New Kia Carnival spied testing in India without camouflage ahead of launch

Kia India is gearing up to launch the Carnival MPV in India soon. The Korean auto giant has been spotted testing the MPV on Indian roads ahead of the upcoming launch. The 2024 Kia Carnival has already made its debut in global markets. However, it was discontinued in India last year due to stricter emission norms. The spy shot of the new Carnival, shared across social media platforms, shows the MPV will retain most of the fresh design elements introduced in its new generation avatar.

Kia had showcased the new-generation Carnival at the 2023 Auto Expo in a concept form codenamed KA4. The global-spec model and the test mule spotted in India show the design of the concept has been mostly carried forward in the production versions as well. The spy shot shows the Carnival test mule with revised headlamps and taillights, a redesigned grille, signature LED DRL. At the rear,Kia will offer connected LED taillights and redesigned bumper.

The spy shots did not reveal what the interior of the upcoming Carnival will look like. However, it is expected to remain largely similar to the global-spec version of the MPV. Expect the new Carnival to offer features like a 12.3-inch touchscreen screen, digital driver display, rear infotainment screens, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charger, automatic climate control, 360-degree camera, Head-up Display and more. Kia is expected to offer the new Carnival with at least two choices of seating including a 7-seater and a 9-seater version.

Kia has not officially confirmed when the new Carnival MPV will be launched in India. However, it is expected to drive in the 2024 Carnival before the festive season kicks in this year. The upcoming model is likely to get a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine which can generate around 200 bhp of power. Kia may also include a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid engine with the Carnival. When launched, the nearest rival of the Carnival will be the Toyota Innova HyCross.

Kia had launched the Carnival as a premium MPV in India four years ago. It was offered in three trims and was priced between ₹31 lakh and ₹35.50 lakh (ex-showroom) before it was pulled out. In June last year, Kia discontinued the previous generation Carnival as it did not get the BS6 Phase 2 update like other models in Kia's lineup in India.

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