Comfort and a Taste of the Luxe Life: A Drive with the Kia Carnival

Kia refers to the Carnival a “Grand Utility Vehicle” or GUV. This ordinarily would get a side eye from me, but after a few days with it, I’m going to have to agree. The Kia Carnival deserves the “grand” tag and everyone I welcomed inside it said the same thing. 

Photo by PJ Cana.

In truth, the Carnival is actually a minivan that can seat seven. It may be a significant downgrade from earlier generations when the nameplate could accommodate as many as 11 passengers, but what the Carnival lost in warm bodies, it more than made up for in comfort and luxury. See, Kia decided to equip the model with captain seats in the middle row, so if you’re a lucky passenger, you can park your behind on one of these seats and literally just enjoy the ride.

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Four of my friends did just that when we went on a quick drive in the Carnival. Everyone’s initial impression of the Carnival was one of appreciation and excitement. From the Astra Blue color, the athleticism and dynamism of the exterior, and the strikingly modern front grille—they all agreed that it looked beautiful.

The inside was even more impressive. After opening the dual sliding doors with just a press of the button, my passengers were greeted with space and lots of it. My two friends who got to sit in the captain’s seats commented how they felt like bosses being chauffeured around to their next business meeting. My other friend who sat in the third row by himself said he didn’t mind. There was plenty of room and he was able to recline the seats to his desired comfort level. 

Photo by PJ Cana.

Meanwhile, my friend who rode shotgun initially thought the seat was too high: her feet didn’t touch the floor after she sat down. But that was an issue that was easily fixed with the electronic seat adjustor.

I had my own stuff to play with as pilot of the drive. The vehicle senses when the person holding the key is near, giving off a small beep and unfurling the side mirrors when he or she gets close enough. There’s also no need to press the unlock button in the key: just open the driver door or press the small button in the handle and you’re inside. There’s one touch start/stop of the engine, and even the climate control was a cinch to operate. Wireless Android Auto meant connecting my phone to the vehicle’s infotainment system couldn’t have been easier, and apps alike Waze and Spotify were much more easily controlled from the eight-inch touchscreen dashboard unit. It was too hot to engage the sunroof, but it was nice to know it was there for people in front and in the back.

Photo by KIA.

From our starting point in Indang, Cavite, we passed light traffic to get to Tagaytay and further down to Lemery, Batangas. The Kia Carnival has a 2.2-lliter diesel engine and an eight-speed automatic. Even in such an obviously big vehicle, I never felt its heft; it felt uncommonly light and easy to maneuver as we zipped through virtually car-less roads. There was power when I  needed it (to overtake a few slower vehicles) but it didn’t come at the expense of comfort and stability. On the way back I noticed in my rear view mirror a couple of my friends snoozing in their seats.

Later I would find out that the unit possessed safety features—such as Lane Keep and Following Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Collision Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert & Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit for Sliding Doors, Rear Camera with Dynamic Guidelines, 6 Airbags, Cruise Control, and Front and Rear Parking Sensors—that further put me and my passengers at ease.

Photo by KIA.

After getting our fill of bulalo, halo-halo, and cappuccinos, we drove back to our starting point in Indang, and by then, we were all engaged in a vigorous sing-along thanks to my playlist of familiar pop hits. I’m not sure what Kia’s engineers and designers had in mind when they developed this fourth iteration of the Carnival, but I imagine it was exactly that: a fun people-carrier with comfort and even luxury above all else.

Photo by PJ Cana.

The 2022 Kia Carnival is available in two variants: the 2.2L EX AT at P2.54 million, and the top-of-the-line 2.2L SX AT at P2.998 million. It comes in Astra Blue, Aurora Black Pearl, and Snow White Pearl.