2021 Kia Carnival Platinum long-term review: Farewell

Pour one out – our parts, partner and baby hauler is heading home for good.

What we love

The fantastic interior space
Its external size doesn’t feel overbearing
A great alternative to an SUV

What we don’t

The top spec approaches $70K
Vehicle’s width will be an issue for some garages
The Hyundai Staria is quite compelling too

Don’t buy an SUV. That’s the long and the short of it. More seriously, however, the Sydney Drive office has put its 2021 Kia Carnival Platinum through the absolute wringer.

That includes four different families – some with kids, pets, and both – exploring both its interior tech and family friendliness. It means we took it on a road trip, of course.

Some of us even indulged the concept of using it (carefully) as a parts hauler, too, by moving everything from Vespas to other detritus that comes with being a car enthusiast.

The Kia Carnival boded well during those escapades, but before we start, it’s worth recapping on its price and specification.

We received our model-year 21 or ‘MY21’ generation 2021 Kia Carnival back in April 2021, when pricing started from $70,490 drive-away. Our car features the more expensive powertrain option, which uses a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel with 148kW/440Nm and eight-speed torque converter automatic. A V6 petrol version is available, too, with prices starting at $68,790 drive-away.

Since then, Kia has launched an MY22 model, meaning the diesel version now costs $70,790 before on-roads, or $300 more. If you want an optional colour like our car’s Deep Chroma Blue, you’ll pay $780 more for the privilege – or $71,570 drive-away.

Key details	2021 Kia Carnival Platinum
Price	$70,490 (drive-away)
Colour of test car	Deep Chroma Blue
Options	Metallic paint – $780
Price as tested	$71,570 drive-away
Rivals	Hyundai Staria \| Honda Odyssey

The biggest enabler of fun is the space on offer. Not only are the Kia Carnival’s proportions grand at 5.1m long by nearly 2m wide, but its packaging efforts are also first-class.

Looking at it simply, the wheels are pushed to the edges of the platform and its roof placed high. This creates an internal space with huge walls. If you move a family of four plus the dog around, you’ll find the room not only plentiful, but also easy to use. Even with all eight seats in play, there’s 627L of storage on offer, or nearly three times that found in a Toyota Corolla.

Personally speaking, my time with the car has influenced my own decisions. The real-world benefits of living with a Kia Carnival for weeks on end, during lockdown, meant a quick jaunt at the park on the BMX was literally as simple as throwing a bike or two in the back.

As mentioned before, a regular-sized 50cc classic moped fit quite happily in the back, while still offering comfortable seating for four occupants. In those sorts of situations, you do really reassess your needs and wants. In my case, I found the rational and ergonomic far outweighing the emotional. My own response was to buy something with more space, which I promptly have, knowing our Kia Carnival is no more.

	2021 Kia Carnival Platinum
Seats	Eight
Boot volume	627L all seat up/ 2785L third row folded
Length	5155mm
Width	1995mm
Height	1775mm
Wheelbase	3090mm

The fact we all got comfortable with it speaks volumes about what it’s like to drive. The elevated seating position, and large glazing, channel cab-forward design principles not dissimilar to what you’d find in a van.

This high-up vantage point – coupled with excellent vision from large side mirrors – is comforting from the get-go. My partner isn’t a fan of long-wheelbase sedans, but in this instance, she found its inherent visibility quelling the casual feelings of anxiety she had. She felt at home after becoming comfortable with using the mirrors and excellent parking camera, perhaps more often than in her 2021 Suzuki Jimny.

Another takeaway is the importance of the standard-fit technology package found at this trim level. Gizmos like its parking camera and sensors function intuitively, making the big bus easy to drive.

If you’re new to big cars or simply value safety, I’d suggest shopping the Carnival SLi grade and above, as those models feature the smart 360-degree parking camera and numerous other assist systems that are all worth having.

We experienced a handful of glitches with our car’s infotainment system earlier in the loan period, but a software update along the way solved that.

Other than the casual outbreak of wheel spin in the wet, it was hard to fault how well and comfortably the Kia Carnival moved passengers. After all, that is the intended purpose of this vehicle.

If you want to delve deep into the nitty-gritty, including the seven USB ports, rear-mounted climate-control system or driver-passenger intercom system, watch the video attached for a deep dive by Drive off-road editor Sam Purcell.