The Kia Carnival’s great looks recognised with a Good Design Award 2021



When the fourth-generation Kia Carnival was unveiled, its exterior design was quite a big talking point. While still a distinct two-box styling, the key elements such as the lighting units and C-pillar garnish really made the grand utility vehicle (GUV) pop out. As such, the global jury panel at GOOD DESIGN has awarded the Kia Carnival with top honours.  

Penned at Kia’s California design studio, the Carnival wears a bold and boxy appearance and conveys the visual language found on the brand’s recent and highly successful line of rugged utility vehicles such as Telluride, Sorento and Seltos, the four-row GUV delivers a premium level of refinement, savvy technology, and flexibility.

And with best-in-class passenger room and best-in-class cargo room there is enough space to accommodate people, playthings, or plywood, depending on the day’s errands or adventures.

Karim Habib, Head of Kia Design Center, said, “Securing these GOOD DESIGN awards is an endorsement of the approach we took with the styling of the Kia EV6 and Kia Carnival, and is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of our talented international design team. It truly has been a pivotal year for us; we launched our brand new design philosophy ‘Opposites United’, the ethos of which is already transforming our cars, and we are determined to ensure Kia keeps challenging the boundaries of automotive design.”

Joining the all-new Carnival in the 2021 GOOD DESIGN Awards is the Kia EV6. This fully electric premium car is said to be introduced by new Malaysian principal distributor Bermaz Auto/Dinamikjaya Motor within this year thanks to the full duty exemption under Budget 2022.

The two accolades are the latest in a string of design awards handed to Kia by the GOOD DESIGN jury in recent years, acknowledging the integrity of the brand’s evolving design ethos. Just last year, the panel awarded the third-generation Kia K5 and the fourth-generation Kia Sorento with the same honour. Prior to this, previous iterations of the K5 and Sorento have been awarded GOOD DESIGN awards, alongside models including the Telluride and the Soul crossover.

The all-new Kia Carnival is on sale now in Malaysia priced from RM196,341. Buyers have access to a 2.2-litre turbodiesel unit with outputs of 199 hp and 440 Nm with drive to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Inside, the seating configuration can be as little spacious as a six-seater, expanding up to 11 seats. The flexibility come via the two middle seats that can also be folded to make a walk-through aisle to the fourth row. The fourth row of the new Kia Carnival meanwhile can be neatly hidden and level with the boot floor when not in use.