control.Buyers have the option of adding side and curtain airbags, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and rain-sensing wipers for $1500.While the Grand Carnival won't provide massive increases in volume for Kia, it is a showcase for how quickly the Korean brand is catching up with the mainstream Japanese and European manufacturers.