2011 Kia Grand Carnival Reviews

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

Kia pretty much owns the people mover segment and after driving the latest incarnation of the Carnival it's easy to see why. It's big, seats up to eight people, there's a substantial amount of luggage space leftover and it doesn't cost an arm or a leg. Why would you bother with anything else?Two engines and four models from which to choose: S, Si, SLi and Platinum _ all of them auto (no diesel S). The turbo diesel version costs $4000 more than a petrol V6, but it's the one you want.The range has recently upgraded with the addition of Kia's killer 2.2-litre turbo diesel together with a six-speed automatic that gives the driver the option to change gears manually.Bluetooth is also now standard across the range with steering wheel phone and audio controls and two sets of two 12 volt outlets front and back.Priced from $56,190 the top of the range Platinum comes with pretty much everything including leather, tri-zone airconditioning and a sunroof along with a power tailgate and sliding rear doors.Still basically old tech. The engine and transmission are state of the art, but the car itself is due for replacement which probably won't happen until 2013. The green lit dash is a dead giveaway because all the latest models now have orange backlighting.The 2.2-litre diesel delivers 143kW of power and an impressive 429Nm of torque. We don't have any performance figures, but let's just say it will surprise the pants off other drivers.No trip computer so no distance to empty which is also an indication of the Carnival's age. Marks deducted for the space saver spare too. Can tow a 2000kg load.Kia recently dropped the short wheelbase version which was a good move. The bigger better Grand Carnival has more room inside and especially more boot space with the third row of seats in use. Can't wait to see what Kia's design guru Peter Schreyer does with this one when he gets his hands on it? The K7 concept could point the way and looks in shape like a larger version of the Soul.Gets four out five stars for safety, with six airbags, stability control and anti-lock brakes. SLi and Platinum get a reversing camera too (built into he rear view mirror). Platinum also gets reverse parking sensors.Not based on a commercial vehicle and as such drives just like a car. Smooth and easy to steer with a high driving position. Drive is through the front wheels and for a large vehicle it is amazingly light on its feet. Five minutes after getting into this one I recalled why I like this diesel so much ... it has to be one of the smoothest and most powerful out there.Cruises easily, with good acceleration off the line and strong mid-range response. Not phased by lots of passengers and sips lightly too. Rated at 6.6 litres/100km, we got 500km out of half an 80-litre tank.Just the ticket, bus ticket that is. Does what it does with little fuss. The competition is all smaller or more expensive, with the exception of Ssangyong's visually challenged Stavic. Cheaper to buy, maintain and run that a four-wheel drive wagon and has more space inside.

The big Aussie families who need the most help into a new car have just lost a lifeline. The Kia Carnival has copped a $5010 price increase with the loss of the bottom-end family wagon and a new focus on the upmarket equipment favoured by more people mover buyers. Just like the Oldsmobile Silhouette driven by Chili Palmer in the 1995 movie 'Get Shorty', the new Grand Carnival is more like the Cadillac of minivans.The 2012 update to the Carnival lineup means the loss of the short-wheelbase models and the end to the manual gearbox, which had held the potential bottom line down to $33,890. So the starter car is now the Grand Carnival V6 auto at $38,990. That's not cheap but it is still good value and Kia Australia has figures to support its move."Why have we discontinued the short-wheelbase Carnival? Because no-one was buying it," says Kia spokesman, Kevin Hepworth. "The problem with the short-wheelbase Carnival was that it was seriously compromised as an eight-seater. It was more suitable for a family of five who sometimes took friends along. People who wanted to travel with eight found the luggage capacity was lacking."Kia says only five people bought a short-wheelbase Carnival last month, from a total of 362 deliveries, with the Grand Carnival Si - from $49,990 - accounting for more than half of all sales.The 2012 Grand Carnival has had tweak with an optional 2.7-litre diesel engine and Bluetooth across the range, while everything from the Si upwards gets roof rails, electric windows for the third-row seats, rear aircon controls and heated mirrors. The Si also picks up alloy wheels.Even the basic car has a 3.5-litre V6 engine and that gives it an edge over a Toyota Tarago, while the price line helps in a comparison with the Chrysler Grand Voyager now from $55,000 and the loaded Mercedes- Benz Viano from $74,990.The price spread for the Grand Carnival has most of its meat in in the $40,000 range, although the top-line Platinum is getting pricey from $52,190. "You can still buy a very affordable Carnival," says Hepworth. And there is the five-year warranty to sweeten any deal.There is nothing particularly special about the design or mechanical package on the Grand Carnival, although the 2.7-litre petrol engine is gone and most are now being delivered with the more powerful and efficient 3.5-litre, double-overhead camshaft.Si, SLi and Platinum shoppers can now also go for the 2.2-litre, four- cylinder R-series turbodiesel, which has more power and greater efficiency than the 2.9-litre predecessor with 143 kiloWatts and a 429 Newton-metre thump of torque. There is a transmission upgrade for the '12 cars thanks to a six-speed automatic that's actually smaller, lighter and more efficient than the old five-speeder.The Grand Carnival is a big box and there is no disguising its heft. It's the single biggest reason why some people like it - and other people movers - and others race straight to the chunkiness of an SUV. The upside is lots of space and lots of convenience, but the downside is an instant branding as a breeder.The interior of the Carnival for The Waltons has some nice tweaks and touches, from the fold-down table between the front buckets to aircon controls for the back seats, lots of cupholders, easy-fold seats - with a third row that drops down flat - and even ISOFIX child seat anchorages in the outboard spots in the middle row. The top-tether mounts are also built into the seats so you don't get metres of belt trailing around the place.There is no ANCAP star rating for the Grand Carnival, but the Carnival is a four-star performer since 2007 and that should translate directly to the long-wheelbase model. The safety package runs to ABS brakes and ESP stability control with front-side-curtain airbags in all models.The Carsguide family feels just like Chili Palmer when the Grand Carnival arrives with automatic electric side sliding doors and a tail lift in the Platinum package. There is also leather across the cabin, punchy sound and alloys on the outside. But perhaps that's a package for hotel pickups ahead of families, although the bottom line is much more affordable than the Tarago V6, Grand Voyager or Viano. The leather is good with little ones but the bottom line is likely to be the bottom line if you really need eight spots for the crew.Driving the Kia is exactly what you expect - nothing special. It rides alright, even with a big posse on board, it stops alright and the cornering is alright. But as the two-year-old says, "Where is the sports car daddy?"It does have some punch with the V6 engine but it can get thirsty around town. There is definitely a case for diesel drive for interstate work. It's easy enough to park, with a nifty rearview camera built into the rear-vision mirror and a reasonable turning circle, but it's pretty big when you head into the supermarket spots.So the Grand Carnival is all about practicality and nothing about driving, something proven by a driver's seat that's more like a cockatoo perch. It's too high, with no support, and does nothing to encourage either comfort or crisp cornering. Still, when you're loading a bunch of youngsters with bikes and balls, it does the job. And the Platinum pack makes life a little special - especially showboating with the electric doors.The Kia kicks a goal over similar rivals by combining lots and lots of space for the money, more equipment for less money, a V6 that gets it moving, and a bottom line with five-year warranty backup. Anyone who says a big van just brands you as a breeder should try one for size - and flexibility and, yes, fun.Anyway, there is always dark window tint if you cannot front up to the SUV stampede on the school run without some disguise.