The Next Great Family MPV?

“Whoa, that’s a nice-looking Minivan!” Said no one ever.

- Roshan Sirohia

Until you see the 2025 Kia Carnival Limousine in the flesh with its SUV-ish stance, a gnawingly large front grille and a long boxy silhouette with a shiny C-pillar trim shod with classy-looking 18-inch rims. With this win in the battle of desire, logic already gets on your side. Then comes a diesel heart (that’s carried over from the last gen-car), seven seats with captain chairs in the middle-row, 540-litre boot space with the third row up (!), leatherwrapped luxury all round with all the latest tech – and ADAS Level 2 driver suite, twin 12.3-inch infotainment & driving displays with the latest wireless smartphone connectivity to beat.

And this sort of package with high marks on practicality gives SUVs nightmares! But this is the fourth-gen Carnival (available in black or white paint shades only) that will sheepishly blend in among some of the three-row SUVs and few crossovers at the corporate park drop-off area or the celebrity school pickup line — that is, until its motorised sliding side doors open to unleash the mischievous or ambitious within.

On highway trips and short inner-city commutes, the 190 bhp 2.2L diesel engine delivers smooth power to the front wheels and average fuel economy; all-wheel drive or a hybrid engine isn’t an option here. The minivan’s superiority shines through further with a cavernous interior space, and those second-row lounge chairs are comparable to three-row SUVs—and only the Toyota Innova Hycross or the Vellfire come close to the package. The former lacks the Kia’s road presence and design flair, while the latter lacks affordability.

So, is this new Carnival filling that sweet spot between these full-sized MPVs or targeting the chauffeur-driven lot away from LWB sedans? Or is it just an overpriced Premium MPV?