Kia Carnival 2015 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its latest round of safety recalls, with models from Ford, Mazda, BMW, Kia, Audi, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini affected.

The latest version of Australia's favourite people-mover, the Kia Carnival, has been slammed by safety experts in the latest round of crash tests.The new generation Kia Carnival has received just four stars out of five for crash safety at a time when most new cars earn top marks.The 2015 Kia Carnival scored just 10.48 out of 16 in the critical offset frontal crash testThe new model that went on sale last month priced from $39,490 was criticised by the independent safety authority ANCAP because there was "deformation" of the footwell area, "pedal movement was excessive" and "dash components were a potential source of knee injury for the driver".Despite being an all-new model, the 2015 Kia Carnival scored just 10.48 out of 16 in the critical offset frontal crash test (where the vehicle strikes a barrier at 64km/h); not much higher than the previous generation Kia Carnival released in 2006 which scored 9.81 out of 16.Vehicles must earn a minimum of 12.5 out of 16Several rival people movers score more than 13 out of 16, some more than 14 out of 16.Under ANCAP guidelines, vehicles must earn a minimum of 12.5 out of 16 in this part of the test to be eligible for further tests which might elevate it to a five-star safety rating.A statement issued by Kia in February indicated the sole reason the Carnival would not earn a five-star rating was the lack of seatbelt reminders for the back seats.The statement said in part: "Due to the absence of second row seatbelt reminders, a feature which became an ANCAP critical feature on January 1 (2015), the new Carnival will initially be eligible for a maximum 4-star ANCAP rating."The earlier Kia statement also claimed: "The new Carnival features a stronger structure than the outgoing model, with improved crash safety performance".We abide by the umpire's decisionKia says it plans to add seatbelt reminders in the second row (they are not an ANCAP requirement for third-row seats, even though it is a family car) in the coming months, but this change is unlikely to bump up the Carnival to a five-star rating according to ANCAP criteria.Kia Australia's chief operating officer Damien Meredith told News Corp Australia: "We abide by the umpire's decision and we're talking with our colleagues at Kia head office to make the necessary changes to bring this car up to a five-star rating."NRMA safety expert Jack Haley said it was disappointing that a vehicle synonymous with affordable family transport had "fallen behind the field"."The Carnival's latest competitors have all achieved a five-star rating," said Mr Haley. "Five stars might be the maximum score but it's our minimum expectation."The Kia Carnival has been Australia's biggest selling people mover for 10 of the past 11 years.It overtook the Toyota Tarago in 2004 and was Australia'a top selling people-mover until 2014, when it was outsold by the Honda Odyssey by a narrow margin.The new Kia Carnival was expected to reclaim its title as Australia's top-selling family van this year, but industry pundits believe the safety setback may blunt its sales.

Kia's all-new third-generation Carnival people-mover has touched down in Australia this week, with significantly improved features, comfort, safety and styling matched by price increases of up to $5000.Designed at Kia's California design studio, the new Carnival is the final Kia model to get the full Peter Schreyer styling treatment. Despite appearing larger, the new model is 15mm shorter in length and 55mm lower in height, but a 40mm longer wheelbase and smarter packaging has boosted occupant legroom and cargo space.With the third-row seating in place, the cargo area totals 960-litres (up 77-litres), which grows to 2220-litres with the rear seats stowed away and a whopping 4022-litres with all rear chairs folded.Unlike its predecessor, the new Carnival is exclusively available as an eight-seater from launch, and therefore drops the 'Grand' from its name.This latest model is also significantly safer than the one it replaces, boasting a 74 per cent increase in torsional rigidity thanks to greater use of ultra-high tensile steel. Standard safety features across the range include, six airbags, stability control encompassing ABS and traction control and reverse camera with rear parking sensors.Range-topping Platinum variants score active cruise control, front parking sensors (also fitted to the SLi), forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, auto high-beams and rear cross-traffic alert.However, like its Honda Odyssey, Toyota Tarago and Citroen Grand C4 Picasso immediate rivals, the Carnival is not available with an auto emergency braking function (AEB).Initially, the new Carnival will only be eligible for a four-star ANCAP safety rating as it isn't fitted with second-row seatbelt reminders. Kia Australia expects that cars built from June onwards will be fitted with the safety device and will therefore qualify for a maximum five-star rating. Four different trim levels will be offered on the new Carnival, with a choice of either a 206kW/336Nm 3.3-litre petrol V6 or 147kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel - both equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. The diesel carries a $2500 price premium over petrol models but its 7.7L/100km combined fuel consumption figure significantly trumps the 11.6L/100km of the petrol. The range starts at $41,490 for the S, representing a $2000 increase over the outgoing entry-level model. The S is equipped with three-zone air-con, six-speaker audio system with 4.3-inch multimedia display, six-way adjustable driver's seat, stain, odour and static-resistant cloth upholstery and 17-inch steel wheels with hubcaps.Stepping up to the $45,490 (up $4000) Si adds an 8-inch multimedia screen with satnav with SUNA real-time traffic updates, DVD player, 3.5-inch driver instrument display, electric folding door mirrors, LED taillights and 17-inch alloys.The $49,990 (up $3000) SLi adds front parking sensors, proximity keys with push button start, leather upholstery, hands-free automatic tailgate which opens when the key is sensed near the tailgate, eight-way electrically adjustable driver's seat, power sliding rear doors, cooled glove box, chrome grille and window surrounds and 18-inch alloys.On top of the SLi's features, the $57,490 range-topping Platinum model (up $5000) scores HID headlights, auto high-beam assist, eight-way power adjustable driver and passenger seats, 7-inch colour driver instrument display, heated first and second row seating, the afformentioned additional collision-mitigation features, a more aggressive mesh grille and 19-inch chrome-finish alloys.The new Kia Carnival is on sale now, covered by Kia's industry-leading seven year unlimited kilometre warranty.

Timing is everything — new Kia Carnival people-mover must wait six months to get a five star safety rating.

Kia's announcement of an Australian-first seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty could benefit buyers of others brands as they try to match it.One of Australia's fastest growing car brands, Korean company Kia, is about to upset its big name rivals by announcing a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, the longest in Australian automotive history. Kia’s sister brand Hyundai was the first company to offer a five-year, 130,000km warranty in Australia 15 years ago -- in 1999 -- as a response to quality concerns over a bungled safety recall the year before.Hyundai then increased its warranty coverage to five years and unlimited kilometres in 2006.RELATED: Small car price war about to heat upFrench car maker Citroen then raised the bar in March this year, offering new-car buyers an unprecedented six-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.Kia's new benchmark of a seven year, unlimited kilometre warranty will put the market leaders under increasing pressure given brands such as Toyota, Holden, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Subaru, Honda, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz only offer three years coverage. It means buyers of most mainstream brands will eventually be the winners as they try to raise their level of warranty coverage to either match or get closer to Kia's seven-year stretch. But none are yet to react.The longer warranty period will likely boost the resale value of Kia cars at trade-in time because used-car buyers will get the balance of the new-car warranty.Most new cars are sold after four years, according to industry figures. This means a typical secondhand Kia would give used car buyers three years of factory-backed protection against faults.The Kia warranty is part of the company's ambitious sales push in Australia after a decade of weak results.Kia is just outside the top 10 sellers but its sister brand Hyundai -- which sells, in effect, the same cars under the skin but with different body styles and different branding -- is in the top four.It is the largest gap between the two jointly owned companies in the world.Kia recently poached Hyundai Australia's sales and marketing boss Damien Meredith to head the Kia division locally and this is his first step towards doubling sales within four years."This is a watershed moment," said Mr Meredith. "Kia customers now have a peace of mind that can't be matched in the Australian new car market."The deal includes free roadside assistance for seven years -- if the car is serviced at a Kia dealer once a year.Kia has also extended its capped price servicing program to seven years -- one of the longest in the car business -- and that prices of routine maintenance will remain the same as before."The two year increase in warranty, capped-price servicing and roadside assist is absolutely transparent and we will not be asking our customers to dip into their pockets to fund the extra benefits," said Mr Meredith.

Not sure where they have crossed over from, but the idea remains basically the same - to move more than a standard car load of people from point A to B. Unfortunately the finished product is generally large, box-like and unattractive - often the object of disdain.Enter stage right the new and much improved Kia Carnival, launched this week at the New York motor show. The Korean dynamo has done its best to make the car desirable with a long bonnet, steeply raked windscreen and plush interior - a DUV if you like ...THE HISTORYLaunched here in 1999 the Carnival soon became a family favourite, based on  price, features and its seven-seat capacity. There have been some hiccups along the way like the failure of some Rover 2.5-litre V6s fitted originally, but Carnival soon managed to overtake the Toyota Tarago as the vehicle of choice for those with a tribe.Larger, second generation Carnival arrived in 2006 with a 2.7-litre homegrown V6 and expanded eight seat capacity, with the addition of a more expansive Grand Carnival with the boot space to match. Along the way the V6 has grown to 3.5 litres and a 2.2-litre turbo diesel has also been added.THE NEW MODELThe Kia revolution continues. Following close on the heels of the restyled Rondo, Carnival is the last model in the lineup to receive the Schreyer treatment, the German designer and author of the Audi who has almost single handedly put the brand on the map.With the arrival of a larger, more directly aggressive Honda Odyssey, Kia is poised to hit back with the launch of an all new, more stylish Carnival. To put this in perspective, Carnival has slipped from 36 per cent market share in 2013, to just 19 per cent this year, behind Odyssey and just ahead of the Hyundai iMax - the other main player in the segment (month on month the position is even worse).ENGINESThe current 3.5-litre V6 has been replaced by a slightly more powerful direct injection 3.3-litre V6, with 205kW of power and 336Nm of torque, together with a six-speed automatic. This compares with the 202kW of the current engine.Although they produce exactly the same 336Nm of torque, the new V6 delivers its torque higher in the rev range, at 5200 instead of 4500 revs which is less desirable. You want all the torque you can get as quickly as you can get it to make a car as responsive as possible.The new V6 should however produce a dramatic improvement in fuel consumption, currently rated at 10.9 litres/100km. A three-step Variable Induction System (VIS) automatically adjusts the volume of the air pulled into the combustion chamber to create the optimal air-to-fuel mix. No word yet on the fate of the current 2.2 litre turbodiesel but is likely to carry over.SAFETYIt's downplayed, but the current Carnival is only a four-star car, not five which is the kiss of death where families are concerned. The airbags do not extend to the third row of seats and centre seating positions in the rear miss out on three-point seatbelts.The new Carnival is expected to address these issues. Roll Over Mitigation (ROM) and Cornering Brake Control (CBC) have been added to the list of driver assistance systems, with advanced systems such as Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS), Smart Cruise Control (SCC), Blind Spot Detection (BSD) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert also available.SEATINGNew Carnival comes in seven or eight-seat configuration, with a 40mm longer wheelbase that provides more legroom for all rows. Access to the rear is via sliding doors either side like the current car.In seven seat form the two middle seats are separate and slide from side to side as well as backwards and forwards, with fold out foot rests like aircraft seats. But Australia will be taking only the eight seater which in the car we saw in New York consists of two full size seats, with a smaller, child-size removable seat linking them.The third row seats are split 60:40 and can be folded into the floor when not in use. The interior is a major step up in terms of quality, a trend that Schreyer says will continue with future models.CONNECTIVITYUnfortunately we miss out on the new UVO connectivity system, the Kia App store and all of the wonderful possibilities it promises. Apparently Australia does not have the necessary infrastructure to support it yet.OTHER GOODIESThere will be three grades and the top of the line model should get all of the safety items. It also comes with 18 or 19 inch wheels, LED daytime running lights, 2.1amp USB and 240w AC power outlets, a power tailgate that can be opened remotely and surround view camera designed to make parking easier.WHEN DO WE GET IT?New Carnival could be here in time for Christmas if we're lucky, early in the new year at the latest. No word yet on the price but expect them to be competitive with Odyssey priced from $35,100. The current model starts from $38,990 through to $56,290 for the top of the line diesel.

The Kia Grand Carnival people mover -- called the Sedona and QV in other markets -- is getting a bit elderly, with the current second generation having been around for nearly ten years. Its successor will be officially unveiled tomorrow at New York motor show, but Kia has previewed the vehicle ahead of the debut, showing the fresh styling and revealing information about the new V6 engine that joins the range.The coming Carnival is 40.6mm longer -- promising more room -- and in one version sports a sporty front bumper underscoring the Kia family tiger mouth grille, the lines of which flow into imposing light clusters with LED daytime running lights.A nudge plate and large wheels bulk up the road presence, while stepped side window line seeded from the KV7 concept design adds some visual interest to what would otherwise be a vast expanse of body and rear sliding doors. A second model ditches the mesh grille in favour of slats, and the larger wheels for smaller -- more real-world -- ones.Seating is available for either eight or seven, with latter configuration getting the option of premium seats for the second row -- which can be tracked forward and folded to create more cargo space.The car will be launched in the US later this year with a new 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine with 205kW/336Nm that slightly betters the current 202kW/336Nm 2.5-litre.  There's also expected to be a revised version of the carryover 143kW/429Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel, while transmissions are likely to remain six-speed autos.Kia Australia spokesman Kevine Hepworth says the local engine line-up is yet to be confirmed. "Nothing is signed off at this stage but a good bet is the 3.3-litre petrol and the 2.2-litre diesel," he says, adding the official timing will be either very late this year or very early in 2015.The Grand Carnival will be stacked with the safety, comfort and features becoming increasingly demanded by the family wallet. A hands-free automatic tailgate, surround view monitor and power sliding doors star on the list, with an arsenal of safety systems, including the options of stability management, collision warning, smart cruise control, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alerts.

And the Kia Carnival is now available only in the jumbo size.The short wheelbase Carnival S has been replaced by a long wheelbase Grand Carnival S model. The Grand Carnival Si, SLi and Platinum remain.The 2.7-litre petrol engine has been replaced with a more powerful and efficient 3.5-litre V6 DOHC powerplant with continuous variable valve timing and a the auto has been upgraded to a 6-speed across the entire range.Buyers of the Si, SLi and Platinum models will have a choice of either the 3.5-litre petrol or Kia's latest four cylinder, 2.2-litre CRDi R-series diesel engine.The 2.2-litre R-series diesel produces an impressive 143kW of power and 429Nm of torque - 25 per cent more torque than the 2.9-litre engine that it replaces.Fuel consumption is also down 3.7 per cent.New to the line up is the addition of Bluetooth with remote audio controls on the steering wheel.

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.