People Mover

The Kia Carnival range opens with the entry-level S ($50,150 petrol, $52,380 diesel), which scores 17-inch alloys, LED headlights and DRLs, heated mirrors, cloth seats, an electronic parking brake, and a smart key with push-button start, which is new for this update.On the tech front, there is a new integrated 4.0-inch driver display, and a new 12.3-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, linking with an eight-speaker sound system, now with a surround-sound function.The petrol engine is what I reckon is the lesser of the two ICE options — a 3.5-litre petrol V6, producing a rev-happy 216kW and 355Nm. The better option, I think, is the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel, which makes 148kW and 440Nm, and just suits the nature of the car a little better.Both pair with an eight-speed automatic, and send their power to the front tyres.The key practicality perk here, though, is space, and lots of it. At 175cm, there was ample room for me in the middle row, and you can configure the cabin to your liking, too. You can slide the row on rails, for example, to prioritise leg room where you need it, and the middle seat folds down to reveal cupholders in a kind of hard plastic travel tray.But even in the third row I could easily get comfortable, though head room begins to get a little tighter. There are cupholders and USB connection points, too, and I can honestly say you could send full-size humans back there and not feel overly guilty about it.

Kia's Carnival has been refreshed for the 2025 model year, and with the updated model comes new tech, new safety, new driving dynamics... and new and more expensive pricing. So is this still the pick of the family haulers? We put it to the test to find out.

The next 12 or 18 months will be a busy time for Volkswagen Australia as it launches multiple new EV models into its line-up.One of those is the ID.Buzz, the latter-day Kombi with an all-electric driveline, which is expected to begin deliveries by the end of this year as a zero-emissions alternative to the Kia Carnival and Hyundai Staria.And while we’re now waiting for pricing details, VW has let slip that the fastest ID. Buzz variant, the GTX, is also destined for Aussie shores.The performance version of the ID. Buzz will likely cost well north of $100,000 when it arrives, but its performance should balance that out.So would the presentation with VW Australia’s head of marketing, Nathan Johnson, confirming the GTX would feature a sporty, dark interior and would be available in two versions of two-tone red (black over red and silver over cherry red) harking back to the original Kombi.We’re likely to see the all-wheel-drive, long-wheelbase version when it arrives.More specifications were not forthcoming form VW Australia, but the GTX reportedly uses a 250kW all-electric driveline and can reach 100km/h from rest in a claimed 6.4 seconds.Mr Johnson also confirmed that the GTX would be the brand’s fastest ever MPV.The ID.Buzz will join the ID.4 and ID.5 electric SUVs, which are due to arrive in the middle of this year, in the brand's expanding EV range.The small ID.3 electric hatchback is expected to arrive in showrooms next year, too.