Top six people movers that could shake the Kia Carnival's hold on the Australian market

The Kia Carnival is all-conquering in the people mover space. After a stellar start in Australia with the original version in 1999 knocking off the popular Toyota Tarago from the sales charts, the humble Korean people mover has gone on to outlive or outsell some major Aussie favourites, like the Honda Odyssey and Volkswagen Transporter.

Before we list some Carnival challengers, it’s worth mentioning that its dominant role in the people mover space is hard earned. The current generation Carnival, despite being one of few options, is an excellent vehicle all-round offering sleek design, a high level of standard equipment, and a massive interior, even for a people mover.

As such, it commands a significant portion of the Australian market, owning 72.3 per cent of the people mover segment, currently costing from $51,690 before on-road costs for a base 3.5-litre V6 (216kW/355Nm), to $71,890 for the top-spec 2.2-litre turbo diesel (148kW/440Nm).

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Will the age of the Carnival come to an end like the age of the Tarago before it though? Here are some newcomers that could challenge it, and some cars sold overseas that we wish were here to add some diversity to the space.

Hyundai Staria

The Staria looks to be the most likely option to knock the Carnival off its perch.

The Staria, which replaces the iLoad/iMax from Kia’s sister company, Hyundai, is a completely different offering, with a futuristic style and cavernous interior space, but is perhaps more commercial in its design than the slick Carnival.

Despite matching drivetrain options, consisting of the same 3.5-litre V6 and 2.2-litre turbo diesel, in a case of friendly fire, the Staria looks to be the most likely option to knock the Carnival off its perch, with sales creeping up to 16 per cent of the people mover space this year and climbing.

Slightly lower pricing, (ranging from $48,500 to $66,500 before on-roads) and the departure of the Honda Odyssey is likely helping the Staria, but only time will tell to see how far the Kia’s closest rival will eat into its market share.

LDV Mifa

The Mifa is as modern as people movers come.

Like many other popular car segments, there are some real challengers arriving from China. The MG ZS for example, has secured massive market share in the small SUV space thanks to its Mazda-like looks and appealing price tags, while the MG3 is all but the last car standing in the cheap automatic small car space.

This brings us to the Mifa. This car looks the most likely to challenge the Carnival’s dominant market position, with keen pricing, an impressive feature list, and multiple layout and drivetrain choices to keep things interesting.

Starting from $53,990, the Mifa is available with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (160kW/360Nm) mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Mifa is as modern as people movers come, stuffed full of screens and safety features, and for now is only available in a seven-seat layout.

Importantly, this car has a Mifa 9 spin-off which is fully electric. Offering the same three grades as the combustion car, but starting from a whopping $106,000, the Mifa 9 offers 440km of driving range, and its only electric rival is from Mercedes-Benz, with the eVito starting from $116,115.

Unlike the other options on this list, the Mifa is here and ready to go. Will it shake the Carnival’s hold? We’d be surprised if it didn’t at least offer a sales challenge in the coming years.

Toyota Alphard/Vellfire

The Granvia’s Japanese counterpart is the luxurious Alphard.

Why oh why doesn’t Toyota sell its halo people mover in Australia? Since the Tarago left our shores, the arguably too large and too expensive Granvia has taken its place, but it hasn’t seemed to resonate with buyers, sporting a big V6 or industrial 2.2-litre turbo diesel.

To give you an idea of Toyota’s fall from grace in this segment, Kia has managed to sell 7315 Carnivals to the end of November 2022, while Toyota has sold just 139 Granvias.

The Granvia’s Japanese counterpart is the luxurious Alphard, which alongside its sporty Vellfire spin-off is also Australia's number one grey import. 

On paper, the Alphard is a much better fit for Toyota’s current hybrid mission in Australia, sporting the brand’s renowned and enormously popular 2.5-litre hybrid drivetrain. It’s also a tad narrower than the Granvia, but brings with it a more chrome-embossed luxury style which is clearly resonating with buyers more than the commercial-looking Granvia.

So why doesn’t Toyota do the obvious and swap them out? Cost and range complexity is apparently the answer, with Toyota’s representatives suggesting to CarsGuide early in 2022 that the Granvia benefits from parts commonality with the new-generation HiAce, allowing for a more streamlined sales and service offering for its van range.

With the amount of grey imports arriving (and with what people are willing to pay for them) we’re surprised if Toyota isn’t taking note.

Nissan Elgrand

The Elgrand is one of the most popular cars to import into the country.

Once one of Australia’s most popular imports, the Elgrand is essentially Nissan’s Japanese domestic answer to Toyota’s Alphard, the trouble is, unlike the Alphard, you won’t see as many newer examples rolling around as the current vehicle is not approved under the Special Vehicles Import Scheme (SEVS), with the most recent examples whitelisted by the scheme being manufactured between 2010 and 2012.

Still, the Elgrand presses on with new versions available in Japan in similar and luxurious trims which could take on the Carnival, complete with the choice of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder (125kW/245Nm) or a 3.5-litre V6 (206kW/344Nm) mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and available either in two- or all-wheel drive.

Like the Alphard and Vellfire though, the Elgrand seems to remain a Japan-only model despite its desirability amongst a certain niche customer overseas. A shame, too, because it ticks a lot of the same boxes that make the Carnival such a winner.

Nissan Serena

The Serena offers hybrid power.

Smaller and thinner than the Elgrand, the Serena just got a hybrid overhaul in Japan. Now equipped with Nissan’s sequential hybrid ‘e-Power’ system, the Serena could be much more appealing than its larger sibling or even the Kia Carnival, promising ultra-frugal fuel consumption for a car with seven or eight seats.

The Serena can be chosen with either a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 11kW/200Nm, or a 1.4-litre e-Power hybrid that offers 120kW/315Nm, with prices in Japan reaching from the equivalent of AUD$30,000 to AUD$45,000.

It’s been a while since Nissan has had a people mover in Australia, and given the brand is majorly focused on its SUV line-up and doesn’t seem interested in replacing other low-volume sellers like the Pulsar light hatch with its hybrid Note successor, we predict the chances are low for a local Serena arrival.

Mitsubishi Delica

The Delica D:5 is more off-road focused compared to most people movers.

Another once-popular import, the Delica D:5 is made of tougher stuff than its hybrid rivals on this list, leaning into Mitsubishi’s off-road credentials to offer something more adventurous and capable. In other words, seemingly a good fit for Australia.

Not according to Mitsubishi itself though, representatives of which alluded to CarsGuide late in 2021 that it wasn’t quite as simple as just importing the model, and thus far the business case didn’t stack up to do the necessary work for what it predicts would be a very niche model Down Under.

Regardless, the Delica’s specs are pretty appealing, featuring a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (107kW/380Nm), eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission, the brand’s all-wheel drive system, a particularly high ride-height and rugged design, as well as the choice of a seven- or eight-seat interior layout.