REVIEW
Gavin Foster Kia Carnival, R236985 Kias Carnival sold elsewhere as the Sedona is a big bus. Almost 5m long, 1 900mm wide and 1 790mm high, the Korean wagon looks a lot more imposing than it feels from behind the wheel. Available in South Africa with a choice of 121kW 2,5-litre six-cylinder petrol power or 93kW 2,9-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, the Carnival also feels sprightlier than its appearance would have you believe. The oil-burning Carnival is distinguished from its petrol-engined sibling by the mean-looking bonnet scoop that feeds air to the turbochargers intercooler. Colour-coded bumpers and mirrors and a roof rack are standard on the LS, and the over-all impression is one of butchness. Access to the cavernous interior should be easy, thanks to the sliding doors on each side and the wide opening tailgate, but we found the back three-bencher was awkward for passengers to reach, even with the middle pair of seats slid as far out of the way as possible. The seven seats are mounted in a 2-2-3 configuration and although they cannot be readily removed, the middle row can be folded in half to form a table top or rotated towards the rear to allow conferencing. Theres plenty of fore-and-aft movement, so the ratio of leg to luggage room can be widely adjusted. Speaking of seats, those in the test vehicle were first class boasting comfortable cream leather upholstery with folding armrests and electronic adjustment for the driver. Comfort levels are lll high, with air-conditioning, a height- adjustable steering wheel, a four-speaker Panasonic radio/CD player, ABS, electric front windows, alloy rims, headlights that can be adjusted electrically and electric mirrors. Models sold here come without airbags unforgivable in a car that costs about as much as a small house. The gear lever protrudes from the bottom of the dash, and the open spaces between the front two rows of seats allow plenty of floor room and free accessibility to the rear area down the centre aisle. There are plenty of storage compartments, and the overall favourable impression is spoilt only by the hint of cheapness in some of the materials used. The wood-grain veneer in the test vehicle was tacky and the front cupholder was rickety as all hell. llllFurther back in economy class things perked up again. Passengers have their own reading lights, cup holders and air-lllconditioner lllvents, and lllonce the seats are arranged to their satisfaction, plenty of leg, head and shoulder room. On the road the Kia went well if the rev-counter needle was kept above the 1500rpm mark below that things felt flat. Once on the boil, however, it galloped along at an impressive rate and wed be happy to traverse South Africa in it with a full load of passengers. Top speed is more than 160kph, and at 120kph the engines turning over at just 2 500rpm. The turbodiesel generates an abundance of torque at low revs 338Nm at 1950Nm so hills dont usually require gear changes. Ride, handling and comfort are good and sound levels are very acceptable. Fuel consumption on the diesel Carnival proved very impressive, despite its bulk and relatively high engine output. On a 300km trip into the KwaZulu-Natal midlands the Kia averaged slightly more than nine litres per 100km driven normally. With more conservative throttle input that could have been improved upon considerably. The Kia Carnival LS TD sells for R236985 with a three-year or 100000km warranty nearly R30000 cheaper than the class-leading Chrysler Grand Voyager 2,5 TD SE. It doesnt have airbags and the interior is not as classy as the Chryslers, but R30000 is a lot of money and the Kia is still an excellent vehicle.
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