Kia Carnival 2007 News

There are many vehicles that could do the job, including the many and varied four-wheel-drives that have become so fashionable in recent times, but the one vehicle purpose-designed for the task is the people mover. While people movers provided an answer, back in the late 1990s they were usually financially out of the reach of many people who most needed them.But in 1999 along came Kia with its Carnival. Priced well below the others, it was an instant hit.There was nothing remarkable about the Carnival, but with a base price under $30,000 it was $5000-$6000 less than its nearest rival and proved popular. Where other people movers made some pretence of style, the Kia could best be described as pleasantly basic.It had four doors for access to the passenger zone and a lift-up hatch to get to the boot behind the rear seat. There was seating for seven in three rows with reasonable space behind the rear seat for goods. The second and third rows could be removed with extra flexibility delivered through the ability to split and fold the rear row.A 2.5-litre double overhead camshaft V6 provided ample power with either a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed auto.At first Kia offered one level of Carnival, the Wagon, and you drove away with airconditioning, power windows, tilt-adjustable steering column, AM-FM sound and central locking.In 2000 a model upgrade delivered an airbag for the driver and a CD player, plus a new higher spec model, the Classic, which had leather trim, dual airbags, a power driver's seat, remote central locking and alloy wheels.Another upgrade in 2001 saw the Wagon and Classic badges replaced by the new LS and LE. There was a long list of standard features in the LS, including dual-zone airconditioning, six-speaker CD sound, while the LE also boasted alloys and leather trimmed seats and doors.The Carnival's V6 suffered from head gasket failures, which Kia fixed by replacing the engine.Models built between September 1999 and March 2002 were most prone to the problem.It showed up as a gradual loss of power over a period of time and, according to Kia, it is not possible to detect before it actually occurs.Check the body for bumps and scrapes from the daily grind of a family hack that's often not particularly well treated. Look carefully at the interior for stains and marks caused by heavy traffic and children misbehaving.It's best to go for the post-2000 models equipped with airbags, which offer the best secondary safety protection. Anti-lock brakes weren't available which detracts from the Carnival's primary safety picture. Things to look forLater airbag-equipped models are bestMake sure it has a service recordRoomy and flexible interiorLook for interior stains and marksCheck for signs of engine overheatingWell equippedSeven seats to move the tribeCheck for bumps and scrapes on the body Kia Carnival1999-2003Price: Early Carnivals can be had for as little as $10,000 in manual or auto. The 2000/01 Classic is $14,000.For the better equipped post-2001 LS models pay $15,000 to $19,000 (2003 model). Add $1500 for the LE.Engine: 2.5L/V6, 132kW/220NmEconomy: expect about 11.5L/100kmRating: 45/100Verdict: Well-equipped, value-formoney people mover, but beware of engine overheating problems. Rivals Honda OdysseyYears: 1995-2004Prices: $12,000-$26,000 Mitsubishi NimbusYears: 1998-2004Prices: $9000-$21,000Chrysler Voyager Years: 1997-2003Prices: $12,000-$27,000  

The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria has just completed its annual cost of ownership survey of a range of current models.The survey looks at total running cost and is based on vehicles travelling 15,000km a year, which is the Australian average.It factors in the cost of a typical car loan, depreciation, registration, club membership, comprehensive insurance plus servicing, fuel and tyre costs.Fuel costs were calculated on an unleaded petrol pump price of $1.26 a litre, $1.31 for diesel and 47c for LPG.Fuel prices have risen significantly since the survey was finished so true running costs will be even higher.The survey results show the cheapest car costs about $6000 a year to run, compared to $18,500 for the most expensive.The most affordable car was Hyundai's Getz at $116.54 a week, followed by Holden's Barina ($120.85) and the Toyota Yaris ($125.88).Go up a size and Toyota's Corolla was the winner at $154.49, followed by the Ford Focus ($156.49) and Holden Astra ($158.12).The medium class sector was won by Toyota's Camry at $193.05, followed by the Mazda6 at $197.85, and Honda Accord Euro ($218.07).Large cars are, as expected, more expensive to run but, surprisingly not that much more.The best was Mitsubishi's 380 at $200.44, so it is cheaper than the Honda Accord. Toyota's Aurion was next best ($217.60), followed by Ford's Falcon ($229.13).For large families, the Kia Carnival people mover at $216.68 beat the Honda Odyssey ($228) and Toyota Tarago ($267.61).Diesel and hybrid cars were cheaper to run but don't forget diesel cars initially cost more and replacement batteries for hybrids are hellishly expensive and have a short lifespan.The cheapest was the Honda Civic hybrid at $175.29, beating the Toyota Prius at $200.63. A VW Golf diesel was better than the Prius on the wallet at $187.93.A Ford Falcon running on LPG cost $211.43 a week, while the dual-fuel Commodore came in at $225.10.The popular compact SUV market was headed by Honda's CRV at $203.86, followed by Nissan's Xtrail ($207.36) and Subaru's Forester ($208.52).Medium SUVs had the Holden Captiva out in front at $225.16, followed by the Ford Territory ($234.47) and Toyota Prado ($286.16).At the expensive end of the running cost spreadsheet were the big four-wheel-drives.The cheapest was Nissan's Patrol at $269.53, while the Toyota LandCruiser cost $357.51 a week.

Unleaded petrol costs have risen 5.6 per cent since this time last year, but hidden costs are the main culprits responsible for pumping up motoring budgets, the survey found.The RACV 2007 Vehicle Operating Costs survey said hidden costs such as servicing, insurance and loan interest rates on average rose up to 7 per cent compared to last year's survey.At the same time, depreciation figures show vehicles' value falling faster.After examining the 37 top-selling vehicles across 10 categories, the survey found the cheapest car to own and run was the Hyundai Getz at $116.54 a week.This was $5.34 more than last year's cheapest vehicle, the Kia Rio.The most expensive was still the Toyota Landcruiser GXL turbo-diesel, at $357.51.The Mitsubishi 380 ES was the most affordable family car at $200.44 a week, a weekly increase of $4.46.Meanwhile, lower price and service costs helped Ford Falcon outperform its rival Holden Commodore, costing $229.13 a week compared with $233.40.RACV Chief Engineer of vehicles Michael Case said the Federal Government's $1000 grant to LPG car purchases helped ease the overall running costs of these models.Although eight vehicles across the 10 categories managed to retain last year's rank as cheapest in their class, there were still some significant cost increases.For example, the Kia Carnival rose 14.7 per cent to $216.68, while the Honda CR-V cost $203.86 a week, a 7.4 per cent jump from last year's survey results.Mr Case said the survey showed the cost benefits of diesel and hybrid vehicles, which more motorists were considering investing in as fuel prices continued to skyrocket."A diesel Volkswagen Golf will save you around $2.95 a week - nearly $770 over five years," he said.""That's also a saving of around 11kg of greenhouse gas each week," he said."The Honda Civic hybrid meanwhile, provides a fuel saving of $9.46 a week and can save 17.9kg of greenhouse emissions."The survey data was collected in March and April.RACV calculations are over a five-year ownership period and are based on the average operating conditions for the private motorist, including travel of 15,000 km a year.

However, all complaints except one about a Hyundai TV ad about two children in nappies driving a Santa Fe sports utility vehicle have been dismissed by the Advertising Standards Bureau.The ASB last week upheld the complaint that it was illegal for toddlers to drive and that they were wearing seatbelts instead of legal child restraints.Hyundai agreed to retract the ad which was filmed in New Zealand and featured a toddler in nappies who picks up hitchhiking Springwood toddler Siena Dutson.Hyundai Motor Company Australia PR general manager Richard Power said he had received calls of support from the public, but had no other campaign ready to replace the ad."There is no doubt that the controversy about this decision will attract attention but in a while it fades away and people forget and we will have to raise the awareness some other way," he said.Car ads represent about 15 per cent of complaints to the ASB, second only behind food (about 20 per cent).Over the past year, nine Ford ads attracted complaints, while Toyota and Nissan had five each and Honda and Holden four.Two of the Nissan ads featuring Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall attracted complaints about sexual content.Complaints about sexual content were also levelled at the Fiesta ad in which two scientists mould clay, and two Falcon ute ads in which women and dogs follow the car.Honda's Odyssey ads in which a married couple are "making out" in the car received complaints for "a simulated sex scene".A Holden Rodeo ad featuring a man fantasising about a Rodeo and a female passenger apparently promoted infidelity.Unsafe driving represented the most complaints, despite the ASB beefing up its crackdown in this section of its code of conduct in 2004.Ford and Toyota attracted the most complaints for promoting unsafe driving practices.Toyota copped its complaints for ads involving its Corolla Sportivo, Yaris, Prado and a Kluger which leaves behind a torn road surface.The Ford ads were the Turbo Territory eating sports cars, another Territory ad in which women drive past a school and the ad in which a young boy is disappointed because he can't get a Falcon slot car to fly off the track.A Holden Captiva jumping across the tops of buildings was also considered dangerous driving, but was dismissed as fantasy.Mazda attracted complaints for offensive language in a Mazda BT50 ute ad for use of the word "bloody".Ford's Ranger ad in which a one-eyed monster throws boulders at the ute was considered too scary for young children, but the complaint was dismissed.Ford also copped complaints of racism and incitement to violence for its Tonk-a-Pom cricket campaign.Cruelty to animals was the complaint in the Focus ad in which Jackie O pours a goldfish down a drain and in a Toyota LandCruiser ad in which the driver wears crocodile-skinned boots.Animals were also blamed for offensive behaviour when a dog in the back seat of a Dodge Caliber moons dogs in other cars.The drought prompted complaints that an ad in which a man hoses down his mud-caked Nissan Murano was inappropriate during water restrictions.Environmental issues also surfaced when complaints were received about a Jeep ad which allegedly featured "polluting diesal (sic) motor vehicles hiding behind the pristinity of a lovely natural environment".A Kia Carnival ad in which a sleeping woman is woken by a Kia salesman blowing a horn attracted complaints that it was "dangerous to blast an air-horn close to a person's ear".

The South Korean company is the category leader with its Carnival, which is just about to become a two-model run with a shorter version of its latest Grand Carnival, and can see a potential place for the smaller Carens. It has just been renewed, with Europe as the target because high-roofed family wagons are doing well there. The second-generation Carens has an all-new body, a range of engines - 2.0, 2.4 and 2.7-litre petrol, and 2.0-litre turbodiesel - and will be built with either five or seven seats. Kia has even given a choice of names, because the Carens will be called Rondo in North America. It was previewed last week in Spain at the Madrid Motor Show, reflecting the European emphasis, though it could work in Australia under the new factory-owned operation at Kia Motors Australia. "We're still looking and still thinking. It was only released last week and we have yet to see it in the metal," Kia Motors spokesman Jonathon Fletcher says. "We obviously need to understand where it could fit in the Australian market and if we could bring it at a price that is suitable. And if there is sufficient demand." He says Kia can see the potential in Australia for people movers thanks to its ongoing success with the Carnival. "We obviously have the market-leading vehicle in the Carnival, and that's now extended to the Grand Carnival," Fletcher says. "A short-wheelbase model is coming later this year so we need to be mindful of the market sector we're talking to." But one thing is certain, the Carens would not compete with the Carnival. "If we took it then it wouldn't come as a seven-seater. So we need to know if it will fit into the small-wagon market, or somewhere else. And also the competitors and if the price benefit will stand up." The new Carens is longer, wider and taller than the previous model and has a new body. Kia also says it has been designed as much as a crossover vehicle as a people mover. Though Carens is still a question market, it would probably come with a diesel engine because Kia is joining the push into diesel power in Australia. "We're obviously looking at a diesel Sportage and Sorento and we'd very much like to bring them, possibly later in the year. So when we're evaluating Carens we'll look at petrol and diesel," Fletcher says.