2009 Kia Grand Carnival EXE CRDi Road Test Review
KIA HAS STOLEN a march on the people-mover market in Australia by offering family transport solutions that its competitors may have forgotten.
Thanks to a compelling mix of value for money and impressive accommodation, Kia’s Carnival has held the number one spot in the MPV segment since 1999.
Now, to add to the already strong sales of its eight-seat offering, Kia has expanded the Carnival line-up with the addition of a diesel-powered variant of the long wheelbase Grand Carnival.
To test the mettle of Kia’s personnel hauler, we subjected it to a week of people-hauling (some gorillas, assorted lost souls and associated accoutrements) to find out how deserving of the ‘number one’ MPV title the Grand Carnival really is.
For value, the Grand Carnival takes an assertive stance starting from $41,990 (plus on road charges) for the entry level EXE CRDi, undercutting its competitors by a fair margin.
It also gains ground by offering eight seats and a diesel engine, where others of its competition offer only seven seats or petrol-only powerplants.
Styling
While the Carnival is no shrinking-violet out in the street – it’s big – the Grand Carnival adds an additional 130 millimetres to the wheelbase and overall length grows by 320 millimetres.
This makes the Grand Carnival an absolute behemoth and squares it off with larger four-wheel-drives in terms of on-street presence.
Kia’s stylists haven’t gone out of their way to hide the car’s bulk either. While it adheres to a relatively conformist two-box form, it is hardly likely to be confused with your average sedan-derived wagon.