The Kia Carnival is one of our favourites in the segment, as it offers a fine balance of space, style, and driveability, all for under the RM300k mark. For 2024, Kia distributor Dinamikjaya Motors has unveiled a range of updates to the Carnival, including new features and equipment, plus a (marginally) lower price than before. Even more to love about the Kia Carnival, then?
Well, if you can get over the fact that we’re going to be stuck with the pre-facelift looks for a little while more, that is. Despite its facelift update being unveiled globally last year, the Malaysian-specification 2024 Kia Carnival is still the same pre-facelift model that first made its debut here in 2022, with virtually no changes to its appearance, save for the new blacked-out 19-inch wheels on the seven- and eight-seater High variants.
You also won’t be able to buy one in Sonic Silver any more, with the colour palette shrinking to now just four options. At least, you do still get quite a mature list of exterior equipment, including 3D LED headlights with LED daytime-running lamps, powered sunroof, smart power sliding doors, and a smart powered tailgate – that automatically opens when your keyfob is detected, without needing to wag your leg about.
Changes on the inside are also minimal, although they’re now upholstered in black and grey leather (leatherette in eight-seater), instead of brown from before. The eight-seater continues to come with reversible bench seating on the second row, for a 2-3-3 seat configuration, while the seven-seater gets the “Premium Relaxion” seats with powered controls, seat heating and ventilation, and a built-in ottoman.
The most notable change on the inside is the addition of the new Blind Spot View Monitor (BVM) system, available on both the seven- and eight-seater High variants, that projects a camera view onto the digital instrument cluster when the turn indicators are activated.
Otherwise, the rest of the car remains unchanged from before, and that also includes its powertrain. All three variants are powered by the same Smartstream 2.2-litre inline-four turbodiesel engine, sending 199 hp and 440 Nm to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The Kia Carnival now starts at RM198,500 for the 11-seater Mid variant, moving up to RM245,888 for the 8-seater High, and RM259,888 for the 7-seater High. All variants are covered by the same five-year/100,000-km warranty and service package. Is the new 2024 Kia Carnival the right car for your family? Check out our full detailed gallery below for the 7-Seater High variant before you decide.
For a detailed breakdown of the 2024 Kia Carnival’s specifications and variant line-up, head on over to our launch coverage, here.
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