Life is usually better if you have a lot of choices. Who wants vanilla ice cream all the time? Now the Korean minivan comes in two flavors: hot on the heels of the Starex’ success now comes its archrival, the Kia Carnival. Using the second player advantage, Kia takes the minivan construction one step further than the Starex, adding comfort and styling to the affordability.
It’s difficult to get a first impression just by looking at the Carnival—it couldn’t look more generic if it tried. The stylists at Kia must have checked their dictionary for an illustration under the word “minivan.” Since the Americans, specifically Chrysler, invented this type of vehicle, it seems appropriate that the Koreans took their cue from the Caravan/Voyager. Heck, even the name is a blatant rip-off!
Still, it fits the bill quite nicely, managing to contain all the necessary space without looking bulky. The large multireflector headlamps, large chrome grille, large hood scoop and 3-D effect brake lights help by breaking up the monotony.
Pop open the front door, and the driver’s seat is just high enough to slide into without bending or stepping up. The driving position is more car-like than the Starex’s, and a far cry from the G-liner bus position favored by the L300 and MB100 vans. The gauges are the usual black-on-white cluster of tach, speed, fuel and coolant temp. Controls and switches are easy to reach and clearly labeled, but secondary controls like rear lights will take some getting used to before you can operate them without looking. The gearshift is sensibly mounted on the center dash, freeing up enough floor space to walk through the front seats (with a bit of a squeeze). The front seats are comfortable and adequately bolstered, and both even come with armrests. It wouldn’t be luxury Korean if every surface isn’t covered in fake wood, and the Carnival doesn’t disappoint here either. A very welcome design element is the integrated audio system, which has a large volume knob, something that Japanese automakers and stereo designers seem to have wiped out from their memory. Also in Korean tradition, the stereo pumps out clear and loud CD music. We verified this by playing the latest selection of classic nursery rhymes.
The two rear doors slide open to reveal a cavernous interior. The seats are not quite as talented as the slick all-folding, all-collapsing chairs of the Zafira. The middle seat merely folds forward for easy entry, but the large door openings safely remove Ingress and Egress from the Olympic gymnastics events list.
The rear bench does sit higher on the floor, and headroom is barely enough if you’re 5-foot-7 (170 cm) or less. Kia supplies two sideward facing seats as standard, and you have to fork out some cash for the conversion to a front-facing bench.
The rear tailgate also opens end to end, and if you fold the rear seat, the Carnival will easily swallow five suitcases, or several boxes of goodies. Don’t expect to carry much luggage if you’re seating seven. Space will be limited to just a couple of bags—soft ones, that is.
In the powerplant department, the Carnival also tries to outplay its rival by offering a 2.9 liter turbodiesel to the Starex’s 2.5 liter. The engine is quite adequate in pulling the van briskly, even on sharply-sloping hills. That was with only two people on board. With a full caboodle, the progress is noticeably slower but not at all strained. The automatic shifted quite unobtrusively. Downshifts were prompt when prodding the throttle. The sport mode holds the gear longer but there’s little difference in actual performance; the diesel does most of its work at lower to mid revs anyway.
The illusion of driving a car continues when you steer the Carnival around curves. It understeers for sure, and steering feedback is nonexistent. On the positive side, the steering power-boost is just right and reaction time is quick. Don’t expect roadster-sharp handling, but you won’t be wobbling your way like you would in some AUVs either. Braking is quite uneventful—it works adequately, and that’s it. ABS is included as standard.
We were pleasantly surprised by the all-round competence of the Carnival. If you need to carry more than five people, but don’t want a refrigerator van or AUV, then the Carnival is certainly considering. One worry of potential buyers is durability. Kia does offer a 2-year, 50,000 km warranty to help alleviate your doubs; otherwise, only time will tell if it will stay tight.
The Chevy/Opel Zafira looks sharp and is compact but the back seats are suitable for short distances (and short people) only. Egress is also difficult despite the folding middle seat. The Starex goes in the opposite direction, by both looking and being bulky. Be prepared to have someone else do the driving, for your sanity’s sake. So why not get the original then, the Chrysler Voyager? There are seven hundred thousand reasons, each one worth one peso. The Japanese makers have left a gaping hole in their lineup by offering no car-based seven-seaters; nature abhors a vacuum and in this case the vacancy is filled quite well by the Carnival.
By Jason Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang
Originally Published September 2001 Issue
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