2022 Kia Carnival open for booking in Malaysia – live photos of CBU 11-seater MPV with 202 PS 2.2L diesel

Kia distributor Dinamikjaya Motors has officially previewed the new Carnival today – the fourth-generation MPV is open for booking as a CBU import ahead of the start of CKD local assembly in May. Just one model will be offered at launch, the 2.2D, with pricing to be announced later on.

As before, the Carnival will be sold in 11-seater form, which will allow it to be classified as a commercial vehicle and thus grant it lower taxes. The car will continue to be powered by a 2.2 litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, rechristened the Smartstream D2.2 and equipped with a cast iron block instead of an aluminium one. Outputs are rated at 202 PS at 3,800 rpm and 441 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 2,750 rpm. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters.

On the outside, the Carnival has been given a comprehensive makeover, sporting a more sophisticated design and a few SUV-style elements such as black body cladding, silver front and rear skid plates and roof rails. At the front, you’ll find a large “tiger nose” grille that ties in the quad LED projector headlights and distinctive LED daytime running lights into a single graphic.

The clean side profile features a single shoulder line carrying the bonnet shutline, the door handles and the sliding door rail, plus blacked-out A- and D-pillars that give the car a trendy “floating roof” look. A chrome C-pillar fin, which features a subtle diamond pattern, provides some visual drama, while the rear end incorporates full-width bulb taillights to emphasise the car’s stance.

The Malaysian-market model is fitted with the latest Kia logo introduced this year, which can be found on the bonnet, tailgate, wheel centre caps and steering wheel airbag boss. The car also comes standard with 18-inch Y-spoke two-tone alloy wheels.

Inside, the Grand Carnival is as much of a step-change over its predecessor as the outside, with a horizontal dashboard design, a tall centre console (incorporating a Jaguar-like rotary gear selector) and a freestanding display panel. The latter houses the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as an analogue instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch multi-info display.

Cabin space has been improved thanks to the larger body. The Carnival is 40 mm longer at 5,155 mm, with 30 mm going towards the 3,090 mm wheelbase. The rear overhang has also grown by 30 mm to 1,130 mm, increasing third- and fourth-row space and luggage capacity. Width, meanwhile, is up 10 mm to 1,995 mm.

Standard equipment includes front and rear fog lights, keyless entry, push-button start, triple-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, Saddle Brown faux leather upholstery, a Qi wireless charger, six speakers, a 360-degree camera system and a hands-free powered sliding doors and tailgate.

Safety-wise, the Carnival comes with blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert to go with the usual six airbags and stability control. Unfortunately, however, the car does not get driver assistance features of any kind, including autonomous emergency braking. Hopefully the CKD model will address this.

Under the skin, the Grand Carnival comes with a revamped fully-independent suspension system and reduced noise, vibration and harshness, making for a more relaxed and comfortable drive. To that end, the front of the car features a multi-skeletal cross-member and new geometry to increase stability.

The rear, on the other hand, gets hydro bushings, longer and lower suspension arms, a revised spring layout and an adjusted damper angle to improve ride comfort. The more rigid bodyshell and increased sound insulation further improve refinement. Lastly, the column-mounted electric power steering increases response and quickens the steering ratio by 5.6%.