REVIEW | 2022 Kia Carnival offers size, comfort and space

The upmarket people-mover genre has a wide audience. From well-to-do families wanting versatile transport to swanky hoteliers looking to shuttle their guest in luxury. There is another key market, one you are not likely to find depicted in the brochures: funeral parlours.   

Cars like the now defunct Chrysler Voyager were a hit in this space. So was the bizarre-looking Ssangyong Stavic – a sure reason for any departed soul to haunt the family members who decided their last ride would be in this. Today, seeing plush busses such as  the Kia Grand Sedona or Mercedes-Benz V-Class wearing a Doves decal on the side door is not uncommon. 

Earlier this year Kia launched the replacement for the Grand Sedona, reviving the Carnival name. You have to admit it is a name at odds with the application of ferrying a person to their last rites. But Kia said the model will be used to transport the bereaved, rather than as a basis for a hearse conversion.   

Interestingly, Kia had its own stand at the recent Funerex event in Kyalami, Gauteng. It just so happened that I attended the exhibition during the week I had a white Carnival on test, in upper-tier SX Limited trim. Totally unplanned. We first drove the model in the Eastern Cape at introduction, on a scenic route from Gqeberha to Plettenberg Bay.   

There is no doubting its credentials as a luxury tourer. Its interior is appointed with a number of stylish embellishments, interesting textures and high-end conveniences. That includes heated and air-conditioned seats for the front occupants, plus an around-view monitor. Its semi-autonomous driving trickery works well too, with adaptive cruise control and sharp-witted steering and lane assistance.   

A 12.3-inch touchscreen is part of the deal, incorporating Apple Car Play and Android Auto, as well as wireless charging. Rear occupants are sure to delight in the fitment of the dual tilt and slide sunroof feature.   

The 2.2-litre turbocharged-diesel motor is quite strong. Strong to the extent you might induce tyre scrabble off the line during a hasty start from a set of traffic lights. Output is 148kW and 440Nm, accompanied by an eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. Cruising and overtaking abilities on the freeway are beyond fault, while average consumption at the end of our test week was a reasonable 11.8l/100km. Not bad for such a large vehicle.   

Maybe it was the Funerex filter, or the gloomy weather during the week of our test stint, but the stern and somewhat ominous vibe of the Carnival was striking. This is not a happy-looking thing, in the same way a Volkswagen Caravelle might evoke thoughts of sun and surf. Rolling on 19-inch wheels, with dark tinted windows and a serious frontal expression, there is an almost foreboding sense when you see it creep slowly into frame. It looks like it means business. Perhaps some are going to add it to their personal or commercial fleets precisely because of this.  

Pricing ranges from R799,995 to R1,024,995.