All the familiar elements you see in the Kia models that we have in the country were first seen in the Carnival.  So, you have a floating panel on the dashboard which integrates a touchscreen with an all-digital instrument cluster. Even the buttons on the centre console along with the gear lever are majorly the same as you see on the Seltos. Similarly, the buttons on the steering and the stalks behind it carry a much identical styling but are made to exude a more premium feel.

Like the current one, the new-gen Carnival also retains the electronically-controlled sliding rear doors and its clever yet confined seating configuration. There’s a seven-, eight-, nine- and 11-seater setup for the new KA4 in either three or four rows. What Kia calls ‘slide-flex’ is a clever way of managing the different seating configurations. This includes a sliding second-row centre seat which, when in the forward-most position, allows the front passenger access to the baby or child riding in the second row. This seat can also convert into a functional table.

With the new generation, the Carnival offers loads of features which are not only modern but also practical. The useable features which benefit the MPV nature of the KA4 include rear occupants alert, safe exit assist, rear passenger camera with zoom, passenger intercom, rear screen entertainment, and all the new-age UVO-connected car tech. There’s also ADAS tech which is offered in the international spec KA4 and we expect it to be offered in India as well.

Internationally, the new-gen Carnival is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 making close to 290bhp and 350Nm sent to the front wheels only and channelled through an eight-speed torque converter automatic. The KA4 also has a towing capacity of up to 1.5 tonnes. But here in India, we expect the current-gen Carnival’s diesel powertrain to be offered in the new KA4, if and when it’s launched in India.

The current-gen Carnival has been around in the country for about three years now. That said, the KA4 showcased at the Auto Expo 2023 isn’t gearing up for an imminent launch yet. As mentioned above, Kia is still contemplating launching the KA4 in India and the response it garnered at the expo stage will decide when and at what price the new KA4 will be launched in India. As for the competition, the Carnival – in its newest avatar – will take over where the current one will leave.

So, it is expected to carry a price tag between Rs 35-40 lakh, where it will offer the D+ segment SUV buyers a choice of a practical people mover. There are some entry-level SUVs from the premium carmaker which don’t look half as SUV-ish as the new KA4, so we could see some buyers favouring this sliding-rear-door MPV over them as well. And as usual, being feature-loaded, with immense street presence, the next-gen Carnival KA4 will double-tick all the boxes that the current Carnival has already marked.